How To Create A Courtyard

The Windy Hill Courtyard Project: Is it possible to combine your love of travel with your love of home design? In this post, I'll share how we created a travel-inspired DIY courtyard on our farm at Windy Hill.

Planning our vacation

Several years ago I planned a very extensive family vacation. It’s understood that whenever I plan a vacation, I carefully consider the accommodations because, I believe, if you seek out cool spaces, where you stay, can be as interesting as the vacation itself.

So, one day as I was paging through Country Living Magazine and I came across an article about a quaint hotel in San Luis Obispo, CA, which was dubbed America's happiest town, by Oprah Winfrey. The hotel I found had a french theme and was named Petit Soleil {A Touch of European Charm in the Heart of San Luis Obispo}. It looked perfect and with a tagline like that, they had me hook line, and sinker.

find Inspirations

Upon our arrival, we were greeted at the front entrance by a sweet bicycle covered in flowers and giant pots filled with herbs. It was charming, to say the least. Inside there is a cafe that looked like a French bistro and all the rooms had creative names like La Cage Aux Folles, Chocolat, and Herb de Provence. But the space that inspired us the most was the sun-warmed garden courtyard. And because it was July, we took advantage of the courtyard’s morning French Toast and also its happy hour French wine. As we enjoyed that glass of French wine, my husband and I looked at each other and said "We should create a garden courtyard like this at home." And when we retruned we did. 

Our farm’s original courtyard

Our home is in Doylestown, PA, so first of all, we get much more snow than California and we were working with a farm that was built circa 1850 and property with many overgrown gardens and herds of pesky whitetail deer. So, we had a few challenges to consider.

The space we wanted to transform into our courtyard sits between the main farmhouse and the lime-green artist cottage and this area wasn’t in the best of shape. We needed to rip out some old, weedy gardens and lay a lot of weed barrier cloth to prepare the way for the red tipple stones and large overlaying flagstones we were about to bring in. 

We also needed to remove a very large, old tree that leaned precariously over the house. We have a lot of high winds here and this tree posed a danger every time it stormed, so we decided it was time to take it down, plus that would free up space and allow for more sunlight into the courtyard. This was a big undertaking, and a crane and a few professionals were called to handle the job.

Clearing the space

We first cleared all the old, weedy gardens, and removed all the broken pieces of slate. Then, we defined a circle around the tree with some rocks, because we knew as soon as the crew could remove the tree, we’d plant something new.

weed barrier mat

Once the slate and gardens were removed, we carefully lined the entire space with a weed barrier cloth, overlapping the edges so nothing could sneak through. (It still did, but that’s another story). Here our daughter’s pose for the camera, indicating they were helping me, but I am not sure that’s the case.

Red Tipple Stone

Next came the smooth spreading of red tipple stone. We chose red tipple because all of our farm driveways already used red stone, so this balanced nicely. Red Tipple is a very small stone and you can smooth it out with a metal rake. Landscapers can deliver several yards of tipple or you can also find it in bags at garden centers or at Home Depot and Lowes. For this courtyard, we had the stone delivered and used a makeshift ramp to wheelbarrow it down the step into the courtyard. As you can see, we worked night and day to finish!

Removing the old Tree

We hired a landscaping crew to remove the big, old tree. They brought in a crane and had to carefully lower and roll the pieces out of the yard. I was very nervous to do this step, but it was so big and potentially harmful, at this point, so we took it down.

Laying the Flagstones

As we neared the end of the project, we still needed to bring in the large, flat flagstones. The stones were delivered on palettes from a local stone supplier and we rolled each one into place by hand. It was a bit of a puzzle placing them on the tipple while considering our furniture and at the same time creating a little bit of space for the tucking of herbs like Creeping Mother of Thyme groundcover. We also knew we wanted a water feature someday but hadn’t found the right one yet. To prepare for this, we laid the flagstones near our house in an arch to accommodate a walking path around the “future” water feature.

Here our son, Blake, lends a hand spreading the tipple around the flagstones like a pro.

finishing touches

So here is the end result of all that hard work. A Pee Gee Hydrangea Tree stands right where the other tree once stood. Many rogue hostas and honeysuckle spontaneously sprung up around it over the years. The stunning stone wall fountain was eventually found at a local company called Campania and ironically was made right up the road. The circular shape was just what we wanted and it fit nicely inside our previously designed, arched flagstone path.

Courtyard Reveal

This is the view from our cottage. In the mild Pennsylvania months, it’s so nice to hear the water trickling and just enjoy this transformed space. We are so glad Petit Soleil inspired us many years ago. I’d love to hear about projects you’ve been inspired to do around your home. Please comment below.

