Parade Of Homes: MAPLE & MAGNOLIA

Happy Friday! 

You are in for a treat today.  We are touring Susan’s house just outside Chicago.  Nothing but farmhouse eye candy is about to follow so hold on tight…

Thanks a bunch, Shari for inviting me to be a part of your Parade of Homes! I’m a huge fan of your blog and of your beautiful home, so it’s a real treat to be here. I’m Susan and started my blog Maple and Magnolia two years ago while our family was living in Toronto, Ontario (Maple) but I’m from Alabama (Magnolia). Over the past twenty years, our family has moved thirteen times. We’ve lived in eight different states and Canada. Our home in each area has reflected the local style. Stucco in Florida, stone in Colorado, to a traditional colonial in Connecticut…just to name a few! I had always dreamed of living in a white farmhouse. When we moved to Illinois last May, that dream became a reality when we purchased this 150 year old farmhouse.

Here’s our home in the summertime.

But I love it most in the wintertime when the snow piles up.

C’mon inside. This is our entryway. It is the first space that I tackled when we moved in. I wanted it to be warm and inviting, while staying true to the farmhouse vibe.

I love incorporating unusual antique pieces whenever I can. These cubbies stored hardware store nails.

If you follow my blog, you know Riley always manages to pop up like “Where’s Waldo” in my photos. The farmhouse table was a twenty five dollar craigslist find that I refinished.

Just off of the entryway, is our kitchen.

It’s one of my favorite rooms in the house because it is light and bright and a great place to gather.

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Here’s the family room.

The card catalog was a craigslist find that I refinished.

My office.

My favorite room makeover, hands down, would be our sleeping porch. It was a sad empty space just off of my dressing room with loads of potential.

After lots of elbow grease and fresh paint, the space was furnished and accessorized almost entirely with thrifted or craigslist pieces.

Just beneath the sleeping porch is our screened porch. The perfect place to chill on a pretty day.

Now let’s mosey on over to the guest cottage…

This little white cottage was a major selling point when we bought our home.

Let’s step inside… The living area, all decked out for summer.

The guest bedroom

The cottage kitchen…another huge makeover project.

My studio houses two of my all-time favorite furniture finds/refinishing projects…the industrial table and surveyor’s cabinet.

Our house is very much a work in progress. The outside needs painting, the bathrooms need updates and the bedrooms are getting made over one by one. But to me, the fun part is taking a space and transforming it so that it uniquely represents the people that live there. After living in 13 different homes over the years, there is one thing that is very clear to me. Home is so much more than a structure. Be it an apartment, a rental, a dream home, or a mud hut. Home is where my family is.

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Thank you so much Susan for sharing your incredible home!

Can you think of one picture that doesn’t belong in a magazine?  If I had to describe what my taste and style is when it comes to creating a home, I’d point you directly to Susan.   I wish I could just pick her home up and drop it down into our orchard.    I’m thinking “Up”….or “Wizard of Oz” style.  

And I call first dibs on that sleeping porch!

I will be back on Monday with one less child at home (another thing Susan and I have in common), a sad heart for sure – but filled with excitement for her as well, and lots of work to do.  I have some fun things in the works that I’ll share with you down the road.  School starts for Joey very soon as well so my list is long once again.  Have a great weekend!

Be inspired,

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