A Family Farm

By Candice Graham • Photos by Med Dement


“This was my old growing up place,” explains Jim Lovell, who was raised on the bucolic property where he built his current home in 1971. After Jim married his wife, Dawn, a few years ago, the couple blended their personal aesthetics for a complete home redecoration. The result was a rustic family home that seamlessly integrates new design elements into each room.

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Refreshing the exterior began with adding cedar shake siding and repainting white trim in a cool shade of charcoal. The façade now has the look of a modern country lodge, with front porch rocking chairs providing a serene spot to watch the sunrise.

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Inside, a dining area is anchored by a table and chair set Dawn inherited from her grandmother. Family heirloom china complements a distressed flower box centerpiece, and seating has been reupholstered in a modern paisley pattern for a fresh look. On the far wall, a painting of bright red poppies is striking against the room’s sage green walls. The room’s clever mix of soft and bold, as well as old and new, can be found throughout the home.

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In the kitchen, rich maple cabinetry and sandy backsplash tiles offer a warm backdrop for orange, green, and blue china displayed in glass-front cabinetry and an open display rack. Fresh sunflowers and wildflowers and a floral-print rug add extra vibrancy. Popcorn ceilings were covered with tongue and groove pine planks, which modernize the space and lend rustic charm. A well-used room, the couple enjoys cooking meals together here with fresh vegetables and herbs from their garden.

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A new addition to the home, the master suite has a cabin feel. Wide plank wooden floors and pine barn doors inject the room with woodsy appeal, and an oversized bed covered in soft white bedding brings the sizable space down in scope. Two studded leather armchairs face a stone fireplace hearth, giving the couple a warm and comfortable place to sit and read the paper. A delicate beaded chandelier hangs from the pitched roof, introducing a feminine touch and rounding out the room’s sense of tranquility.

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Large sliding barn doors open to reveal the master bath, complete with a freestanding hammered copper soaking tub and an open walk-in shower. Unpolished marble tiles blanket the floor and shower walls. “We went for a Southwestern look,” Dawn explains. Two distressed tables were made into sink and countertop space, offering a relaxed touch. On the vanity, a rain boot-turned-vase is filled with fresh wildflowers.

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Just off the master bedroom is one of the family’s favorite spots in the home: a cabin-inspired screened-in porch, complete with a tin roof. Cedar tongue and groove pine floors, pine ceiling, and white pine siding continue the home’s lodge feel. A cushioned rope swing offers a dreamy spot for napping or listening to rainfall.

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The home’s other bedrooms mix treasured family heirlooms and antiques with current design touches. In a hallway bedroom, family quilts adorn antique furniture given a fresh stain. As with the rest of the house, recent updates retain a farmhouse feel, but with a new spin.

When reflecting on their family home, the Lovells say they couldn’t be more content. “It’s just such a beautiful, peaceful place,” Dawn says.

“We think of this as our rustic lodge,” Jim adds. “Out back is a lake where we like to kayak, canoe, and fish. We have a really good time here.”

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