How We Transformed Our Farmhouse Kitchen by Reusing, Updating, and Thrifting

Welcome to our farmhouse kitchen at Windy Hill. I explained in a previous blog post, why we love historic homes, so today I wanted to share with you some of the farmhouse renovation hacks we’ve used over the years.

We began minor family-friendly renovations the minute we moved here in 2007, and we continue to make them because we are still not finished and we recently listed our farm on homeexchange.com.

As we begin this exciting journey of home exchanging for travel I thought I’d share some of the ways we previously restored rooms, gardens, and outbuildings and how we’re simplifying to make our home exchange-worthy for guests. I will break these down by project so look for them in future blogs.

Farmhouse renos can unveil difficult challenges, objects of educational interest, and sometimes disturbing artifacts. Even a small change can prove difficult. But we didn't let that discourage us during this kitchen construction project because as we uncovered the years we looked for creative design elements and clever ways to get what we wanted and needed, disguising many imperfections along the way.

Paint

Neutralize and calm: When we moved here in 2007 this kitchen was a bright and cheery, yellow and teal, "French Country", a vintage farmhouse style you see a lot. The cabinets and trim were teal, while the walls were a rag-rolling yellow. We promptly inserted our Fiestaware collection on the open shelves and lived with it for a short while. But after a few years, it was looking pretty worn and dated, so we made the decision to renovate the kitchen.

For the renovation we decided not to do traditional white walls, instead, we painted them a light gray and opted for white cabinets, white trim (to match the rest of the house), and eventually a white island piece. We chose Benjamin Moore's White Dove as it’s a soft, mellow white. The kitchen always had vintage stainless steel appliances, so as needed we slowly upgraded with new appliances and I think they complement the updated neutral colors well.

When we dug in, we found vintage wallpaper remnants under some of the upper cabinets. It was clearly a 1950s fruit pattern, so I imagine this is why the woodwork was originally painted teal even though the rest of the house trim was already painted white. As we peeled some of that old wallpaper away, I was quick to frame a small fragment.

Wall Removal

The biggest change: By far our best idea was to remove the entire wall that housed the refrigerator and a small doorway to the dining room. By far, it was the best idea for this kitchen and my husband gets all the credit for that one. In fact, he even designed the double french doors, window wall, and transom we have now.

Our contractor found horse hair used for insulation when he removed this wall and he needed to install a support beam so the rest of the house wouldn't come down. But other than that, the construction of this section went rather smoothly. We had to patch the hardwood floor in some places but opening this wall really created a new space for us which lets in much more natural light while the french doors still provide privacy when needed. If you’re thinking of doing something like this, be sure to use an insured contractor with a very good reputation, because you never know what you may find.

Kitchen IslanD

Flexible and Versitile: Because we opted for only one set of open shelves and no upper cabinets, we had to come up with farmhouse design ideas for storing unsightlies like water bottles, small dishes, and spices. This kitchen is not that big, therefore a large custom island with seating, as you see in modern kitchens, was out of the question. I wanted to find a solution that was versatile, movable, and ultimately removable if I someday grew tired of it and wanted to change my style.

So one day while thrifting with my sister-in-law, I came across an antique brown buffet that was narrow enough to fit the space but long and high enough to actually be useful. As luck would have it, it was half-price day, so I snagged it for under $200. We lived with it intact for a few years, until one day I brought out the brushes and painted the bottom white with a chalkboard painted top. The chalkboard black paint is almost the same tint as the new soapstone countertop which is from Bucks County Soapstone. I just love the way it looks plus it provides extra counter space. It’s “flexible” and it encourages much fun in the kitchen because we can write and draw on it when entertaining plus keeping the paint close at hand makes touch-ups easy. And if someday I find something better, I won’t have the price agony weighing me down.

Cabinet Repurposing

Big cost savings: We opted out of buying new custom cabinetry, and instead, reused the existing lower cabinets which originally spanned all four walls of the kitchen. However, in several places, we did have to completely disassemble some and piece them back together a little differently so that we could move around or eliminate appliances like the refrigerator and wall oven. We called it the great cabinet shuffle.

So I guess you could say we have some custom cabinetry in a sense as our contractor knocked out the rounded shelves and gave us a small storage space instead next to the range. He also rebuilt the cabinet under the main sink to accommodate the new stainless apron sink we wanted to add centered under the 3 windows (shown above) which existed before we arrived. We also repurposed some leftover upper open shelves (which were pretty ugly), transforming them into glass-fronted cabinets with crown molding as an accent above the range hood.

