Obbie and Connie Atkinson have spent the past seven years assigning their turn-of-the-century farmhouse in Eastern Oregon. From installing plumbing, tile and drywall to refinishing furniture, flooring and the base, this ascertained and thrifty couple have touched every surface of their property. Their enchanting space is a product of their joyous ingenuity, enthusiasm and happy partnership.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Obbie and Connie Atkinson plus a flock of readily excitable quail
Location: Richland, Oregon
Size: 2,500 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 1 bath
That’s intriguing: There are just five outbuildings on the property: a toolshed, a potting shed, a chicken coop, a storeroom and a barn.

Sarah Greenman

Sarah Greenman: How did you find this home?
Connie Atkinson: We’re traveling through Montana, Idaho and Oregon Searching for a second home. At the time, we lived in California and knew we could not afford anything there. We thought it would be a vacation home.

We had an inventory: paved street, property (although not a lot), not in the hills but at a valley where we can look up in mountains, water near and an airport in hitting distance. We drove into Richland and saw an advertisement in the paper that read “Could once again be queen of this valley” Only considering it we were gobsmacked.

Sarah Greenman

CA: This shed is the coolest thing. It was leaning way over on the side when we first moved in, and everyone said we ought to bulldoze it. However we loved it the way it was and could not imagine destroying it. We might have straightened it, but we didn’t. We have done a lot of work to restore it and maintain its sweet lean. Everybody who sees it’s shed envy. At this time it’s Obbie’s instrument shop. However, my hope is that in a couple of years it will be my studio.

Sarah Greenman

SG: How did you realize that this home has been “the one”?
CA: I sat on the front porch and had this overwhelming feeling that it was home. I spent years at a state of chaos, moving from house to house, and in all the time I never felt as though I was at home anywhere. I just had a breakdown. I cried. I felt as though I was home for the very first time in my entire life.

SG: Where’s your favorite spot in the house?
CA: In summer time, it’s out. But in the colder months my favorite place is on the sofa with a cup of coffee overlooking the movie window.

Sarah Greenman

The central living space is a cool, tranquil mix of white and sage green. The couple plans to rip out the ceilings, which have been dropped sometime in the ’60s to preserve energy and lower heating costs.

SG: What is the condition of the house when you moved in to it?
CA: Pretty sad. It smelled awful, and everything needed to be carried out. The carpet had to go, nasty built-in bookshelves needed to come out windows — everything. The men and women who had lived here were heavy smokers. The first time I came out here I stopped in town and had a refrigerator delivered. I showed up in the house with a refrigerator, a mattress and a bathtub of TSP (trisodium phosphate). I thought, “What the hell have I gotten myself into?”

SG: Tell me about the artwork in this room.
CA: We filled the walls with purposeful artwork. The painting over the sofa is obviously a household member’s home in Paso Robles, California. It was painted by my mother’s friend, Willa Sell. Obbie made the framed buff drawing to the right when he was just 12 years old as a nod to his own Native American origins.

Sofas: Z Gallerie; paint: Olive Sprig, Olympic Ultra; red corner blossom: yard sale

Sarah Greenman

The dining area is opposite the living area and generally full of morning light. Connie discovered the huge antique German sideboard, which she painted white. She admits, “I stewed about painting it for three decades and then eventually took the plunge.”

SG: What inspires your personal aesthetic?
CA: Sadly, everything inspires me. I have a floundering sense of style. If I see a beach house, I want to come home and do the beach house seem. Same with log cabin, or Native American, or Southwest, or desert or Language B and B. I want to test it all. Since I am at a farmhouse, I sort of have to do a country fashion.

Sarah Greenman

SG: What is or was your biggest design dilemma?
CA: There is hardly any all-natural light in the kitchen, which really bothers me. Soon we’ll bust out the wall that divides the kitchen and toilet to create a kitchen with views and space to accommodate a farm dining table.

