A realtor/broker and her contractor husband team up to design the ultimate coastal farmhouse for their family.
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BY AUTUMN KRAUSE
Discover how this realtor/broker and her contractor husband designed the ultimate coastal farmhouse home for their family.
For AJ Olson Whitfield, a realtor and broker associate at Villa Real Estate, home is located just across the street from her family’s previous residence. However, even though they didn’t have to move far, it was quite a journey to get to home sweet home, one that included demolishing the existing house and building a new one from scratch on the lot.
“My contractor husband, Garrett, and I love a blank slate,” AJ says. “We built our home from the ground up. I feel that new construction can sometimes come off flat, so it was important to bring in elements that gave life to the designs.”They did this by pulling from both their styles and melding clean and purposeful lines with a welcoming touch. “Garrett and I are a great team,” AJ says. “Most people think we are crazy ... and this may be true, but we love having a vision and then turning it into a reality.” By combining their talents, they created a stunning coastal farmhouse with modern influences.
HANDSOME DETAILS. Leather sofas and rustic wooden tables with X-details give the living room a countryside
sensibility. The mantel shelf is 100-year-old reclaimed wood from an old barn in East Mississippi.
FARM COTTAGE CHARM. AJ describes the exterior of their home as a “blended modern farmhouse with East Coast influences.” She wanted to stay true to the theme of natural elements and contrast and achieved this
with Ipe wood decking with a dark exterior and white highlights. |OPPOSITE| OUTDOOR LIVING. A porch is a wonderful place to enjoy the perpetually sunny California weather and watch the kids. AJ says, “We did
Ipe wood decking and a custom X-patterned fence.”
SHELVES MAKE THE ROOM. Bookshelves are a wonderful way to give a personalized twist to a room—especially when filled with items that reflect the homeowners. AJ’s shelves hold a mix of cherished treasures and stylish items she snagged from home retailers. She says, “The majority of the items on our shelves have been collected over time, like the white elephant that was my grandmother’s or the Michael Aram mussel shell from our wedding. However, I do love checking out TJ Maxx Home Goods. It is amazing what you can find.”
|TOP| THE RIGHT SCALE. Stairs are often overlooked but not in AJ’s home. Her stairway was carefully planned out, from its dimensions to its materials. “There is something truly magical about a wide stair,” she says. “And I knew I wanted something other than the traditional railing, so we came up with a white oak railing with square iron balusters.” She had the balusters installed without a shoe for a cleaner look.
|BOTTOM LEFT| PIT STOP SPACE. AJ says, “This may be California and we don’t have need of an actual mudroom per se … but a dumping ground for life before you enter the main home? Yes, please.” The drawers hold the kids’ shoes and any items that AJ and Garrett find themselves reaching for on their way out.
|BOTTOM RIGHT| HOMEWORK HUB. AJ and Garrett specifically wanted a space where their daughters could do homework, have computer time, and color. “We had the perfect nook designed for it,” AJ says. “The chairs are from World Market, and that brown leather is my new favorite color. It goes incredibly well with grays and brass.”