I found these glass doors below at an antique shop, and as I often do, I brought them home having no idea where I would use them. But when I discovered that they somehow fit the kitchen windows perfectly I used them to highlight the middle window and set it off above the sink. It reminds me of the open shutters I’ve seen in France. Some new hardware, a few antique accents, and a little white paint, and this old house was coming along nicely.

Coffee Bar

Using found objects: One side of the kitchen came with a small clean-up sink and dishwasher. It's a great bonus space that older farmhouses usually don't enjoy. In the original kitchen, the very old double wall oven used to be on the left, but with the renovation, we moved the refrigerator to that space and kept the little sink, dishwasher, and lower cabinets much the same. If you look closely you’ll see a window peeking out of the wall. That’s the kind of surprise that’s very exciting. I spent days trying to rearrange where the fridge could go so that I could expose that window because it looks right into the refurbished pantry. Finding this was so perfect, but I could not find another space for the fridge and so we had to sacrifice the window….for now.

Since coffee is a big part of my mornings, we transformed this area into a little coffee bar. And what does every coffee bar need, but a big chunky mirror above it? This is my favorite part because the mirror I used didn't cost anything. In fact, I found the wooden frame alongside the road one day. It was just abandoned by its owner never to be used again, or so they thought. I grabbed it, cleaned it, painted it, took it to the local glass shop, and had it fitted with new antiqued mirror glass. Yes, this is something you can actually buy. I just love the way it turned out and how it fits perfectly in the space. It's a great way to repurpose an old frame that you can't part with and it’s a conversation piece for sure. Start hunting for yours.

Here are a few detailed photos of the mirror, Kingston Brass faucet, magnetic spice tins, etc. You can find links to most of these items and/or items with similar styles on Studio Sprig’s Shop My Home page.

I like to keep a little vintage-style pitcher next to the coffee maker so that I can easily fill it. I store my coffee grounds in a pretty apothecary jar and I use a stainless, beaded scooper created by an artist at a craft fair. I’ve linked a really nice copper coffee scooper here. The apothecary jar and soap dispenser sit upon artistic tiles made by my children.

Glassware Storage

With the elimination of upper cabinets comes the realization that you'll need a place to put all of your glassware. Many years before purchasing this farmhouse, I purchased this delicate hutch at a yard sale. It was in great shape so I stripped the varnish and exposed the woodgrain as soon as I brought it home. It moved around inside various homes until finding a perfect vocation in this kitchen as the keeper of all things glass. Drinking glasses, glass bowls, glass dishes, and random glass items that need a place to perch.

There's a little section of wall where it fits very nicely and here it will undoubtedly remain forever, or until I change my mind. I like having all of my glassware in one perfect place and the glass doors encourage me to keep it neat and tidy.

Thank you for visiting my kitchen. If you are interested in some of the products or product styles we used, here is a pretty comprehensive list with links for your convenience. Shop my home. I am happy to answer any questions you may have about the transformation if you comment below. If you’re a blogger, what’s your favorite SEO Tool? I’ve had much keyword success with RankIQ. Learn more here.

How and Why We Love Historic Homes

A Little History

One of the things we love about this area of the country, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is the availability of historic homes and properties. Bucks County boasts 12 original covered bridges and there are gorgeous barns and farms all over the place.

The first home we bought when we moved to this area was this 18th-century Stone Colonial. It was so unique, very well maintained, and quintessentially Early American. It had very uneven measurements, only 2 full bedrooms, and a little walk-through space off the master (which we quickly crafted into a nursery), a woodburning stove, a classic pie staircase, beautiful deep windowsills, a nice brick courtyard with a farm bell and climbing roses, a garden-filled yard, and a sweet little cottage (which became my studio).

Side view of stone colonial home.

Why our homes are sentimental

We lived in this home from 1998-2007 and it was our first so of course, it’s sentimental. Our young family loved and used every square inch of it because it was not very big. It was built from beautiful fieldstone and because it was well taken care of previously it did not require a lot of work or renovation which was perfect for that time of our lives. The only problem was that the home became a little too small for our growing family over time and it also sat on a busy road. This position near the road made sense when it was built in 1780 because it was built on a main road leading straight to Philadelphia, but in 2007 it was no longer a workable feature with our three young children, so we decided we needed to find something a little different. Not an easy decision as we had grown to love this little beauty.

Farm bell with climbing roses and two dancing queens.

