FAMILY REUNION

After having spent decades writing about other people's renovations, Country Living's executive editor, Jennifer Kopf, finally tackles her own labor of love in the form of her great-grandparents' now nearly 120-year-old farmhouse.

- JENNIFER KOPF photographs by ADAM ALBRIGHT styling by MATTHEW GLEASON

Homeowner Jennifer Kopf, brother Jason, and parents Kent and Sue take in their central Missouri farm's picturesque 15 acres and beyond. Grain bins and a red barn add to the dreamy setting. Come evening, they enjoy sunsets and stargazing from the Adirondack chairs (countryliving .​com/polywood) around the firepit.

My heart leaped at the sight of a pretty white farmhouse—the farmhouse. My cousin Tony, a real estate agent and an auctioneer, had sent me a link to a listing he had just acquired, and lo and behold, there it was: the circa-1908 property of my late great-grandparents Til and Arizona Hays. It had been out of our family's possession since the mid-1940s, and Tony sent the photo to my mom and me thinking we'd be curious and want to lay eyes on the old family home. But after just one look, I knew it needed to become a part of the family again.

The few weeks that followed were a whirlwind, all leading up to a live auction on the property, which is in a small town in central Missouri. Then suddenly the house was mine—and the real adventure began.

While the house had gone through various renovations over its 100-plus years, its bones remained beautifully intact—think original stained glass windows and (unpainted!) wood trim and pocket doors. The previous owners had made various structural improvements, allowing me to focus more on aesthetic upgrades such as stripping away popcorn ceilings and removing old wallpaper, carpet, and linoleum. We then gave it new-old charm with beadboard, shiplap, and other materials and fixtures that felt in keeping with farmhouses of the era.