Country Living editors select each product featured. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Why Trust Us?
This Couple Transformed Their Suburban Cookie Cutter Home Into an Authentic Farmhouse
Wait until you see what it used to look like!
Designer Paige Thornton and her husband, Blair, were looking for a charming house in the country, but the home they found online several years ago was hardly that. Located in Killen, Alabama, it would be better described as “suburban cookie cutter” than “contemporary farmhouse.” Even so, the couple, intrigued by the surrounding acreage, gave it a look.
“The moment we saw the farmland, so rich with history, we knew,” Paige says. “We basically fell in love with the 10 acres—not so much the house.” But as an interior designer, Paige is used to big projects, so they took the home down to the studs and embarked on an eight-month renovation.
Before: Exterior
Before, the house, while pretty, was your standard new-build.
After: Exterior
Now, it's a full-blown farmhouse thanks to a few clever updates to the exterior. The Thorntons removed the shutters and added a metal roof, double doors at the entryway, square columns on the porch, and board-and-batten siding to the exterior walls, These days, the family (which includes daughter Alle and son Rhodes) has settled into country life—along with horses Zippy and Idgy, who no doubt appreciate having room to roam.
Before: Kitchen
Upper cabinets crowded the kitchen, and the linoleum flooring and green paint felt dated.
After: Kitchen
The Thorntons made the kitchen more modern by creating an open floor plan. “The ceilings are only 8-feet tall, so we opened up the home as much as possible in other ways,” says Paige, who doesn't shy away from knocking down a wall. She accessorized the lighter, brighter space with sleek pendants, rustic wood saddle stools, and antique copper and pottery.
Get the look:
White Wall Paint: Ultra White by Benjamin Moore
Pendants: Pendants from Amazon
Saddle Stools: for similar look, Sonoma Barnwood Saddle Stool from The Home Depot
Coffee Nook
In addition to expanding the kitchen to the living area, the Thorntons carved out a coffee nook and covered the walls with shiplap planks coated in a crisp shade of white. To warm things up, she added a vintage rug.
Get the look:
White Wall Paint: Ultra White by Benjamin Moore
Stool: for similar look, Wool stool by Houzz for a similar look
Cup Holder: for similar look, Metal Bottle Rack from Amazon
Dining Area
In the dining area just off the kitchen, Paige added a stainless-steel cabinet topped with concrete to offset the all-white shiplap. A trio of dark sconces casts light on a mix of old and new glassware, including green handblown wineglasses that add a pop of color to the open shelving. Above the table, a white antler chandelier reinforces the home's rustic-meets-refined aesthetic.
Get the look:
Cabinet: for similar look, Stainless Steel Cabinets from Home Depot
Sconces: Ridge sconce by Cedar & Moss
Chandelier: for similar look, Faux Antler Chandelier from Wayfair
Before: Living Room
The living area was carpeted and closed off from the other rooms.
After: Living Room
The living room coffee table adds warmth without detracting from the striking fireplace facade, which is made from old barnwood. Slipcovered sofas and cowhide and sisal rugs add softness and texture, and verdant pops of green reinforce the natural approach. The homeowners also fashioned simple and clean-lined shelves out of floor joists from an old building.
Get the look:
Coffee Table: for similar, Industrial Wood Top coffee table by Best Choice Products
RELATED: Get the scoop on shopping for reclaimed wood.
Artful Collections
Paige chose a white oak for the floors throughout the house—a fresh twist on typical dark hardwoods. Above the antique pine cabinet hangs Smith Lake III, artwork featuring hay bales in a field snapped 90 miles away by Alabama-based photographer David Hillegas.
Get the look:
Vase: for similar look, Recycled Jug Vase from Etsy
Before: Guest Room
Bright blue paint made the room feel even smaller.
After: Guest Bedroom
The Thorntons enlarged the guest room to accommodate two queen-size beds, complete with light linen headboards and crisp white and brown bedding. Additional neutral touches include a round sisal rug, small mirror, and a pair of antique antlers. The beds' bolster pillows were made from a kilim rug that “had seen better days,” Paige says.
Get the look:
Rug: for similar, Natural Fiber Rug by Safeviah
White Coverlets: Montauk Coverlet by Serena and Lily
Mirror: Gold Round Metal Wall Mirror from Hobby Lobby
Kilim Bolster Pillows: for similar, Elyse pillow from Overstock
Porch
The screened-in porch boasts a practical galvanized roof, concrete floors, and a cinderblock fireplace covered in a sand wash. Two massive concrete boxes store firewood year-round. “We find ourselves building fires out here all of the time—even when it's far too warm!” Paige says.
Barn
“We built the barn close to the house so the horses are always nearby,” Paige says. “They're really just like big dogs—always looking for an apple or carrot.”
More Farmhouse Tours!
Love the look of an all-white farmhouse? Tour one of these other favorite farmhouses from the Country Living archives:
*This fully restored 1800s farmhouse is filled with vintage charm, proving that some old homes just get better with age.
*Filled with storied antiques, rough-hewn texture, and farmhouse-inspired details, this Tennessee home proves you can lighten up while staying grounded.
*Author Liz Marie Galvan lives in the all-white farmhouse of your Dreams
*See how this unapologetic collector (1,200 vintage linens alone!) transformed a nondescript fixer upper into a dreamy farmhouse-style cottage just right for all her favorite things. Plus, you have to see her garden!
Antiques Lover’s Guide to Collecting by Color
Tour a Vintage-Filled Farmhouse on a Wyoming Ranch
Antiques Lover’s Guide to Tennis Collectibles
Antiques Lover’s Guide to Jadeite