Additionally, the existing toilet was once a space with a sink, bathroom, bathtub, water heater and washing system — all crunched to a hallway. Getting that tub cleared so we can use it was quite a chore. We want to abandon that tub because it’s on the face of the house with the best view.

Flooring: Antique Oak finish, Home Depot; cabinet paint: Shelter Green, Martha Stewart Living

Sarah Greenman

As with many old farmhouses, the kitchen has a huge root cellar and a huge pantry for storing summer’s harvest. Connie’s brother built the rustic kitchen cabinet in the upcycled window and scrap timber.

Sarah Greenman

The traditional blue and white master bedroom has a wide bay window that faces the front of the property. Connie chose bedding that matched her mother’s blue and white porcelain pottery.

SG: Where’s your favorite place to search for your property?
CA: Thrift stores and antique places. We’ve got an old place and I enjoy old things. And I really like a deal!

Blue seat: JD Mercantile at Richland; paint: Navigation, True Value; bedding: Tuesday Morning; throw pillow: Ikea

Sarah Greenman

The upstairs guest room reflects the Western terrain and the colours of the surrounding high desert. A hat rack, woven rugs and a vintage Grand Canyon wall hanging help to create a backcountry ambience.

Sarah Greenman

The couple calls for the upstairs bedroom the “AARP Dorm.” Several beds can be pushed together to create king-size sleeping arrangements, and there’s a ’70s-era accordion room divider.

Sarah Greenman

Grandchildren regularly visit and enjoy sharing these cozy quarters, which Connie has equipped with matching twin beds, handmade dolls and a vintage children’s dining table.

CA: One of the main reasons we purchased this home was to ease family gatherings. We wanted a beautiful place where our children could unwind and bring their children.

Bedding: Goal; desk, seat: yard sale

Sarah Greenman

Connie is always moving her home office from room to room to keep it clear of their newest home improvement project. Its present home is in the upstairs bedroom.

Desk, seat: El Paso Import

Sarah Greenman

The couple converted a canning porch off the back of the house to a bath, complete with a vintage soaking bathtub and a walk-in shower. Connie found that the garage door at a local yard sale. To conserve space, Obbie mounted it as a sliding barn door.

SG: What are you currently working on next?
CA: Finishing the tub remodel. It was absolutely necessary and ended up being a splurge of time since we did all of the work ourselves. When it’s finished, we’ll eliminate the old tub. Just like most things, we are chewing this one bite at a time.

Sarah Greenman

The foyer is a bright mix of natural light and wood details. The gallery wall on the staircase is full of watercolors, most of which have been painted by Connie’s mother.

SG: If these walls could speak, what could they say?
CA: I believe they’d say, “Thank God somebody came and saved us. We had tender loving care”

Sarah Greenman

The Atkinsons purchased the home in 2005 from Dan Forsea, a third-generation rancher. Forsea made a wrought iron sculpture for a present for the Atkinsons, motivated by the hordes of quail that populate the property. It hangs on both sides of Connie’s potting shed alongside an enormous lilac bush.

CA: we’ve created the most amazing friends here in the valley. I feel like they’ve been here all along, just waiting for me to appear and join the gang.

Sarah Greenman

A yellow vintage rocking bench adorns the east side of the wraparound porch. Connie sewed the throw pillows utilizing vintage tablecloths and handkerchiefs.

CA: We had not planned this to be our full-time home, but it grew on us big time. Each time I sit on the front porch, the house feels like it’s mine. This home is my sanctuary. Obbie and I can’t get enough of this peacefulness here. I sat out here for 20 minutes the other day and didn’t hear one man-made audio. You can do this.

Sarah Greenman

SG: What do you love about gardening?
CA: I didn’t know I enjoyed gardening till I had space to garden. This place is named Richland for a reason. The dirt is wonderful. I started a little perennial garden, and I went crazy and started digging everywhere. I don’t understand anything about gardening, and I didn’t have a plan. I am learning as I go. When a plant does well then it has to stay. Next year, I will attempt more veggies.

