I met Molly a few months back, I came upon her blog and I was completely inspired and smitten.
Her style is authentic and simply gorgeous!
Once you read her post, you will see why I adore her.
**************************
Hey there, friends of City Farmhouse!
My name is Molly Branstetter from The Poor Sophisticate Blog and I am completely thrilled and honored that Jennifer has asked me to share pictures of my home on her incredibly gorgeous and inspiring blog!
I am a California girl who married a sweet, southern man, and we relocated with the military to Europe in the Spring of 2012!
We moved into a 130 year old (rental) barn in the German countryside next to a giant castle ruin and we absolutely love our little village.
Because our barn is a rental, we did as much as we were allowed to make it feel as bright, cozy, and homey as we possibly could.
Here are a few “BEFORE” pictures!
Because our barn is so dark, we painted our walls a bright greige and added pops of quirky colors to lighten everything up.
I absolutely love blending unique and funky antiques that we find throughout Europe and putting them together in unusual combinations, to represent our roots and our journey together.
As the seasons change and we collect more goodies, I find myself shuffling our furniture around and changing the colors to keep things different and fun!
I have included pictures of our barn as it has changed through the different seasons.
Welcome to our dining room!
I love using old farm implements as interesting accessories like the rake (goblet holder) below.
We turned an awkward light-well (also seen in the before pictures) into a (free) pallet wine bar.
This is the living room which was formerly a bedroom, as seen in the above BEFORE pictures.
A homemade fireplace with all “found” objects and a new light fixture changed everything.
Here it is decorated for a snowy, white Christmas….
And bright and beachy for the summer.
Our Kitchen, which used to be incredibly dark, is now bright and cheery, repainted, and inspired by a French boulangerie.
Our goal is to make this shabby, old barn sunny during our time here.
Everything that we have changed or built (besides the paint) will move with us to our next destination.
and now…
We have a major shortage of storage space and used every inch of our home to display our things.
I love a good combination of old and new, shabby and clean-lined, and feminine and masculine.
I also love a few unexpected items thrown into the mix… that is where the hubs and I feel most comfortable!
Thank you so much for touring our barn in our little German village!
To finish the tour, I wanted to share a picture of our local castle ruin.
I would be completely thrilled if you stopped by my site to see me, our barn and some of my fun projects and tutorials!
Thank you again, lovely Jennifer and all the wonderful readers of her great blog! xoxo
*******************************************
Creatively Made Home{Home for the Holidays} has officially opened registration!
Sometimes a design dilemma can serve as a catalyst for change. A perfect example of this is my fireplace. While some might find the ornate detailing appealing, I always struggled with its traditional aesthetic. Growing…
I think it’s about time you meet the main character of my book, House in Bloom. Especially since my entire Christmas theme this year is based on her, the book, and the secondary characters. I…
Last year my family and I decided to buy an inflatable hot tub. We did it for a few reasons. The first was the cost, the second being that it was a great way to…
Christmas is almost here, yikes! Are you ready? I am getting there, slowly. We are hosting Christmas Eve & there is still so much to do. I have to say though, I am always happy when it is my turn. I just love having my family celebrate in our home! This is the one holiday we celebrate with my side of the family, my dad is 81 this year and I treasure every moment & holiday I get to spend with him.
I am back with my last post of 2016, which I collaborated with Minwax!! Remember when I shared with you with my inspiration for my dining room and asked for your advice? Well I am happy to say we are moving forward with the plan of turning our dining room into a den.
Happy Saturday! I am so excited to be able to share these details to the new e-course “Creatively Made Home” hosted by the very talented Jeanne Oliver and with her, 4 of the most creative women in blogland….
13 Comments
WOW, love how you made a “rental” awesome and “your” space! Jen thanks for sharing and Molly I will be reading your blog as soon as I am done posting this…. 🙂 I hope you both have an awesome day! 🙂
Molly creating such a beautiful & inviting space. I am happy you loved the tour too Debra!
Jen
wow as soon as i saw the sneak peek on instagram i knew this would be a great one. there are so many blogs out there and so many similar styles and this one has the perfect european rustic shabby industrial style. it feels fresh and to think it is a rental. the pallet island. wonderful! i love it. heading over to molly’s blog right now.
OMW! Heaven on earth. Germany is the most beautiful place I have ever been! Your barn/home is gorgeous!! Your European treasures are awesome and you have displayed them so well! I’ll be heading over to check out and follow your blog. Thanks for sharing, Jen
Her style is to die for! I love every detail, truly breathtaking!!
Fotini
I know her style is so unique & authentic! I want to pop over for coffee:).
Jen
Molly…you are to be congratulated! What a terrific job you have done with your home. I’m envious of you being able to live in such a beautiful place. You’re one very talented gal. Thanks for sharing your pics with us. One question….where did you find your cloche that sits on your island? My friend and I have been trying to locate one like that….there are a lot of cloches out there, but we’re trying to come close to what you have. Just wondering if you perhaps found it somewhere on line.
What a beautiful and unique home! Thanks for sharing! Life to the full! Melissa
She is our designer and we just love her and her fun style.
I love the Poor Sophisticate! Amazing house tour 😉
Jamie @ somuchbetterwithage.com
A barn turned into a home. Simply beautiful and inspiring! Anyone know where to find the big chalkboards with gold frames????
WOW! Absolutely adore every bit of it!! Especially the idea of a small remote European village!! Each room makeover is fantastic!! I really love the new “fireplace” and wine bar!!
WOW, love how you made a “rental” awesome and “your” space! Jen thanks for sharing and Molly I will be reading your blog as soon as I am done posting this…. 🙂 I hope you both have an awesome day! 🙂
Molly creating such a beautiful & inviting space. I am happy you loved the tour too Debra!
Jen
wow as soon as i saw the sneak peek on instagram i knew this would be a great one. there are so many blogs out there and so many similar styles and this one has the perfect european rustic shabby industrial style. it feels fresh and to think it is a rental. the pallet island. wonderful! i love it. heading over to molly’s blog right now.
OMW! Heaven on earth. Germany is the most beautiful place I have ever been! Your barn/home is gorgeous!! Your European treasures are awesome and you have displayed them so well! I’ll be heading over to check out and follow your blog. Thanks for sharing, Jen
Her style is to die for! I love every detail, truly breathtaking!!
Fotini
I know her style is so unique & authentic! I want to pop over for coffee:).
Jen
Molly…you are to be congratulated! What a terrific job you have done with your home. I’m envious of you being able to live in such a beautiful place. You’re one very talented gal. Thanks for sharing your pics with us. One question….where did you find your cloche that sits on your island? My friend and I have been trying to locate one like that….there are a lot of cloches out there, but we’re trying to come close to what you have. Just wondering if you perhaps found it somewhere on line.
What a beautiful and unique home! Thanks for sharing! Life to the full! Melissa
She is our designer and we just love her and her fun style.
I love the Poor Sophisticate! Amazing house tour 😉
Jamie @ somuchbetterwithage.com
A barn turned into a home. Simply beautiful and inspiring! Anyone know where to find the big chalkboards with gold frames????
WOW! Absolutely adore every bit of it!! Especially the idea of a small remote European village!! Each room makeover is fantastic!! I really love the new “fireplace” and wine bar!!