Farmhouse and Florida

My Grandmother’s farmhouse on Highway 54 in Zephyrhills was surrounded on three sides by lush orange groves as far as the eye could see. The scent of orange blossoms in April was so strong you could almost taste orange by breathing in the air. A kumquat tree adorned the front yard of that white clapboard home and palm trees ensconced it on each side. A beautiful hedge surrounded the house obscuring it somewhat from the highway; ensuring a pleasant nap on the front porch swing while the palm fronds creaked and swished in the gentle spring breeze. As I stared at the picture of my grandmother’s old house full of memories, my mind wondered to thoughts of farming and home décor. Do you need to be a farmer to have farmhouse décor or could farmhouse décor be used in touches throughout a space? Let’s take a peek into a Bonifay Cabana Villa to see how farmhouse and Florida live in perfect harmony, somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

• PaintNew Artwork, Chandelier, and window treatments.
We painted all the walls Livable Green SW6176. This color is a blue based green with a hint of grey to keep it neutral but lively. It is really a great calming green.

• Kitchen
Re-face don’t replace is my motto! The white kitchen had been painted by the previous homeowners and since it was oak, it is very difficult to get rid of the grain and the cabinets were showing wear. With a re-face we were able to raise the middle cabinet so that it was higher. The stacked cabinets look really good with the high angular ceiling and the two birds and basket of wildflowers look much better in their highlighted spot. All the doors and drawer faces were removed. The old cabinet boxes were painted with a paint the only a jack hammer could remove. Finally, the new doors which are much bigger than the original doors were hung into place. The combination of larger doors that meet in the middle make the kitchen and cabinetry look fresh and impressive. Also, a new larger crown molding is added to the top of the cabinetry for a more generous and finished look.

• Dining room
We liked the table that the homeowner already owned but the chandelier had to change. We installed the Beau Orb which looks so nice in the space. I love this light because it makes a strong visual impression without taking up space. The chandelier is easy to see through so it does not feel heavy at all. Also, we hung the arched mirror that is 48 wide by 72 high opposing the glass sliding door to reflect all the light back into the space.

• Windows
The windows consist of two sliding glass doors and one large double window in the living space. We removed the old cornices that were too small for the windows and changed window treatments on the sliders. The sliders received the Graber slide view window covering. This is a honeycomb blind that slides side to side so that when it is closed it takes up very little space. When the slide view is closed it provides great privacy and it acts as a heat barrier to keep the sun out on really hot days. Once the slide view was installed we had the finish carpenter add large molding with a header to hide the slide view and make the window stand out and look finished. The large double window already had a slated blind. We left the blind in place and trimmed out the window with the same molding as the sliders and added a matching header. Though the windows are different, the molding looks the same and that provides visual cohesion between the spaces.

• Furniture placement
The conversation sofa look nice partially angled into the room. By angling the couch we were able to have the two modern leather recliners next to each other and the space stays open.

• Artwork
The new artwork that lent itself to the farmhouse look is two large panels that were made from reclaimed barn wood. The person that made the panels stained the interior with brush strokes of teal and yellow. The finishing touch to the new farmhouse pieces was chicken wire. It does not get more country than chicken wire! Also, we added a sleeping Sandhill crane by Elizabeth Kershaw to the kitchen wall above the bar and sand pipers on the beach above the slider at the end of the living room. The harmony of Florida and farmhouse style is pulled together using color. All the pieces share similar colors though they are different in subject matter.

• Rugs
We removed the dining room rug because it was not needed and by taking it away it allowed us to slide the chairs with ease. We added a new 5×8 area rug into the living room which added some pop.

• Lamps
We replaced the brown lamps with light yellow lamps that look very country casual. The yellow lamps pulled the yellow from the rug and yellow from the new artwork.

P.S. –Attention, club presidents! We give free decorating seminars. Call and schedule your club today. Also, we are on-line check out our web-site at www.ruthdyer.com and you can always e-mail us at ruth@finishingtouchfl.com. Call Ruth your full service decorator at 352-804-2056.

Before and After Pics Below