Three years ago we purchased my dream house. A 1920’s farmhouse in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. It needed extensive repair and renovation as it had been vacant and open to the elements for 7 years. With dreams like that, who needs nightmares, right? Once we drove out the animals, spiders and bugs, we spent the next year repairing and replacing all the of working systems, replacing windows, repairing the roof, shoring up the foundation, cleaning 7 working fireplaces, refinishing floors, repairing walls, gutting all of the bathrooms and the kitchen.
When we finally got to the fun part - furnishing and decorating, I wanted to do it sustainably. We decided that, whenever possible, we would reuse and repurpose things that we already had, or things that already existed. I wanted to buy as little as possible and not bring a lot of new “stuff” into the world.
Here, I share how we furnished the first of 12 rooms with repurposed, found and donated items. It’s not a designer showcase by any stretch, but we have surrounded ourselves with things that make us happy. Our farmhouse has a rich history (I’ll share that in the future) and holds within it’s walls generations of joy. So it only seemed fitting that we furnish it with pieces that have been loved and carry with them positive energy and personal meaning.
The four poster bed belonged to a friend in our old neighborhood. It had just a couple of very little dings on the headboard. They gave it to us!
The fireplace tools were also given to us by a close friend who had an extra set.
The framed needlework on the mantle is crewel embroidery. I purchased the kit when I was in high school! I didn’t start it until I was out of college. Worked on it off and on for years and completed it in 1999. I loved the scene depicted here even in high school, and now it is a good representation of my life. Crazy how life works.
It was so much fun making all the little French knots that represent the garden vegetables.
I made this pillow from an old 1950's bedspread I purchased at least 25 yrs ago. I guess, I knew that someday I'd have the perfect use for it.
The vintage fabric is cotton with a wonderful textured weave.
The back was made with an old piece of ticking I had in my stash.
I purchased this quilt 25 yrs ago from a woman who lived near Paducah Kentucky, named Alma Perish. It was hand quilted in the 1920’s. Alma had the largest collection of vintage quilts I have ever seen. She knew the history of each quilt and sold them out of a tin roof cabin in the woods down a dirt road. We followed a hand written sign on a piece of scrap wood that said “quilts” and an arrow pointing down the road. I was quite young at the time and didn’t have a lot of money. I had picked out 3 quilts that I loved but knew I could only afford one of them. As I was trying to choose, Alma said to me “Honey, you take all three. Pay me what you can now and send me the rest when you have it.” She insisted that I take all three home with me that day! I sent her as much money as I could over the next year until I had paid them off. I’ll never forget Alma. What a beautiful soul she was.
You can clearly see the hand stitches on the back of the quilt. I love to think about who the ladies may have been, sitting together quilting and sharing news and friendship around a table in someones home.
Now this is by far my favorite accessory. Bear is our sweet 11 yr old rescue who supports me in everything I do, and is by my side every step of the way.
Both the bedside table and glass lamp are antiques I had collected over the years.
This slipper chair was a floor sample I purchased for next to nothing about 15 yrs ago. The little wooden sewing table belonged to my grandmother who taught me how to do embroidery when I was a child.
This photo by photographer Molly Peterson, is entitled "Gratitude". It was taken in the heat of the summer when the farmer offered some welcome relief with a watering hose. I cannot begin to describe how much I love this photo. For me, it truly depicts the gratitude these animals feel when they are treated with love. For the life of me, I don’t understand why people must be convinced to treat them humanely.
I was ecstatic when I found this dhurrie that happened to work perfectly with both quilts on the bed.
I made the relaxed Roman shades for the for the bedroom windows. The windows in the entire house are quite tall and bring the beautiful scenery outside into the house. So I wanted to expose as much of them as possible, while still having privacy at night.
The bedroom has a working fireplace. These perfectly rusted and aged andirons were found in Salvagewrights, an architectural salvage shop in Orange Virginia. I know this isn’t the best photo of them, but the fireplace was full of ashes and I didn’t want to clean it :)
One of my brothers gave me this birdhouse years ago. It is made from salvaged copper and wood. It used to live in the recreation room of our previous house, but has found a much more agreeable home on the mantle of the bedroom fireplace.
This vintage armoire was refinished and hand panted - not by me, but someone far more talented. It came from an antique store in Sperryville, Virginia.
The entire house has 12 ft ceilings and huge windows that give all the rooms wonderful light.
I hope you enjoyed this peek into the main floor bedroom at Misty Mountain, our farm. Check back for Part 2, the Office/Sewing Room.