Sarah Greenman

There are just five outbuildings on the property, such as a toolshed, a potting shed, a chicken coop, a storeroom and a barn.

CA: I say, “My barn is like the ocean. I really like to look at it, but I do not really need to go in.” Obbie loves it , though. He’s in there all the time.

Sarah Greenman

SG: What was your proudest homeowner moment?
CA: I have it all of the time. It occurs when somebody from the valley sees what we have done with this place. They can’t believe it. It feels really great to give this beautiful home the love and tenderness it deserves.

Sarah Greenman

Obbie and Connie Atkinson enjoy glasses of wine in a popular nearby overlook.

SG: Any information for homeowners looking for a fixer-upper?
CA: If you’re trying to find a home, sit down and make a list of all of the things you want. And if you come close to the list, you’re doing really well. Once, when we had been frustrated and feeling tired of looking, we almost purchased a home that didn’t meet the listing. I am so glad we didn’t! You’ll manifest what you need if you stick with it.

Do you live in a creative home? Discuss it with us!

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When designer Sharon Radovich was seeking to buy a home, it came down to two properties: a midcentury cottage that needed major work and a four-story condominium that had just new paint and carpet. “I decided to buy the run-down cottage,” she states. “I thought I would fix it up and flip it in three to five years, but 20 years later I’m still here!”

Radovich’s vibrant and modern style comes to life within her work at Panache Interiors, and she brought the exact same elegance to her own home. A boldly darkened living space, a whirlpool bath wall and a glowing pink ceiling assisted give the previously dilapidated cottage a new appearance.

in a Glance
Who resides: Sharon Radovich
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 1,167 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom

SLIC Interiors

Radovich got creative with her small living room space by adding two swivel foldout chairs from Collectic Home. While they provide comfortable seating, in addition they fold to allow for more room.

A framed pastel titled “Victory Series,” by Kay Biggs, sits on top of this fireplace mantel. The surround is a polished absolute black granite, added by Radovich during the house’s first renovation.

Mirror: Lights Fantastic

SLIC Interiors

Deciding whether or not to tear the house down and start all over was Radovich’s initial design dilemma. Although she’d have loved a small, contemporary house with walls of windows, she ended up maintaining the existing house and renovating in two stages.

Her initial phase was refinishing the floors. Almost a decade later, she restored her kitchen, adding new tile, appliances and flooring.

A wall unit from Four Hands serves as the ideal place for keys when she gets home. Art by Austin artist Maxine Price frames the TV.

SLIC Interiors

This cozy sitting room with a leather loveseat from Four Hands sits just off the kitchen. Cheerful yellow horizontal stripes provide a background for an artfully centered painting by artist John Siebels. The contemporary pendant lighting is from Besa Lighting.

Painted stripes: Creamy and Torchlight, Sherwin-Williams; coffee table: Canton Flea Market

SLIC Interiors

The stripes wrap around the whole space, serving as a background for a wallpapered door comprising a Komar photomural embellished with Swarovski crystals.

Swivel leather seat: Austin Furniture Depot

SLIC Interiors

The home office features patterned wallpaper. Radovich and three of her Panache Interiors workers work from this office. Currently they’re working on a varied number of jobs, such as custom draperies, a Zen bathroom remodel plus a Moroccan-inspired formal living area.

Wallpaper: Gear Guild Productions SBK13601 by Como; Roman shades: Allen+Roth thermal blackout, Lowe’s; lamp: Ikea

SLIC Interiors

Next to the design group’s office is a guest room with a full size pullout sofabed. It gives a cozy place for Radovich’s nephews to stay when they visit. Over the sofa hangs a framed painting in the night market in Bangkok, Thailand.

Sofa: Collectic Home America; Paint: Dorian Gray, Sherwin-Williams; curtains: West Elm

SLIC Interiors

Radovich kept the original oak floors throughout the house and afterwards stained them a dark walnut. She painted the master bedroom ceiling a glowing pink to bring a female and fun signature. Radovich’s mother made the comforter that was bold that was vibrant.

