Room Ideas From Around Our Old House: Recent Update Projects

I thought it might be fun to do an informal home tour today and just share a few room ideas from some recent projects around our old farmhouse. Here are some favorites.

I have to admit that I often feel like we never get anything done around here. Our schedules are so busy with our interior photography business, kids, life, etc., and it seems like we’re always starting projects with the best of intentions, only to leave them unfinished for years because we just can’t get back to them. If you, too, live in reality, you might also have realized that real-life home improvement and decorating projects actually take much longer to complete than the ones that magically come together on HGTV. I do always seem to have a little mini side-project on the go though, something that I can easily pick away at with just a little paint and some online shopping time in the evenings. I realized last week that I’ve actually managed to cover quite a bit of ground over the past couple of years or so with my little hobby update projects, so today I’m sharing a few room ideas from a few recent decorating updates.

Click on the title of the room below each photo to see more of the whole space and read about the project in more detail.

Favorite Space Updates and Refreshes

The Back Hall Mudroom Area | I worked on a few little updates and upgrades for this space just recently (early spring of ’23). This has been a favorite hardworking space in our home since we first renovated it about eight years ago, but I like it even more now. 🙂 Pictured above: Aged brass door knob | White sneakers | Tote bag | Smaller water hyacinth baskets up top | Large water hyacinth cubes for cubbies

Primary Bedroom Refresh | This was done in the spring of ’22 and we finished some walls that had been bare drywall for years, added some nice millwork, finally replaced an old light fixture, and updated the decor a bit. Pictured above: Lamp from Homesense (I switched out the shade to this one) | Vase | Curtains | Similar Headboard | Quilt | Alarm clock is vintage LL Bean

Desk Nook Update | Completed in the fall of ’22. This is the coziest little nook in our living room and I updated it with new art, lighting and decor to help it work nicely with the rest of the room. I love the mix of modern and super traditional here and I still find it such an inspiring place to work. Pictured above: Lamps | Desk Chair | Black Floral Pillow | Similar Oversized Mat Frames | “Tranquilty” Print | Similar Gold Frame | Made for Living Book | Home Made Lovely Book

Living Room Update | Finished in the spring of ’22. For some reason I never really shared a proper post about this update, but it was super exciting for me to see the room looking for bright and fresh with new furniture and a new cover for our Ruggable. What a difference in here! I noticed that I shared a lot of photos in this post about some of my favorite Etsy pillow finds from the update. Pictured above: Ruggable | Coffee Table | Black Block Print Pillow | Sconces | White Velvet Curtains

“Main” Mudroom Refresh | This was done in the winter of ’23, right after the holiday season. I switched things up just a bit in here with more neutral decor and lighting and some upgraded storage options because the old ones were getting a little sad and worn out. Pictured above: Umbrella stand | Runner | Similar console table | Lamp | Black LL. Bean Maine Hunting boots | Similar riding boots

Front Porch Spring ’22| Since we’re in the middle of doing lots of planting and preparing in our outdoor spaces right now, I thought I’d share a look back at our porch from last spring as well. Even if there aren’t any big purchases, it always feels like our porch spaces get a whole new lease on life every spring with new plants filling the planters and the garden around them filling in more and more every year. Pictured Above: Schlage “Century” Handleset | Indestructible doormat | All-weather Adirondack chairs | Similar all-weather coffee table

Farmhouse Paint Colors and Finishes | If you’re looking for more info about the different colors and finishes that we’ve used throughout our 120-year-old farmhouse as we’ve been updating it, you can find most of them listed here in this blog post. Pictured above: Water hyacinth baskets | Tray | Jars | Washable runner | Market basket | Scarf

Timeless Farmhouse Dining Room | This project was completed in the summer of ’23 and involved a new light fixture, a painted furniture project, a new table lamp, velvet drapes, and timeless accessories. The room design really centered around what would look good with my family heirloom dining set, which isn’t going anywhere. My hope was to pick decorations, furnishings, and fixtures that I wouldn’t soon get tired of and that I could keep in place for many years to come. Pictured above: Chandelier | Black shade table lamp | Horse print | Beaded dinnerware | Gravy boat | Platter | Wave bowl by Jules Love Ceramics

Newest Room Ideas

English Countryside Style Bedroom Refresh | This space was updated in the spring of ’24. When Kennedy went away to university in the fall, I felt like her room needed a bit of a refresh so she’d have somewhere calm and welcoming to come home to when she came to visit. The room was feeling a bit tired and neglected, so I repainted the walls and the furniture, brought in a few new pieces, and filled the rest of the room with vintage finds. I recently added this rug to the room too and I’m in love. I’ll need to take a few updated photos for this space. Pictured above: French market basket | Black lampshade | Coat rack | Linen blend curtains | White stoneware pitcher | Faux leather tissue box cover

Exposed brick wall in our bedroom | This is kind of a funny project because we actually initially ripped the paneling off the wall 13 years ago when we first moved in, but then left it unfinished with the construction lumber and insulation sticking out in the corners. We decided to trim it out and add the picture rail this year and now we finally have four fully-finished walls in our room. I still have a few final touches that I’d like to add to this room here and there – framed prints on one wall, maybe a rug, maybe a new antique piece for the blanket cabinet/bedside table – but I’ll have to wait until I find just the right pieces for those spots. Click the link above to see the rest of the space if you missed when I shared it recently.

Hope you enjoyed this little tour! Excited to share the next mini-update project with you soon! 🙂

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