Did you guys miss me? Sorry it’s been a little while, but Luke took some time off and we got lost in the country. We actually found the most amazing place on AirBnB. We’d never booked a trip this way before but we fell in love with Vermont and Still Water Bindery B & B run by Patty! It is in the small town of Newfane in Southern Vermont just over the border from Massachusetts.  Patty’s home is one of the most inviting I’ve ever entered and I thought I’d share some photos and some of her decorating tricks. Today I’m sharing 8 Farmhouse Tips for an inviting home!

“A Little Bit of Country is Good for the Soul”

I’m not sure who said that but it’s so true. We were only up in Vermont for a four days but it felt so much longer. We had time to walk in the woods, swim in a stream, explore, fill our bellies with delicious food and really spend time together.

8 Farmhouse Tips for An Inviting Home

1. Barns, Barns and More Barns

Um, I’ve always had this dream of a barn. For real. Have you guys? My dream will probably never come true, but I so enjoyed Patty’s barn. It is glorious and so were all the barns we passed.

I mean look at that beautiful red paint:

If you’re not lucky enough to have a real barn you can decorate with paintings of barns as Patty has done in her screened in porch.

2. The magic of outdoor rooms.

We spent A LOT of time out in this screened in room. We enjoyed watching Belle walk across the birch beams above to the barn. We sipped wine and coffee out here and had a fantastic game of Monopoly one night with the boys. It was fabulous to enjoy the outdoor sounds of nighttime in the country without getting eaten alive. The crickets chirping and the sky full of stars was such a dream.

The furniture in this outdoor room was an eclectic mix which added to the cozy and relaxed vibe.

The couch was so inviting to sit and catch up on book reading!

3. Shells Work (even in the country)

Patty loves the beach just as much as me. I was delighted to find collections of shells in Patty’s bathroom and outdoor shower.

Look how beautifully the collection of simple shells work on a shelf.

This was such a simple display but so pretty. I couldn’t help but taken multiple photos.

I love how Patty nested shells in the support beam in the bathroom.

How pretty are these in the outdoor shower?

4. Mismatched Beds are Charming

The boys slept in the sweetest room with white walls, painted wide pine floors and filled with books and art. I loved the mismatched beds painted in the most cheerful blue.

5. Handpainted Furniture Adds Warmth

Patty had a few pieces of painted furniture. Some in her signature blue, but others with a story. How fabulous is this piece build be her grandfather?

It was hard to get a good picture, but here you can see the beautiful detailing closer up. Patty painted these beautiful details.

6. Collections from Nature

Collections from nature are also important in creating a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. There were heart shaped rocks:

Feathers in a pretty basket:

Woven baskets:

Pretty Flowers:

7. Front Porches for Relaxing

Patty’s front porch was made to sip lemonade on.

She has plenty of seating – pretty adirondack chairs and wooden benches.

Oh, and a lovely blue ceiling with a clothes line for fresh smelling laundry!

You all know how much I love blue ceilings (our sunroom has one! 😉 ).

7. An Old Tree Swing.

The boys saw this swing and they were delighted!

How sweet is that? I love how it is blue too! We don’t have a tree in our yard to do this so the boys were just so excited to see that Patty had a swing!

Happiness is truly a swing attached to a tree!

John took this off us (slightly out of focus), but still cute. 😉

8. A Place to Create

Patty has a studio on her property where she teaches paper making and book binding and I think I’d love to go back another time and learn this.

Her home studio is nestled amongst a beautiful garden filled with wildflowers:

If you couldn’t tell we had a fabulous time. Oh, and I need to share one photo of Skye, Patty’s silver lab. She’s so adorable.

Skye has her own room right off the kitchen. She is such a love.

I actually took so many photos I can’t even fit them in this post. Patty also has some beautiful photos on her AirBnB listing here and you can read more about her work here.