The Funky Farmhouse | Jefferson City Magazine

How one local couple created the perfect balance of classic and creative.

It can be challenging to integrate new, modern pieces with beloved hand-me-downs and picked antiques, but one JC couple has it down to an art.

This husband and wife lived in Michigan, Kentucky, and other parts of Missouri before finding themselves back in her hometown of Jefferson City. After securing a piece of land within close proximity to her parents, the couple decided to build their dream nest, a forever home customized to meet the needs of their young and growing family.

When it came to thinking about the big picture, the couple picked two house plans and melded them together for a one-of-a-kind space. In total, the process took about a year.

The wife, who describes herself as handy, wasn’t shy about doing some of the work on her own, including customizing benches for seating and DIY-ing a coat rack out of a vintage leveling tool. Throughout the main level, tall ceilings with faux exposed wood beams are paired with bold chandelier choices, from a beaded boho piece at the front door to an industrial-inspired metal cage over the kitchen island. She also enlisted the help of her mom, who pitched in to assist with projects and decor selections.

“She kind of was my soundboard and let me run with it, but she tried to be devil’s advocate,” the owner says. “We did pretty much all of the design. She’s my partner in crime. She teaches me a lot.”

The owner describes her style as crazy, funky, and chic.

“I like to have my hand, or at least my thoughts, in things. I want it to feel cozy, but young.”

Light-colored hardwood floors, white cabinets, and soft-hued wall colors keep things looking fresh and classic while statement pieces scattered throughout the home add select pops of brightness. In the powder room, she went with a playful, woodsy wallpaper that brings a bit of whimsy to the small space. The look is complemented by a large sink that, amazingly, the owners found abandoned in the woods. Recognizing it as a treasure with potential, she worked with Xtreme Body & Paint to get it cleaned up, powder-coated, and safe for use.

“This room is just fun to me,” she says. “I like a little offbeat stuff.”

The home also has a loving mixture of new items and treasured heirlooms. In the living room, she painted and reupholstered a pair of her grandma’s chairs, updating the pink velvet to a trendier blue and white ikat pattern. Fluffy, citrine pillows and a multi-hued patterned throw rug balance out shiplap accent walls and the chocolate-colored couch. Two bookshelves, previously used in a state office building and purchased off Facebook, flank the fireplace, which anchors the home’s main gathering area and features a mantel made from reclaimed barn timber.

The upper level was created with the kids, ages 3 and 5, in mind. Two bedrooms, one for each child, feature mural-style wallpapers that incorporate their passions but maintain classic styling they can grow into. While a few select toys, like a hand-made dollhouse for her and dinosaurs for him, stay in individual rooms, a shared space houses other playthings and a fish tank.

Although the owners watch home improvement shows, like Fixer Upper, much of their inspiration was drawn from Pinterest, Houzz, and Instagram, where the wife followed and watched others who were building their own homes. In addition to gaining inspiration, she learned what they would do differently, like adding doors to storage spaces instead of using open shelving.

Since the couple plans to stay in the home for years to come, they put much thought into how they could age in place.

“Hopefully we can grow old here and not worry about things,” she says.

The couple’s bedroom and the husband’s work area are all on the ground level, and many of the door frames were constructed to be accessible in the event of future mobility issues.

But that forward thinking doesn’t mean they neglected to take current daily life into account. The master bath offers spa vibes with its hexagon tiling, marble counters, and sleek black-framed shower door that opens two ways. Just off the master suite, they chose to incorporate the laundry room into their large, shared, walk-in closet, making the chore of washing, drying, and folding more convenient.

That thoughtful and deliberate approach was front and center as they worked with Bernskoetter Construction.

“We’d say what’s most important to us and they’d keep our biggest concerns in mind,” one of the homeowners says.

And it seems like that recipe was one that led to success.