Bed framework: O’Asian Furniture; side tables: Four Hands; lamp: purchased from customers; ceiling paint: Heart’s Desire, Porter Paints

SLIC Interiors

Along with the kitchen, Radovich renovated the house’s only toilet, adding new floors, a new dressing table from Ikeaand mosaic tile to give life to the room. Radovich prefers an all-white bathroom since it has a resort-like feel.

Shower curtain: Bed Bath & Beyond; floors: American Tile Stone Peak Touch Series, Snow; accent lighting: DAL Tile

SLIC Interiors

Radovich designed and studded this toilet wall, adding interest and pattern to an otherwise blank canvas. “I really like the drama of outsized graphics and picked a German-inspired pattern for this project,” she states. “Once the layout was applied to the wall, then I desired more impact than paint would provide.” Radovich summarized the pattern in chrome figurines to add dimension, texture and a bit of bling.

Silver pebble wallpaper: exclusive to Panache Interiors

SLIC Interiors

Radovich sits in her table when enjoying a book on design and a glass of wine. “My style is more expressive, artful and relaxed,” she states. “I design lavish yet livable spaces to get a sense of style and grace in everyday life.”

Chandelier: West Elm; window panels: Ikea; dining chairs: crocodile vinyl, Four Hands; table: Storehouse

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Would you want to stay on your childhood home? Six decades ago, Mark and Elisabeth Yutzy were given the chance to rent the house Mark grew up in, a 1930s farmhouse in Ohio, and decided to give it a try. Mark’s parents purchased the house in the early 1950s, and it was in the family ever since.

As well as the house in the 1970s added more room; besides that, the home was Mark recalled it. The couple brought their vibrant characters into the space with reworked classic furniture and a great deal of DIY touches. “Living here helps bring back memories of my youth,” he states. “Not a lot of people get that chance.”

at a Glance
Who lives here: Mark and Elisabeth Yutzy
Location: Madison County, Ohio
Size: 3,000 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths
That’s intriguing: The original 1930s wallpaper still hangs in the stairwell and upstairs hall.

Julie Ranee Photography

An inviting table place with a classic tablecloth and Elisabeth’s Fiesta dinnerware sits on the front porch. A collection of classic watering cans infused together speaks to her love of gardening.

Elisabeth found the table and chairs at a garage sale, repainted them and re-covered the chairs.

Julie Ranee Photography

In the kitchen, a cabinet located at a garage sale sits adjacent to the cooker. The item adds much-needed storage in addition to character.

Julie Ranee Photography

A”New Eggs” signal, also a flea market find, is a nod to the farmhouse background of the house. Vintage Dove brand milk-glass spice containers were given to the couple by Mark’s sister.

Julie Ranee Photography

This Hoosier-style cabinet was seen by Mark and bought for just $25. “We did not have to do something for this,” Elisabeth says.

Julie Ranee Photography

This cabinet is just one of Mark’s finds and holds treasures from Elisabeth’s mother and grandmother, along with other vintage finds.

Julie Ranee Photography

In the living room, a bold red sofa and a patterned armchair make a cozy gathering place. The doorway to the right leads upstairs. Mark recalls coming home after curfew if he was younger and trying to be silent,”but the staircase would constantly squeak and wake up Mother,” he states.

Seat and chair: Smith Brothers

Julie Ranee Photography

This primitive-style cabinet was bought at a flea market and is just one of Elisabeth’s beloved pieces. Framed family photographs adorn the walls.

Julie Ranee Photography

A sitting room in Elisabeth’s art and sewing room provides a place to unwind. The dresser was bought at an auction and painted mint green. The ticking wallpaper, beadboard ceiling and firkin boxes all pay tribute to the home’s roots.

Julie Ranee Photography

Elisabeth framed pages from 1950s magazines, including Life and Ladies’ Home Journal, as artwork. A generous stranger gave her dresser for a gift.

Julie Ranee Photography

According to Elisabeth, this seat was in poor shape when it was picked up from the garbage. She also gave it new life by minding it and adding colorful fabric bands for a bright and joyous touch.

