Room of the Day: A Farmhouse-Fresh Entry
Playful pattern, pretty color and natural touches give a rousing ‘howdy’ to all who enter this Texas ranch house
Becky Harris
February 7, 2017
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
This gracious Texas ranch house was full of lovely architectural details, but its tired entryway was not setting the right tone. “These homeowners are so gracious, and they wanted their guests to feel at home as soon as they walked through the door,” interior designer Courtney Warren says. “Their home is beautiful, and we wanted the entry to match the rest of it and match their personalities.”
Photos by Jarrod Estes
Entry at a Glance
What happens here: A family of five greets its guests and makes them feel welcome
Location: Waxahachie, Texas
Size: 100 square feet (9 square meters)
Designer: Courtney Warren, Courtney Warren Home
This ranch has a lot of open land around it, including a pond. “The house has a lot of rustic touches and real modern farmhouse feel,” Warren says.
Here you can see one of the home’s beautiful Texas limestone arches. The homeowners wanted to do something exciting, updated and fresh and bring in some happy color.
Entry at a Glance
What happens here: A family of five greets its guests and makes them feel welcome
Location: Waxahachie, Texas
Size: 100 square feet (9 square meters)
Designer: Courtney Warren, Courtney Warren Home
This ranch has a lot of open land around it, including a pond. “The house has a lot of rustic touches and real modern farmhouse feel,” Warren says.
Here you can see one of the home’s beautiful Texas limestone arches. The homeowners wanted to do something exciting, updated and fresh and bring in some happy color.
BEFORE: The entry had a traditional style that was past its prime. The console table was dark and heavy and intruded too far into the space, and the rug was dated.
“Their tile floor, existing door and very Texas cactus chandelier were all just fine and they liked them,” Warren says. “There is no point to making the renovation larger and costing clients more money by replacing perfectly good things that they like just for the sake of replacing everything.”
“Their tile floor, existing door and very Texas cactus chandelier were all just fine and they liked them,” Warren says. “There is no point to making the renovation larger and costing clients more money by replacing perfectly good things that they like just for the sake of replacing everything.”
Instead, Warren added new elements that tied in with the existing ones, resulting in a fresh, enlivened space. She proposed a pretty robin’s egg blue for the walls. She also came up with an idea for a playful herringbone wall.
“I had a very talented carpenter to collaborate with,” Warren says. She composed the boards in shades of robin’s egg, white and various wood stains. After the carpenter cut the boards to size, they played around with the pattern, laying everything out in the garage until they got it right. The overall pattern has an orderly look but doesn’t repeat exactly. The imperfection of the pattern keeps things more casual and rustic.
Wall paint: Wythe Blue, Benjamin Moore; bookcase: Ballard Designs; rug: World Market
“I had a very talented carpenter to collaborate with,” Warren says. She composed the boards in shades of robin’s egg, white and various wood stains. After the carpenter cut the boards to size, they played around with the pattern, laying everything out in the garage until they got it right. The overall pattern has an orderly look but doesn’t repeat exactly. The imperfection of the pattern keeps things more casual and rustic.
Wall paint: Wythe Blue, Benjamin Moore; bookcase: Ballard Designs; rug: World Market
In addition to the new paint, Warren had the walls covered in a new texture. “We just did a typical orange peel; I didn’t want anything that was too trendy and would become dated,” she says. The arched mirror frame looks like it came straight out of the farmhouse in Grant Wood’s iconic painting American Gothic — just the right fit for a modern farmhouse. “My client already had this wreath and wasn’t sure what to do with it,” Warren says. “I thought it was a great idea to layer in a natural element in front of the mirror.”
Mirror: Home Decorators Collection
Mirror: Home Decorators Collection
The bookcase mixes crisp white, warm wood, glass and blackened iron hardware. Warren placed books and family photo inside.
On top, a vintage metal scale strikes the right balance.
“I love to bring in vintage items to add charm whenever I can,” Warren says. The two gilded log lamps throw a curveball. “I love that their shapes add another natural element but that they are so snazzy and funky,” Warren says. “They give the room a glamorous twist.”
Finally, a cowhide rug adds some Texas style and changes up the look of the floor. “These homeowners love to host their church group and other friends and family,” the designer says. “With all the fun details, the entry reflects their personalities and welcomes everyone.”
Read more stories about entryway design
Browse more entry photos
On top, a vintage metal scale strikes the right balance.
“I love to bring in vintage items to add charm whenever I can,” Warren says. The two gilded log lamps throw a curveball. “I love that their shapes add another natural element but that they are so snazzy and funky,” Warren says. “They give the room a glamorous twist.”
Finally, a cowhide rug adds some Texas style and changes up the look of the floor. “These homeowners love to host their church group and other friends and family,” the designer says. “With all the fun details, the entry reflects their personalities and welcomes everyone.”
Read more stories about entryway design
Browse more entry photos
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Color, texture, pattern... Love it all!
So very different!! So Refreshing.
This made me instantly smile, and yes, laugh/chuckle in a GOOD way!! - it invokes an instant happy almost playful feel to the space for me .
Also- it gets hot in Texas and this what I call my (what I try to achieve in other builds in hot climates) as my "cool drink of water" feel you get when you first enter the home on a hot summer day. So happy to see things like this that are anything but shades of gray.
Colors used are so pretty and the vastly different textures are superb together!!
Love it
Wow, just WOW! That herringbone wall is amazing! Love the arch, the colors, it is all so striking and stunning.