Sweet Home Alabama
A farming couple craft a new residence that offers an updated twist on traditional Southern style and welcomes guests with cheerful folk art and sentimental family pieces.
A farming couple craft a new residence that offers an updated take on a traditional Southern farmhouse via cheerful folk art and cherished family heirlooms.
When it came time to build their home, Patty and Billy Carpenter selected a picturesque site near the Alabama land Billy’s family has farmed for four generations. The Carpenters envisioned a gracious residence that would honor the property’s heritage and combine old-fashioned style with modern details, so they opted to construct a traditional Southern farmhouse with timeless country appeal. As Patty explains, “We believe country style is warm, homey, welcoming and cozy.”
Patty and Billy are lifelong Alabamians and share a reverence for the region. The couple met as teenagers, married 36 years ago, raised two daughters and a son, and welcomed three granddaughters to their family. The home’s construction in 2006 was the realization of years of planning.
To counterbalance the pristine feel of new construction, the Carpenters incorporated antique and rustic elements to imbue character. For example, a screen door that graced a farmhouse belonging to Patty’s grandparents adorns their front entrance. Patty remembers, “I ran in and out of that door when I was a child.” Lumber sourced from a local mill was used to rusticate the main living spaces and includes knotty pine vaulted ceilings, built-in cabinetry and a hand-hewn mantel.
Patty, who inspires thousands of followers on her Instagram page (@farmerswife82) with decorating ideas, has an affinity for French country design and studied countless images, both online and in print, before constructing the kitchen. The room’s warmth radiates from the maple cabinets custom made by a relative. To give them an aged look, Billy and Patty distressed the doors and drawers with metal chains and stained the woodwork a honey tone. They installed tumbled bricks for the flooring and backsplash above the range to complete the room’s rustic vibe.
In addition to careful design decisions, sensitivity to family history sets the home apart. Every room is filled with heirlooms that recall the Carpenters’ agrarian roots. Patty notes that the aesthetic fits perfectly with the country style she loves and also evokes simplicity and days gone by. In the front hall, for example, an antique pew stirs memories of Patty’s father, who was a minister. The kitchen includes an antique white hutch with chicken-wire insets that belonged to Billy’s sister-in-law, and a bonnet made and worn by Patty’s grandmother is proudly showcased on one of its shelves. In the family room, a vintage Carpenter Brothers’ produce crate teeming with flowers acts as a sentimental focal point. And, the master bedroom brims with color and pattern, thanks to a collection of quilts (including one stitched to celebrate Patty’s birth) sewn by various family members.
Decorating is a never-ending pastime at the Carpenters’ house. Patty says, “I change the decor with the seasons.” Patty balances color, texture and whimsy to create beautiful vignettes. One prime spot is the antique sideboard in the front hall, where she enjoys arranging displays that set the tone for other areas of the home. Many of the rooms feature sunny yellow walls that give the space a perennially cheerful feel and include energizing red accents. Throughout the home, collections and accessories pay homage to rural traditions, from the rooster on the front porch, to elements on the gallery wall in the front hall, to the cow-shaped creamers in the dining room.
Patty shops antiques venues, crafts stores and Etsy to find her country furnishings and accessories. Though the farmhouse look is in fashion, Patty points out that she chooses decor that reflects her family’s lifestyle. “The fads don’t matter. We decorate our home with items we love because we live here,” she shares. “Don’t follow decorating trends. Follow your heart. Just do you.”