A blogger and décor author moves back into the historic home in Texas where she grew up, infusing it with her classic and colorful cottage style.
Would you want to move back into the house where you grew up? That was the opportunity blogger and décor author KariAnne Wood of Thistlewood found herself facing. When her dad passed away suddenly 15 years ago, her mom decided to sell the house where KariAnne had grown up. KariAnne got married to her high school sweetheart and moved away to Kentucky, but when they decided to move back to Texas to be closer to family, KariAnne wanted to purchase the 1908 home where she’d spent her childhood.
“I called the current homeowner and asked if she’d be willing to sell,” KariAnne says. “She was preparing to move to North Carolina and said yes.”
They’ve lived in the house for six years now and KariAnne says it’s a dream come true. “I grew up here my whole childhood,” she says. “I had my first kiss with my husband on the curb right out there.” KariAnne is a popular décor blogger and the author of eight decorating books. The challenge after moving back into her childhood home was to reimagine the house with her own style while preserving both the home’s original 1908 design and her own childhood memories.
Redesigning & Restoring
KariAnne first became a décor blogger and author while living in Kentucky in an old 1911 farmhouse. That’s where she got her brand’s name, Thistlewood Farms. “When we moved, I tried to introduce farmhouse into this house, but it never felt right,” she says. “Farmhouse didn’t belong here. The house will tell you.”
The Texas house where she grew up was built in 1908, only three years before her farmhouse, but the two homes felt quite different. “I’ve added lots of color and a little more modern feel,” KariAnne says. “I love classic lines and I have a heart for vintage, but I do embrace color and pattern. This is a very happy house.”
Some of the changes she and her husband made after moving back were to redo the bathrooms, gut and update the kitchen and redo the flooring in several rooms. The Woods have also painted the exterior, added a new roof and interior architectural details like molding.
“I love architectural details,” KariAnne says. “With any original details, I try to keep them or add them back in if they were taken out.” For example, the doors were all original but had been painted over their wood finish. She had someone strip the paint and restore the finish on the original hardware. “Everything is updated, but I did try to honor the house,” KariAnne explains.
Pumpkin-Colored Palette
KariAnne isn’t afraid to add in bright pops of color to her fall décor. “Since when are we afraid of bright fall colors? People will say that orange is out, but I embrace it,” she says. Many of the rooms in her home also feature blue and white, which makes a stunning warm-to-cool color contrast during fall. “I had to find a color that popped with the blue and white,” she explains.
The main go-to decoration KariAnne uses during fall is, of course, pumpkins. “I’m obsessed with pumpkins,” she says. “I have a huge collection—50 to 60 of them. They’re all different textures, that’s my secret. I have raffia pumpkins, wood, felt, blue and white chinoiserie, mercury glass, floral.” She pairs the pumpkins with pops of bright orange and red foliage. “The rest of the year [my contrasting color] is hot pink, so it’s the fall version of hot pink,” KariAnne says.
Paired with vintage collectibles such as milk glass, stoneware, cutting boards and old mirrors, KariAnne’s home is a mixture of new and old, classic and trendy. After all, when you’re living in the house you grew up in, you have to add a little nostalgia to keep the fond
memories fresh.
Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get your daily dose of cottage inspiration!
