DIY Modern Farmhouse Bathroom Accents

 A new house means a clean slate to start over with colors and decor- and when we moved in June, we definitely started over!

I'll admit, I was totally intimidated looking at decor in countless furniture stores. There was SO much. But I fell in love with the modern farmhouse decor the minute I saw it and knew I would incorporate it as much as I could. The clean whites and muted grays spoke volumes to a person who lives her life in shades of gray (seriously... my closet is black, white and gray. It's bad). The bathroom was the least intimidating place to start because of its size, so I began in our guest bathroom with minimalist accent pieces.

Check out the article I wrote for Zulily here- it has 10 fun, fresh ideas for a powder room update!

Tips for a Farmhouse Chic Bathroom

Succulents

What's not to love about succulents? They come in multiple sizes and have so many options. You can buy them in all sorts of pots (I had a skeleton and pumpkins at Halloween, a pineapple over the summer and can't wait to find cute ones for Christmas!) to match your decor. And because they are so inexpensive, you can switch them out regularly.

Mason Jars

Mason Jars are all the rage right now. You can purchase them ready to use to hold your toothbrushes and tooth paste, your hand soap or to use as a drinking cup in the powder room. You can also add DIY accents to your bathroom by painting your own Mason Jar for your bathroom. Consider a simple stencil and then spray paint around it for an easy tea light holder for over the commode or on the bathroom sink. Or consider adding seasonal decor to your Mason Jar. Pinecones for Fall or Winter, flowers for Spring.

Decorative Trays and Baskets

Decorative trays can be a fun way to display hand soaps and lotions, and they are super easy to swap out season to season. Even easier, buy a solid-colored tray and add your own DIY touch to it! You can easily add contact paper or even wrapping paper to change out the base of the tray and make it match your seasonal decor! Red or green would be great during the holidays, and then maybe something blue or white when January hits. Try red with hearts in February, and the go back to green for March!

Fun and Functional Bathroom Signs

The girls and I saw this sign at a local gift shop and couldn't wait to recreate it ourselves at home with wood and paint. We printed a template off the internet and got work with spray paint and stencils! The entire craft cost us less than $10, and now guests don't have to ask us which room the bathroom is! Plus they often compliment our simple but useful restroom plaque. 

What fun farmhouse decor have you added to your modern farmhouse bathroom? 

DIY Farmhouse Decor for Your Living Room

When we moved this summer, I knew I would want to update my new space to reflect my style. With a blank slate of space in mind, my husband and I hit up furniture and decor shops looking for inspiration on a style to call our own. 

Modern Farmhouse is the theme of the moment, and we were instantly charmed by its rustic feel and bright openness. I love the freshness of white and pale gray, as well as the dark wood accents prevalent in this motif. We didn't walk into a single furniture store in the Dallas/Fort Worth-area that didn't contains loads of white or off-white distressed furniture with wood accents. I love it all!

Check out this post to see more modern farmhouse decor I ideas I wrote about for Zulily!

While we bought a lot of furniture new, we did have a few older pieces from our first home that were structurally in good condition but needed some TLC. I had never before refinished furniture but decided now was as good a time as any to start! 

DIY: Repaint your Old Furniture to Make It New Again

My first project was a set of three tables for our living room- a sofa table, coffee table and end table. They were originally a medium wood and had lots of damage from water and kids through the years. I was surprised at how easy each piece was to refinish!

To redo your own furniture, you will need:

1. Sandpaper

2. Paintbrushes (I used multiple sizes)

3. Wood stain in the color of your choosing

4. Paint (I used chalk paint in white for my tables)

5. Painters tape

~Start by sanding each piece to make it smooth

~Stain first. I restained the tops of each of my tables and then let them dry for 48 hours.

~Tape off any areas of the tables or furniture where you don't want paint to make sure you have clean lines.

~Paint. It took me about 3 coats to get my desired look and effect.

~Let furniture dry for about 48 hours after you apply the final coat.

~Sand and distress. Have fun with this part- this is how you really make your piece unique! I sanded legs, corners and centers of the underside of my tables and love the result.

~Optional step: Apply a clear/finishing coat. I didn't do this because I like the look and feel of the chalk paint but some people prefer a more satin-y finish.

Voila! Your furniture, modernized by you!

DIY Modern Farmhouse Decor

After we maxed out our furniture budget and I redid the pieces I wanted to, I decided I would need to DIY a few decor pieces before we went broke furnishing the new house. I came across a simple stack of books at a vintage shop in East Texas and couldn't wait to remake it myself!

Vintage Book Stack Decor:

You will need:

Several old books (I picked several up at Arlington Resale)

White spray paint

Twine

Decorative (fake) flowers

Stamps

1. Remove jacket from books. Smooth the binding to remove any excess glue.

2. Spray paint books white and let them dry. 

3. Decide on a saying to stamp on the book bindings and stamp. How about "Kindness is everything" or "Happiness is contagious."

4. Stack books together. Bind them with twine.

5. Add flowers for decoration on top.

Voila! A gorgeous, simple craft that can be placed on a mantelpiece or bookshelf.

Modern Farmhoue is the theme of the first floor of my house, and I love it! I get regular compliments about how open and bright my space is. I have accessorized with fun clocks (purchased from Big Lots!), vintage frames with pictures of my sweet girls (from Hobby Lobby) and canvasses and pictures with fabulous sayings. 

What DIY projects have you found to make to accessorize your Modern Farmhouse?