My Houzz: A Country Farmhouse With Modern Touches in Idaho
Farmhouse-style design details and DIY touches come together in this family’s updated home
Joshua and Amanda Price grew up in the country, and they wanted to give their kids that same experience. The farmhouse they found in Rexburg, Idaho, was not their dream house, but it had original details such as molding, tray ceilings and exterior walls that were almost 10 inches thick. And the property’s several acres of land included a barn, a pasture for cows, a miniature forest and a guesthouse.
“I could imagine my kids playing outside and raising animals and being able to run,” Amanda says. “It had a creek and large trees. I could see that over the course of the years, we could make changes and the house would be closer to what we dreamed of.” So the couple went to work, using graphic designer Amanda’s creative eye and Joshua’s experience growing up on a ranch to remake their 1955 house into the home they wanted.
“I could imagine my kids playing outside and raising animals and being able to run,” Amanda says. “It had a creek and large trees. I could see that over the course of the years, we could make changes and the house would be closer to what we dreamed of.” So the couple went to work, using graphic designer Amanda’s creative eye and Joshua’s experience growing up on a ranch to remake their 1955 house into the home they wanted.
“We now live on one modest income with a smaller budget for decorating, but that doesn’t change the fact that I love beautiful things,” Amanda says. “It has only driven me to think of more creative ways of accomplishing things.”
Nearly everything the family owns is secondhand, and they prefer it that way. Amanda also believes everything in her home needs to serve a purpose, and she recognizes that their belongings will usually take a beating from their active family. “I love things that are used, functional and inexpensive,” she says.
Nearly everything the family owns is secondhand, and they prefer it that way. Amanda also believes everything in her home needs to serve a purpose, and she recognizes that their belongings will usually take a beating from their active family. “I love things that are used, functional and inexpensive,” she says.
AFTER: To give the space more height and dimension, the couple took out the cabinets above the kitchen sink and added a barn-style light and a faux Roman shade. They also gave their cabinets a fresh coat of white paint. They took off one set of cabinet doors and turned the lower part of the cupboard into a plate rack with cup hooks beneath it.
Amanda attached an industrial-style towel rack made from pipes and hardware just beneath the sink.
The couple removed more upper cabinets in favor of open shelving that they made by sanding down old barn wood.
They then added corbels and updated hardware to their reclaimed-wood shelves. They kept the existing countertops but added tongue-and-groove shiplap to the walls.
Amanda illustrated her design ideas to get her husband onboard before their remodel.
AFTER: The layout was redone and new travertine tile, installed by Joshua, replaced the old linoleum. New laundry appliances were a big purchase, but some of Amanda’s favorite finds are the $2 vintage wire egg baskets with “Haroldsen Egg Rexburg Idaho” across the front. She uses them to separate the laundry and plans to sew some liners for them soon.
The washer and dryer are topped with a stained slab door, which makes a great space for folding laundry. As a final fix, beadboard now covers the uneven texture on the ceiling.
The family room sits off the kitchen and dining area. In their barn, Amanda found an old ladder that’s now perched against the shelves on the right.
The front room retains its original tray ceiling, now covered with the tongue-and-groove wooden floor planks the Prices removed from the upstairs. They thought it would be a shame to throw the wood away, so they sanded, whitewashed and stained it before adding it to the room. They tried to blend as many of the original features as possible into the update.
The vintage suitcases on top of their cabinet are thrift store finds that fit nicely into the living room.
The cabinet is styled with a mix of vintage books, new decor and family photos.
More charming repurposed secondhand pieces are displayed in Amanda’s office. White paint ties together an old kitchen cabinet above and a science classroom cabinet below. Solid-core doors were sanded and stained to serve as wood countertops. The vintage desk chair is from a classroom, and on the shelves are other secondhand finds.
Amanda discovered this schoolhouse chalkboard in the barn behind the house. It’s framed by clocks, clipboards and a yardstick, all found at garage sales.
After adding a section to the house, the Prices turned the space linking the old house and the new addition into a mudroom where the kids can quickly ditch their shoes and backpacks before coming inside.
AFTER: “I tried to preserve some of the old built-ins that I loved in this house. This one became part of the reading nook,” Amanda says.
The rest of the attic is home to the kids’ rooms, including 4-year-old Ayva’s room, shown here.
Allie Elizabeth’s bedroom is an ideal tween room, not too young and not too old for a 13-year-old girl.
The boys’ room is a work in progress. “I will be painting a faux brick wall like they had in our last house,” Amanda says. She made the headboards with board, batting and faux black leather to look like car seat upholstery.
The garage theme continues with an industrial light, road signs from a sign shop Amanda worked at in college, a refinished dresser and industrial shelves made from wood slabs and pipe.
BEFORE: The original house had white vinyl siding and a red metal roof that was starting fade and bleed onto the siding below, turning it pink. “It was dated, the floors creaked, and it even had a spiral staircase. But somehow we all loved it. It felt like home; we just needed to make it our own,” Amanda says.
AFTER: The couple did what they could themselves but also worked with contractor Quinn Benson of QB Construction and other professionals. They found that many contractors don’t want to work with older homes because they don’t know what they’ll find, but Benson was willing to take it on. “I’ve told Quinn that he is giving hope to old houses everywhere,” Amanda says.
Siding: Scottish Thistle, Mastic Home Exteriors; rock facing: Arcadian ridge stone and Cape Cod granite, Haristone
Siding: Scottish Thistle, Mastic Home Exteriors; rock facing: Arcadian ridge stone and Cape Cod granite, Haristone
Pictured clockwise from left are Tayt, Thomas, Amanda, Joshua (holding Ayva), and Allie Elizabeth with dog Lu-Lu. “I’m glad we didn’t wait for our dream land or dream house,” Amanda says. “I would have missed out on so much. I think we are happier when we learn to love and use what we have.”
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My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
See more photos of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Amanda and Joshua Price; their children, Allie Elizabeth, 13, Thomas, 9, Tayt, 7, and Ayva 4; dog Lu-Lu and cat Ike
Location: Rexburg, Idaho
Size: 3,500 square feet (325 square meters); four bedrooms, four bathrooms
Year built: 1955
One of the draws of the original home was the open kitchen, dining room and family room. Amanda built the sliding barn door using wood from a local farm and ranch store to separate the laundry room and bathroom from the rest of this space.