The Good in Everything

An outdated house gets a DIY French country overhaul on a family-friendly budget.

Elizabeth Delehanty

Buying a home is often a compromise between what you must have and what you can live with.

Turning that compromise into a dream home takes time, a measure of ingenuity and a whole lot of elbow grease. Lynda Brandly found her dream home 13 years ago, when she and her family moved to Big Rapids, Michigan. Because Lynda home schooled their three children at the time of the move, adequate space was a top priority. With 3000 square feet, their new house met their needs perfectly.

While the size of the house was just right, the original interior design was another story. Lynda says, “It was a fixer-upper stuck in the 1980s. The kitchen was very unique—and extremely ugly!” Although fashionable when the house was built in 1985, the orangey wood-grain cabinets challenged Lynda’s vision for the home’s décor. “I think growing up in Colorado influenced me to love rusticity,” Lynda says. “I like to balance the femininity of French country with the masculine nature of rustic décor. The result is solid and homey.”

Doing It Yourself