9 Secrets to European Farmhouse Style

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I have 9 secrets about our European farmhouse style home. Today I’m spilling the beans about our new home.

Plus, sharing the elements of the European farmhouse style on the exterior and interior.

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Before I spill the beans on European farmhouse secrets, I’m going to share a story of nine secrets about finding our new farmhouse, buying it, moving in, and living in our dream home.

Our 9 Secrets about finding, buying, moving and living in our European Farmhouse

Secret #1 They built the home well. There are lots of custom trim and molding. Those intricate fittings are perfect plus most of the hardware is heavy-duty custom work. Plus, the sounds don’t carry. I’ll open the pup’s treat box in the mudroom, and if they don’t follow me, they do not even hear the click of the box.

Secret #2 Moving back to your hometown is not magical like a Hallmark movie. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy it most of the time and like having family close. But it’s a small town booming in the 60s and 70s. Now not so much. Restaurants are my biggest issue. And we like to eat out.

Secret #3 Mike bought the house sight unseen!!!
Out of curiosity, I checked my hometown on the realtor app, and this home popped up. I showed Mike the home office, and he suggested I hop on a plane and see the home in person. So, I did.

I fell in love with the home and returned, hoping Mike would make the trip to see it. He wouldn’t budge.

Instead, he bought it. 😲

Sight unseen.

Secret #4 We found a house in the backyard. It took us three months to find it. The backyard was beautiful but overgrown, so we hired a company to clear out around incredible stones that line the backyard. After a couple of days, they asked about clearing around the little house.

At first, we thought, “they cleared too far!”

But we learned the previous owners, son built it when he was 14 years old. He wanted a fort. So, I got a she shed!
See more here.

Secret #5 The motorhome fits in the driveway easily! We keep it in a metal storage building when we’re not using it.

Secret #6 The dogs are settled here more than anywhere. Emily and Otis might simply be more mature now, but I think they are comfortable here.

Secret #7 We have EMPTY closets. Wow!

Secret #8 We have Hobby Lobby and lots of vintage and antique stores within a couple of miles. Plus, the Pioneer woman’s mercantile store is 45 miles away. It might be hard to keep those closets empty.

Secret #9 I have a sense of calm here.

Discover 9 secrets to European Farmhouse Style

I walked around the outside of our home snapping photos of my favorite elements. I hope a few ideas inspire you to add a little brick to a window sill. Or maybe lay a brick patio or add shutters to a couple of windows to add French country style.

1. Stone Farmhouse – Adding a stone facade to your home adds instant French farmhouse style.
2. Brick Accents – A basic idea to add brick is to create a brick window ledge under a front window.
3. Carrage house – We call the area above the garage the carrage house. Although it’s only two bedrooms and an amazing Jack and Jill bathroom. A coupla on top adds amazing charm too.
4. Dormer windows – Most of our dormer windows are real but some are not!
5. Box bay window – I gasped when I walked around the back of this home for the first time and saw the box bay window. I was sold on the home. It’s a great window to lay across the bed and watch nature.
6. Brick patios – Brick patios create casual elegance. Enough said.
7. Shutters – Working shutters or fixed, they add European style to rectangle or arched windows.
8. Pane windows – Bonus if you can look out pane windows and see additional pane windows across the lawn.
9. Cupolas – Are those little square “houses” with a roof sitting on the roof. They provide light and ventilation to the area under the roof.

Interiors European Farmhouse style elements

1. Arches – I adore this view. It’s from the dining room to the entrance to the living room to the short hallway to Mike’s office.
2. Wall trim – While I adore the trim in the dining room, I’m super excited to have a table finally, Long story, only partly covid related.
3. Stone walls inside – Our stone walkway between the den and barroom.
4. Brick accents and floors – The stove is in a brick alcove, very European farmhouse style! Half of the floors downstairs are brick.
5. Staircase – The addition of ironwork to this staircase is very European.
6. Wall Lighting – All our lighting has a European style. Check out the wall sconces that require no wiring!
7. Wall wood panels – Mike’s office and the entry have wood panels.
8. Wood beams – Large rustic square wood beams on the ceiling. These are in the laundry room—others in the living room, den and kitchen, and barroom.
9. Window seat attic rooms – My favorite place to sit, well, it will be when I make a cushion.

Moving home

Thank you for spending time in our new to us European farmhouse. Please check back as I start sharing each room.