HIDDEN GEM
Follow the journey of an Ohio couple who took a chance on a neglected farmhouse and transformed it into an antiques-filled family haven that shines bright with layers of cheerful Christmas trimmings.
RRobyn and Keith Thomas always dreamed of owning a historic home with an interior they could lavish with antiques and country collectibles. The Brookville, Ohio, couple finally found the right one but had to wait almost a year before moving in.
It was a decade ago when Keith spotted a vague advertisement that included two exterior photographs of an 1850 farmhouse and a description that read, cryptically, “a diamond in the rough.” That turned out to be an understatement. For one, the infrastructure was decrepit. For another, the paneled walls, shabby green carpeting and dropped ceilings were at least a half-century old. Regardless, Robyn and Keith bought it and set about making it habitable for their family of five. “Somehow, we figured out behind all the ugliness, this could be really beautiful,” Robyn recalls.
To achieve that metamorphosis inside, they tore out the carpeting and ceilings, cleaned and stained hardwood floors, gutted and remodeled the kitchen, painted or stained walls and wood trim, and replaced the mechanical systems.
Amid the renovations, Robyn began plotting the decor. Her objective was to furnish the home as closely to its 1850 origins as possible. She incorporated functional, sturdy furniture and a neutral palette accented with muted shades of red and green—a color scheme that works especially well during the holiday season, when she introduces unfussy celebratory touches to each room.
“It’s a very simple farmhouse,” she explains. “Some old houses are ornate with fancy woodwork. Mine was built by German Baptists, just plain and simple. I didn’t want to modernize it too much.”
To create their country kitchen, the couple vaulted the ceiling and lined it with boxcar siding. They bought a set of used cabinets online, and Keith added grooves to the doors to create the look of beadboard. A friend painted the cabinets hunter green, inside and out, and Robyn distressed them with sandpaper and walnut stain. “We made out [cost-wise],” says Robyn, a confirmed bargain hunter. “I think we paid $500 for all of the cabinets, and we even have a couple left.”
As they lovingly restored their home, the Thomases encountered a few pleasant surprises. One was a brick fireplace covered over with drywall. Although it is inoperable, Robyn outfitted it with iron cookware and electric logs to give it the appearance of a functional hearth. They also found a chippy white cabinet in the cellar, which now graces the living room; a flax comb in the attic; and a few old buckets where a barn used to be. “They are a part of the history of this house, and you better believe I’m going to keep them,” Robyn declares.
Many of the pieces in her home were purchased at Talmadge Road Mercantile, an antiques store in nearby Clayton owned by her sister, Traci Ostrander. (You’ll find Traci’s home featured in “The Ultimate Find” on pages 66–78.) Robyn sells goods from a booth there as well. She also shops garage sales and flea markets, and says they provide an affordable way to add to her collections. “I want people to know they can decorate this way without having to spend a fortune,” she says.
Robyn and Keith don’t regret the hours spent fixing up the once-dilapidated farmhouse and decorating it with thoughtfully accumulated treasures, as polishing their “diamond in the rough” has provided them with a home that now shines brightly with warmth and beauty.