A Generational Transformation

I love projects where the after is so incredibly, so vastly different from the before, but where the heart of the home remains intact. Thus is the case with this whole-home remodel that I partnered on with Southern Craftsman Construction to create something very new out of an old family home that needed a little bit of life put back into it.

I was raised in Avoyelles Parish and Cottonport has always been my favorite town therein. The bayou that winds through the community, with its lily pads and floating Christmas trees during the holidays, is the highlight of a place that is small but has a big heart. It's surrounded by fields of crops and houses the nicest people on its many long and winding roads. The Cash family is no exception. After inquiring their old family home, with the bayou out front and rambling crop fields as far as the eye can see out back, and relocating their matriarch to a tiny home built next door, they were ready for a big change and the beginning of the next chapter of their lives with retirement around the corner. We took on every corner of the small, ranch-style cutie and the end product is a beautiful, modern rendition of a home that was dated and in desperate need of a bit of fresh air--the inside needed to match the outside, if you will. Here is how it looked before we got our hands on it:

Hello linoleum and shag carpet! The living room area had some updates, but these homeowners were ready to rip it all up and start anew. See that little green kitchen with the bad linoleum floors? That was a room off the carport that you couldn't access without going outside. That becomes the new beautiful kitchen! So let's start there, shall we?

Painting your bottom cabinets darker than the tops anchors the space, but when those bottom cabinets match your floors it is even more grounding. I love that effect in this kitchen. I love the natural light from all the windows in this kitchen. I love the farm sink with the ridges that add texture. I love the glass cabinetry at the far end that make the kitchen seem to go on forever. I had to bring very little to this home to style it for our photo shoot because the homeowner was very intentional about all the details and worked with me tirelessly to get them just right so that the home was magazine-worthy even after the cameras were off and we were gone. The white brick backsplash is a nod to the farmhouse quality of the home, but the sleek gold hardware adds a touch of sophistication. It was the homeowner's idea to bring in the cutting board wall and I love its beauty that also adds a layer of functionality. So much to love in this kitchen. Nikki and I went home with jars of pickles and a dozen eggs each (all from the homeowner's hard work) and that, my friends, is Avoyelles Parish hospitality at its finest.

The living room is a huge space that gave us a fit. The layout is a bit odd with the opening on one side. We originally planned for openings on either side of the fireplace, but opted out of that due to the other side not working with their existing dining room furniture. This gave us a cozy living/seating area but left the other side a bit tough to figure out when it came to function. We opted for a smaller seating area and then the homeowner decided a bar for additional storage and star power would be perfect for the far wall and it is, indeed, perfect. The tan color of the bar pairs perfectly with all the white and blue and wood and black. The twin sofas are a fun find from IKEA and just about as comfortable as a couch can get. The bookshelves flanking the fireplace were supposed to be all white, but the painter thought they were the deep gray. We stopped him in time but left the gray in the back of the shelves and what a happy accident it turned out to be! I love how the decor pops and makes everything feel more storied. The cutie arched black cabinet is from Sam's (mind blowing, I know) and I'm obsessed with the Target benches on either side. The homeowner MADE the intaglio art and I'm in love with those. They are just another testament to her dedication to every detail being perfect.

The master bedroom and bathroom echo the more public spaces but have a bit more flair in the tile and art. The homeowner made the bed and repurposed the bench in front of it. A door was carved where there was once a window to allow for access onto the new, massive back patio overlooking the fields. Soft bedding contrasts perfectly with all the black in the space. The bathroom adds a pop of blue and the same fun fixtures and finishes as the rest of the home. I could sit in that bathtub for days!

Finally the exterior. It is a perfect modern country home, ready to take on years and years more of love and gatherings.

You can never go wrong with any version of wood, white, black, and green and this home exterior is no exception.

These homeowners were absolute dream clients. They pivoted well and we worked well together to solve any issues that came along and find all of the perfect pieces for this beautiful home, down to the last item on each shelf. I'm sad my time with it and them are over, but I'm overjoyed that they get to live out the rest of their days in this peaceful, stunning home and I hope those days are long and filled with blessings abundant and that generation after generation will continue to love this home as much as they do.