Julie Ranee Photography

This view reveals the original 1930s wallpaper in the upstairs hall, combined with Elisabeth’s mother’s Amish bonnet displayed on the bedside table.

Julie Ranee Photography

This bedroom, lined with wallpaper in the 1970s, was shared by Mark as a child with three of his brothers. “Once a year we shifted the straw in the bed,” he quips.

Mark and Elisabeth rescued the full-length mirror after a neighbor lost it. They repaired the frame and replaced with the mirror.

Julie Ranee Photography

Dried hydrangeas and a classic quilt match the classic dresser picked up at an auction. The seat is a unique find from Mark and Elisabeth’s youth church.

Julie Ranee Photography

Elisabeth’s style proceeds into the flower bed. Here, a spray painted seat and table sit in a bed of vinca. One of Elisabeth’s recent projects was to drill holes in used paint cans, spray paint them bright colors and plant some of her favourite flowers in them.

Julie Ranee Photography

Boxwood planted in pots become instant garden boundaries and can readily be moved. A basket of petunias and lobelia sit beneath a large maple tree trunk. Purple sage and spider wort offer color and variety close to the bench. A classic tricycle bought for $1 could be observed behind the shrub.

Julie Ranee Photography

The upgraded Adirondack-style glider is constructed of a durable polylumber comprising recycled milk jugs. Elisabeth painted a classic wooden ironing board and placed it in their front porch to hold decorative things and freshly cut flowers in milk bottles. The “No Dumping” sign was a flea market find.

Glider: Holmes Crafted Furniture

Julie Ranee Photography

The front of the 1930s farmhouse remains structurally the same. The 1970s addition could be seen in the far right of the photo. Because the few rents, they are limited to what renovations they could do. While they’ve embraced the quirks that include an old house, there are plenty of things they would still love to change.

More: Ways to Acquire a Modern Farmhouse Look

Can you have a vibrant, creative home? Share it with us!

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Having spent decades as a child living in Malibu, California, Deborah Call dreamed of owning her own home near the sea. She discovered it around 90 miles south. “Despite the green-shag-carpeted kitchen, it was love at first sight,” she states. Just blocks from the sand, Telephone loves her tranquil residence and surrounds herself with personal items and decor mainly from Indonesia, where she has made several trips as a textile designer.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Deborah Call along with her kitty, Cleopatra
Location: Dana Point, California
Size: 1,456 square feet; two bedrooms, 2 baths
That’s intriguing: A storm in December 2010 bombarded the home so badly, it needed a total overhaul to make it habitable.

Flea Market Sunday

As a textile designer, Telephone respects and admires artists, designers and creative thinkers of all kinds. “I am particularly inspired by authentic craftsmanship and people who dedicate themselves to a skill or trade that works on a degree independent of mass production,” she states.

Call adores hand-me-downs and Craigslist finds, and has been fortunate enough to get beautiful hand-crafted presents from gifted buddies. Some of her favorite designers are out of the world of style, and she sees a lot of crossover between interiors and style. Also, natural materials such as stones and timber bring a sense of groundedness for Telephone. “I like to create a mood over that I like to create a look,” she states.

Flea Market Sunday

A closer look in Call’s custom designed xeriscape garden. More to come later.

Flea Market Sunday

This 1950s classic ikat wall hanging out of Sumba, Indonesia, is extremely dear to Phone. Her old boss bought it from a girl who paddled him out in a kayak when he was surfing the outer atolls of Indonesia.

Beside the ikat are two stylized wooden figurines from Bali representing women walking in succession whilst praying.

Flea Market Sunday

The intentional white walls show off the handpicked furniture and personal art items representing who Phone is and where she has been. The earthy colour palette, timber furniture and Mexican Saltillo tiles bring warmth to the room. An antique quilt from Phone’s great-grandmother drapes over the timber chair.

Beautifully hand-crafted from classic canoe prows, a cupboard from Bali hides electronic equipment.