Our family portrait in front of the Stone Colonial Home. Photo Courtesy: Catherine Byvelds

A Victorian Farmhouse up the hill

We searched for a new home for quite a while, always looking for another historic gem that we could easily call home. Eventually, we actually found a white Victorian Clapboard Farmhouse with 3 outbuildings that were literally up the hill (foreshadowing Windy Hill) from our original Stone Colonial. This worked out well because purchasing this Victorian would mean we wouldn't have to pull our children out of the primary school they were attending and could essentially stay connected to our neighborhood friends. It also had 4 massive bedrooms and a cottage apartment on the property so to us it seemed just like the Taj Mahal!!!

Windy Hill Farm in spring.

Learning about our home

Once we were certain this place was for us - but before the purchase, I made it my personal mission to befriend the current owner so that I could really get to know her, the house, and its history because I knew she had loved it for a very long time and that she felt the same way about historic properties. She told me she was searching for the perfect family to love her home. If you haven’t picked this up already, what you must know about owners of historic properties is that they are obsessed. They may be obsessed with history, architecture, farming, antiques, or ghosts, but trust me, they are in love with something like that and that is why they are drawn to care for a piece of history in the first place.

Windy Hill Farm in winter.

research with tea

So, because I am one of the obsessive types, I set up “tea dates” with the lovely woman who had owned this home for over 30 years so we could discuss all the little nuances that are so important to understand when buying an older home. She graciously filled me in on details about the gardens and the herds of yard deer (yes, that’s a thing), the neighbors, the well and water pipes, the paint colors she used and why she used them, the utility schedules, the septic system, and important details about the rental income the farm provided and how and why it would be in our best interest to keep that going.

Kids greet from the balcony.

how Rental Income sealed the deal

When purchasing a historic farm, don't underestimate the power of passive rental income. One of the reasons we chose this farm was because it came with established rental income derived from an outbuilding at the back of the property. The large outbuilding had been previously renovated and divided into 4 distinct storage-only garages: one to be used by the owner as a garage for the lawn mower, bikes, tools, and such, and the other 3 to be used for a home business or rented out if desired. There is a private driveway to this building and all access is in the back, so tenants never have to disturb the family in the main house.

Out building provides rental income.

Plant, don’t demolish

Full disclosure, at first I just wanted to demolish the building completely (I was strongly “persuaded” to plant pine trees instead) but today I’m glad we didn't demolish after all because, over the last 16 years, the building has provided a very nice passive income which took care of half of our monthly mortgage, and it has allowed us to do the many renovations and updates we've wanted to do on the original farmhouse and cottage. It also paid for exciting family vacations, and currently, it's helping to pay 3 simultaneous college tuitions. I now have more of an open mind and if you are searching for a historic property, I recommend finding a way to generate some passive income.

Kids planting first pines which will help to pay for their college!

Creative home inspirations

When we moved into the Victorian Farmhouse in the summer of 2007 we were very content with the state of the home. It had great bones, lovely updates, and many classic features. There is a main farmhouse, a big, green 4-story bank barn, a little studio cottage (perfect for my designing), and that long outbuilding above that we soon rented out. Bonus! Sure, this home would eventually need some updates, but we had three kids to raise, a lot of time, and much more energy then, so we were not in a hurry. Nevertheless, creative renovations did eventually happen everywhere (and sometimes twice) so sign up to receive alerts about the entire project and the way we did "creative home inspirations" here at Windy Hill. Below is a sampling of what is to come. If you enjoy this blog please comment below and share it with your friends. And you can subscribe here. Thank you, Kim

Side view of Windy Hill Farm.

Creative Home Inspirations….Sign up so you don’t miss them!

• A Cute Courtyard & A Scary Tree

• Weedy, Old Heirloom Gardens

• The Cottage Becomes a Studio

• A Yard Sale-Inspired Kitchen

• A Wisteria-Covered Outdoor Entertainment Space

• Our Peek-a-Boo Pantry

• A Floral Workshop

• An inviting Mudroom

• The Under-the-Stair Secret Hideaway

• A Lite & Bright Family Room

• An Arhaus-Inspired Dining Room

• A Fun & Foral Laundry Room

• Our Simple and Fresh Bathrooms

• The Transformable Bedrooms (Kid-to-Teen)

• A Classic Living Room, Game Room & Home Office

• The Marriage Marked Bank Barn

Shop the look at Windy Hill Farm! If you’re a blogger, what’s your favorite SEO Tool? I’ve had much keyword success with RankIQ. Learn more here.