Morris Manor Farmhouse Home Tour
Hey y’all – I’m Katrina and I want to welcome you to The Morris Manor! I’d like to invite you on a tour of our circa 1919 farmhouse. Let me preface this tour by telling you my husband Scott and I actually met here 20 years ago. That’s right, his best friend grew up here, and after high school, he moved away. Once his parents passed, the house sat empty. After a phone conversation one day about the possible selling of the home, we decided to take a look at it. The moment we pulled in the driveway there was a connection. As we walked through each room that connection grew stronger. That day we made the commitment of breathing life back into these old bones.
In January 2016 we immediately dug our heels in to begin an extensive renovation. The home had been vacant for several years and talk about deferred maintenance. SHEW! We gutted the entire main level and I painted EVERY surface I could get my hands on ..including the upstairs hardwood floors.
Now let’s get on with the tour! We will start at the front door.
The room off to the right is our soon to be study. It’s currently under construction. Our design for that room is a gentleman’s cigar lounge…minus the cigars!
The entry was dark and uninviting. The stairs were painted maroon and the walls were dingy and dirty. It took a new floor, new paint, new light, and a lot of elbow grease to accomplish this clean fresh look.
This Spring I’ll add a few more touches including actual photos in the gold frames! 🙂 For now we are enjoying the neutral simplicity of this space.
Let’s head down the hall to the powder room.
This room used to be a full bath complete with a tub. The door was on the wall where the board and batten is now. I didn’t want a full bath on the main level as we have one upstairs next to the bedrooms. I knew we could make it work, the key is to be efficient with your needs. We are a family of 5 and share 1.5 baths. It’s perfect for us! We moved from a home that had three baths and it was too much upkeep!
Next up is the living/family room. This was used as their master bedroom. They raised 4 boys and gave them the entire upstairs to run free… can you blame them?
Meet Penelope.
She loves the farm and posing for pictures.
We added shiplap to the fireplace and exposed as much original brick as possible. There was only a small hole for a wood stove. My husband cut as much as he could before comprising the structure of the entire fireplace. I didn’t think I would like it because my heart was set on gas logs but I LOVE it! It adds so much character! There is nothing like the crackle of a real wood fire.
The skinny shiplap behind the sofa is actually painted cedar planks. It was the cedar closet for the master bedroom. Instead of having wasted space we put a french door on a sliding track and made it into our girls art nook. My husband made a built-in desk and the girls use it everyday. I’m working on a post to reveal it soon.
This odd space beside the fireplace needed something special. I went on a mission to find a hutch that was unique and vintage. One day my neighbor put this piece in her garage and I fell in love! I knew I had to have it! It was the perfect color and only needed scrubbing and light sanding. Can you imagine the history of this piece? I am so thankful my neighbor was also my friend! She didn’t put up too much fight!
We knocked down three walls to open up the entire back of the house. An open concept was very important to our family.
The harvest table came from the same friend that I bought the hutch from. Ummmm, she has impeccable taste doesn’t she?! If you can’t already tell blue and white is my jam!!! The chimney was discovered behind the drywall. It was a dark red and I simply whitewashed it.
I thrifted this buffet. It was dark wood and I painted it white and changed the hardware to coordinate with the kitchen brackets and island pulls.
I’ve saved the BEST for last… THE KITCHEN!
I have adored white kitchens for years. I knew I wanted a wide open space with the largest island possible! Ikea made that happen on a very tight budget! We did 100% of the kitchen ourselves. Minus the plumbing and electrical, mainly because we don’t know anything about these types of things so we wanted to make sure that they were done right. Thankfully, the plumbers that we chose sorted out our plumbing in no time and we were able to crack on with the rest of our renovations. We spent countless hours measuring, laying out the floor plan, dreaming, and pinning! It turned out better than we could have imaged. Next up on the to do list for the kitchen are window treatments. Simple roman shades should do it! They will be DIY and I’ll share the tutorial on my blog.
The love with blue and white continues…
The top of the island is stainless steel. We put tacks around the perimeter to give it an industrial flare.
Another Ikea purchase is the rod hanging on the side of the island. It’s both cute and functional if I do say so myself. 🙂
A vintage style magazine rack is perfect for produce storage.
A brick backsplash and tulips make everything better, right?
Butcher block countertops add the perfect touch of warmth to an otherwise stark space.
My friend owns a reclaimed wood shop, she burns the letters to make amazing custom signs. Open shelving helps me display my favorite things.
Non traditional storage is perfect for the kitchen. This houses my cooking oils etc…
I use it almost everyday.
One day soon when I get the laundry room complete, and I’ll take you through this barn door and show you what’s on the other side. Until then, let’s just admire the handle and my love for aprons!
Having a blog has been a dream of mine for years but it never felt like the right time. Now that we are settling into our new life it feels perfect! My hope is “to inspire you to live your best life” no matter your circumstance or budget. Each week I will be adding more content, and DIY projects. I hope you will come join me at The Morris Manor and check it out!
A HUGE thank you to Shannon for inviting me to share my humble nest with you. Please come visit The Morris Manor anytime. Our door is always open, Katrina
Find Katrina: BLOG | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
PS: Hi guys!! Shannon here. I’ve been absent here at the hollow because I was visiting family down in California. I had a (mostly) great break, I got sick. Poor me. But I’m home now and I missed you!! And the blog, and visiting and chatting. Anyhow. I just wanted to say that I was so tickled to give y’all a peek at Katrina’s farmhouse, and encourage you to visit and tell her hello. She was a #foxhollowfridayfavs feature pick over on my Instagram page, and I was happy to give her a little boost and share her here with you all. Being a new blogger is hard. And I had so many people, treat me so kindly when I started, I always try to do the same when I can!! It’s so good to be home. xo ShannonWant to peek inside MORE pretty homes?
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LOVE EVERYTHING! Love the blog, and the Manor! So looking forward to spending time here with you!
Me too!! I love Katrina’s home and style 🙂
Did you build the countertop? I love your house. The countertop is beautiful!
Hello Delores, if you click on the link in the post, you can visit Katrina and I am sure she would be happy to answer any of your questions 🙂 You can find her at https://themorrismanor.wordpress.com/ ans all her social media links are there as well. Best, Shannon
Can you tell me where you purchased the black brackets for your open wooden shelving? Also, how did you make your wooden shelving? Thank you so much and really enjoyed the tour!
Hi Roxanne, if you click on the link in the post, you can visit Katrina and I am sure she would be happy to answer any of your questions 🙂 You can find her at https://themorrismanor.wordpress.com/ – all her social media links are there as well. Best, Shannon
Wow! What a beautiful farm house!!!
I thought so too! I’m so glad you enjoyed the tour 🙂