Welcome, I’m Rhonda, and I blog over at Ramblings of a Southern Girl,
…and I am so very excited and honored to be featured at Debbie’s Friday Home Tour!
(…and just a tad bit intimidated, but here goes! “smiles”)
Several years ago, (boy does time fly…)
we welcomed guests into our home, during the Annual House Tour, part of our town’s Pecan Festival.
Come follow along, as I share our ever-evolving journey of turning this ultra-modern minimalistic home into one of southern hospitality!
We are the second owners of this home, located about an hour inland from the coast of several North and South Carolina beaches.
The original homeowners fashioned the facade after a house they saw while traveling in the middle-east.
On our first visit with the realtor, we were honestly disappointed that the ultra modern interior didn’t coincide with the warm, tuscan outside. Every wall was painted high-gloss white, and the only trim was thin, clam shell molding around the door facings and for the baseboards. Decorated with no other color than black and white, which felt very cold and sterile, …it just wasn’t our taste! Over the last eight years, we have done a lot of remodeling in the home, and it continues to be a work in progress!
About four years ago, we hired a couple of very talented finish carpenters to add trim and molding, and other projects, throughout the house. Below, their handiwork is displayed around the inside of the front doors in the foyer.
Come on in and take a look around…
Getting ready for spring...
A glimpse of the stairwell can be seen in the picture, above.
The original “banisters” were faux glass blocks,
and they made a terrible racket when one walked up the stairs!
Stripped bare by the carpenters…
“Much better, don’t you think?” 🙂
A gallery wall of black and white photos follows the stairwell wall, including a collage grouping of many at each landing, showcases my children over the years. By far my most treasured decorating aspect of the home! My husband and I never tire of looking at those sweet, happy faces, and no matter what sort of day we are having, they always make us smile!
The most current pictures I have of the dining room are from Thanksgiving.
This will be the next room up for a facelift! Trying to decide on a lighter, more subtle green or blue.
The Living Room…
More of the carpenters’ work exhibited…
Originally, no mantle surrounded the fireplace. The black marble was literally all that there was.
I found a couple of pictures in a builder’s book, and the guys meshed two together and created all that you see below.
In all that this home had going against it when we walked through that very first time, I saw a lot of promise, and it started in the kitchen. The kitchen sold me! And over the years, it has certainly proven to be the hub-bub of our home!
The new window treatments were just added this past week.
I included a few photos from previous seasons…
Our carpenters added the coffered ceiling to the kitchen, seen below.
Just a few shots of the Master bedroom…
The original owners had an unusual concept when designing the bedrooms. The Master is on the upper level and opens up to a landing with private spiral stairs to the downstairs study. The actual space of the four bedrooms is not very large, but the area footage is instead split into a private full bath and large walk-in closet for each, which eliminates the need for dressers and chests. The Master suite has three walk-in closets, which sounds really good in theory, but unfortunately is a waste of space I would rather have utilized as a sitting area. That may be a project for another day!
The mister of the house isn’t too fond of extra “just for looks” pillows,
so I keep the ones in our bedroom at a minimum.
…got to pick your battles, you know! ha!
Glimpse from the Master Bath…
The Guest Room Bath…
One thing I really like to decorate with, is art of local artists. The pen and ink prints below are vintage pieces by a Wilmington artist of old boats that sailed the Cape Fear.
And being that it wouldn’t be pleasant to end this tour in the bathroom, I included a few shots of the back yard, from a previous spring.
We’ll soon be enjoying pretty blooms again in the south…
…and tea for two on the back patio…
…and a dip in the pool!
Thank you for taking the tour, and to Debbie, the gracious host who invited me share my home!
Please follow along, if you aren’t already. I’ll be making a few cosmetic changes here and there this spring!
…the journey continues! “smiles“
Thank you Rhonda for having us over today.
I can feel the love you put into your home and I thank you for sharing that.
Hop on over to say Hello to Rhonda, she would love to have you.
laurie says
March 8 at 8:02 amhow beautiful, its a large home that retains its coziness, I love the clean lines, so unique. oh yes and NO SNOW!!!!
kim says
March 8 at 8:04 amPretty home and I want the pool.
Penny @ The Comforts of Home & Flea Market Makeovers says
March 8 at 8:39 amWhat a beautiful home. You have done wonders there. Just lovely!
shelia says
March 8 at 10:04 amHi Debbie Dear! What a lovely home and I so enjoyed the tour.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia 😉
Kris says
March 8 at 10:11 amWow what a beautiful home. I love all the rooms but to see that beautiful pool out back ohhhhh I be planted there!!! So pretty.
Kris
Sherry says
March 8 at 10:29 amAbsolutely beautiful! Love her blog, she is such a sweet person, so happy to see her featured here!
Vee says
March 8 at 10:55 amYou have a beautiful home and you’ve done so much to make it more your own. That glass staircase was something else…lovely in its way, but not for you. Anything that makes a racket climbing the stairs is not good. Love the new window treatments in the kitchen, too, a softening, but not an obscuring. Well done!
Kelly says
March 8 at 11:30 amThat is a very pretty southern traditional home! I can’t believe how it used to look so modern before it was transformed. Thanks for sharing.
Bliss says
March 8 at 11:31 amBeautiful, going over to tell Rhonda so.
Bliss
Bj says
March 8 at 12:59 pmThe windows in your dining room … are they a valance or ? And your home is just so beautiful. The changing of the staircase was a HUGE favorite of mine!!!
Hugs
Martina says
March 8 at 4:14 pmRhonda’s home is absolutely beautiful!! Love all the beautiful molding they had added! Her story reminds me so much of ours, being the second owners to an ultra modern home and turning it around to reflect your own style. Great tour Debbie!
Pat@BPM says
March 8 at 5:54 pmRhonda I enjoyed the tour of your beautiful home! Thank you and thanks to Debbie for featuring!
Kelly says
March 8 at 6:15 pmWhat a lovely home Rhonda has. She has really made it look like a Southern traditional home, job well done! Love the pool too!
Gina says
March 8 at 10:29 pmYour home is beautiful Rhonda…both inside & out! It looks very spacious. Your style definitely suits it better compared to the ultra modern of the previous owners. Thanks for sharing it with us!
shirley@housepitalitydesigns says
March 8 at 11:55 pmDebbie..thanks for presenting Rhonda’s beautiful home to us today…I love her blog and Rhonda is such a gracious person…I am envious of her pool….we miss ours!….Have a wonderful weekend!
Cindy says
March 14 at 10:19 amGorgeous! Love those front doors and high ceilings…so pretty!
Blessings,
Cindy