Flea Market Sunday

Call crafted and designed this mosaic mantel and hearth made of marble and artificial granite chips. A Day of the Dead candelabra created by friend and ceramic artist Susie Ketchum adorns the mantel.

Flea Market Sunday

An ikat woven textile drapes the coffee table, and on top is a publication on textiles and a wooden bare figure from the Philippines that is certainly a nutcracker.

Flea Market Sunday

A funerary kayak and hand-dyed orchid-vine”skirt” hanging in the attic draws up the eye and creates visual impact. Since buying Indonesia is no longer the standard for Telephone, she turns to David Alan at Solana Beach. The tall classic hand-hewn cupboard from Java, Indonesia, has been bought there. One of Call’s most recent splurges is this leather sofa from Restoration Hardware.

Flea Market Sunday

Call loves quiet meditation and incense burning while stretched out on her leopard-covered”Cleopatra lounge” off the atrium. This is only one of her favorite spots in the home, as it is filled with a great deal of sunlight.

Flea Market Sunday

Shortly after moving to the home in 1989, Telephone and her ceramicist friend Susie Ketchum tiled the kitchen countertops and backsplash. The mosaic critters add vibrant personality to the white cabinetry and walls.

Flea Market Sunday

From the home office, file cabinets out of Staples along with a door from Home Depot create a functional and affordable alternative to a traditional desk.

Flea Market Sunday

Natural light fills the master bedroom, showing off a distinctive hand-carved headboard bought from a shop in Bali.

Flea Market Sunday

What Phone loves about this headboard is its outdated appearance and muted colors from natural weathering over time. “It doesn’t have that garish appearance and bright paint that many of the new bits have,” she states. Call considers it might have been part of a entryway at one time.

Flea Market Sunday

More hand-carved furniture from Bali is employed in the restroom as storage and a vanity. A bold white contemporary sink with brushed chrome fittings is a wonderful contrast to detailing at the mirror and cabinets.

Flea Market Sunday

This guest room features a bold, picture, teal Tahitian bedspread that’s a garage sale locate; the good walnut headboard is out of Craigslist.

Flea Market Sunday

After a storm in 2010 ruined Call’s home, she decided it was time to get rid of her backyard’s grass and messy vines, and transform it into a peaceful xeriscape garden. Since her neighborhood has water use restrictions, it was an easy choice to go drought tolerant. Telephone hired Scott Ward of White Sage Gardening to style her yard to reflect her love of the desert and decomposed granite and rocks. She states,”It was an wonderful experience working with Scott as an artist. He brought a lot of his own artistic to the undertaking and moved on things in a extremely organized and thoughtful way.”

Flea Market Sunday

Ward wanted a substance that would be a stark contrast between the backyard and the trail. What is apparently sand is called DG (brief for decomposed granite); it compacts over time. The substance appears natural, such as the desert Phone enjoys.

Flea Market Sunday

The aloe camperi in bloom displays stunning orange and yellow bursts of colour.

Flea Market Sunday

This agave hybrid attributes intriguing leaf prints. The embossed effect is the consequence of the plant’s being tightly wrapped before it enlarged.

Flea Market Sunday

Ward designed the garden to allow colour, repeat and also a variety in texture shine through. The firestick plant (euphorbia tirucalli), also known as the pencil tree, provides lots of visual attention, but the milky sap is very toxic and may be blinding.

Flea Market Sunday

The Echeveria’Afterglow’ is really a beautiful and vigorous succulent that has pinkish-lavender leaves.

Flea Market Sunday

Phone worked together with craftsperson Erik Vader to create this custom-made African mahogany timber entrance. Potted aloe ferox line the driveway and are backlit for added play and ambience.

Flea Market Sunday

Telephone says,”Spending money on your home in a meaningful way increases not only the value of your house but also the experience of your life.” She learned this to be authentic after attaining deep into her pockets to create her home livable again following the flooding; with this significant investment came a new sense of pride and enjoyment.

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