EUROPEAN FARMHOUSE IN AMERICA

Old World elegance meets American farmhouse comfort in this New Jersey home.

Old World elegance meets American farmhouse comfort in this New Jersey home.

"When designing

or decorating, always make the room look taller. Challenge your design by creating vertical designs and lines to make the eyes go up.”

Whether you’re new to farmhouse style or a seasoned devotee, combining elements from other design styles can give your home the fresh take you’re looking for. For blogger and Instagrammer Deb Foglia of Seeking Lavender Lane, the timeless feel of European style mixed with the simplicity of the American farmhouse brings about the perfect blend of elegance and lived-in comfort. Drawing heavily from French and Italian inspiration, she renovated her home from 1980s suburban to European countryside.

For Deb, design is more than simply blending colors, textures and accents. Instead, it represents a way of life. “I love the dreamy, laid-back feel of the French lifestyle,” she says. Her signature color combination of neutrals with a pop of black is the perfect canvas on which to paint this vision.

THE RENOVATION

While Deb had done some DIY renovating in her previous home, it was mainly painting and aesthetic changes. Starting from scratch presented new challenges and exciting opportunities. The whole process took eight months, and involved gutting the original house and hiring contractors to construct an addition that nearly doubled the size of the home. “The whole house is totally different,” she says. Once the overall house layout was decided, Deb went to work on the design. “I went with a blank canvas of white walls and warm, wide-plank floors,” she says. From there, she chose the cabinets, tiles and other key components of each room, using a design board to map out the space. “I wanted everything to flow, but I wanted each room to have its own take,” she says.

EUROPEAN INFLUENCE

Growing up in an Italian family, Deb had an affinity for the timeless feel of European architecture and art. “I didn’t want the cliché farmhouse feature of an all-white kitchen and all shiplap walls,” she says. Instead, her home features warm, neutral tones, Old World features like arched doorways and pieces such as vintage portraits and copper light fixtures. “I wanted a rich, timeless feel, but I also wanted the character and casual vibe that farmhouse style offers,” she says. When choosing pieces for her home, Deb opted for a mix of new and vintage flea-market finds, giving a fresh take on old pieces with a coat of paint or refinish. “If you buy everything brand new, you can see it,” she says. Instead, it’s that mix of Old World and new that brings about the fresh yet still timeless feel of her design.

"Go for finishing touches that feel timeless—like marble countertops and warm, wood flooring.”

BY LAURA SHIMKO PHOTOGRAPHY B Y R YAN L I U STYLING BY DEB FOGLIA Both the inside and outside of the Foglia family’s home got a makeover. “Our house was going to be all construction, so we had to pick all the finishing touches,” Deb says. “We were making over a 1980s suburban home to farmhouse style. I didn’t want a cliché feel.”

(opposite and top, left) The home’s entryway is subtle and yet conveys the home’s overall vibe. “I wanted things to feel fresh when you enter the house,” Deb says. “Keeping with my neutral tones and a pop of black is always my favorite combo.”

(bottom, right) Deb’s use of neutrals and textures is highlighted in this welcoming living room. “I wanted the space to feel elegant and family friendly all at the same time,” she says. “I just adore the matching sofas and the furniture placement.”

In the living room, Deb paired a white base with gray accents in the sofas, fireplace surround and area rug.

(top, right) Arches are a staple in Deb’s home and a signature of European farmhouse style. “The bookcase was the closest to getting the built-in look for a fraction of the price,” she says. “The arches made the piece look as if it was made for our house.”

An archway leads from the dining room to the butler’s pantry. “I chose picture-frame molding as an option in our dining room, a nice alternative to shiplap,” Deb says. “Also arches, which are great for that European vibe.”