Skip to content

Top Navigation

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Food
  • Holidays & Entertaining
  • Home & Garden
  • Style & Culture
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Southern Living

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • These Haircuts Are Going To Be Huge in 2021

      The trendy haircuts you’ll be seeing everywhere next year. Read More Next
    • How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. Read More Next
    • The Right Way to Heat a Pre-Cooked Ham

      It's so easy, trust us. Read More Next
  • Food

    Food

    See all Food

    Lost Cakes of the South

    These simple and spectacular Southern cakes deserve a comeback
    • All Food
    • All Recipes
    • Holidays & Occasions
    • Quick Fix Suppers
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Casseroles
    • Healthy Recipes
  • Holidays & Entertaining

    Holidays & Entertaining

    See all Holidays & Entertaining

    70 Wedding Vow Examples That Will Melt Your Heart

    Fight writer's block and find ways to express your love with these romantic, funny, and short wedding vow examples.
    • Christmas
    • Entertaining
    • Thanksgiving
    • Southern Weddings
    • Easter
    • Kentucky Derby
    • Valentine's Day
    • 4th of July
    • Mother's Day
  • Home & Garden

    Home & Garden

    See all Home & Garden

    7 Paint Colors We’re Loving for Kitchen Cabinets in 2020

    ‘Tis the season to ditch your all-white palette in favor of something a little bolder and brighter.
    • Home Decor Ideas
    • Idea Houses
    • Before & After
    • Inspired Communities
    • Curb Appeal
    • House Plans & Builders
    • The Grumpy Gardener
    • Plant Names A-Z
  • Style & Culture

    Style & Culture

    See all Style & Culture

    50 Books Everyone Should Read in Their Lifetime

    Curl up with a classic!
    • Southern Culture
    • Hair
    • Travel
    • Beauty
    • Pets
    • Southern Fashion
    • Healthy Living
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow us

  1. Southern Living
  2. Home
  3. Home Decor Ideas
  4. The Farmhouse of Our Dreams All Started With a Single Instagram Post

The Farmhouse of Our Dreams All Started With a Single Instagram Post

By Amy Preiser
March 27, 2017
Skip gallery slides
Save FB Tweet
Credit: Alison Gootee
All Michelle Colbert wanted was a house where she could host all her grandchildren—not that she has any at the moment, mind you. But Michelle is the sort of forward-thinking type who has a knack for spotting potential…which is exactly what she did with this house.Like a lot of stories these days, this one began while she was scrolling through social media. The mother of five (ages 6 through 23) living in Dothan, Alabama, came across a friend's Instagram post and was smitten by a square image of a property complete with a pond and a hayfield. Under her breath, she whispered, "Where in the world is this?" and on her phone, she swiftly typed, "This place is gorgeous! Let me know if it's ever for sale." As it turns out, it was located just 15 minutes away. Better yet, it was for sale.Michelle's first in-person visit to check out the property left her even more lovestruck, despite the fact that the state of the living quarters was sad. The run-down cottage had no upstairs windows, and a green metal roof rattled overhead. Yet she was enamored. "The way the sun shone on the pond—it took my breath away," she says. She quickly got husband Kelly on board, swaying him with all the potential that she envisioned for the 80 acres. Just like that, the plan was set in motion. With notions of a grand house in their minds, they decided to purchase
Start Slideshow

1 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

The Exterior

Credit: Alison Gootee

The couple brought in Andy Smith, an Auburn University-trained architect. However, Smith's real education started on his grandparents' farm in Houston County, where he worked as a carpenter's apprentice. Through his expert drawings, the Colberts started to wonder: What if their dream house didn't need to be built from the ground up? Could this teardown cottage become their dream house instead? They went with it and the outcome is beautiful.

This is technically the home's front, but architect Andy Smith says, "The house is so evolved that it's beautiful from every angle." The stable, which connects to the home via the kitchen

1 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

The Stables

Credit: Alison Gootee

The Colbert house quickly transformed into the Colbert farmhouse—complete with 8 horses, 11 goats, and 30 chickens.

2 of 12

3 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

The Kitchen

Credit: Alison Gootee

Smith suggested calling Ashley Gilbreath, the Montgomery, Alabama–based interior designer and proprietor of Parish Shoppe. With three young children of her own, Gilbreath knew to bring in only furniture and fabrics that would withstand family life. In the kitchen the focus is the backsplash (Mahlia; cementtileshop.com). It is such a showstopper that Gilbreath used it only once. "Extending it to other areas would have pulled emphasis from the kitchen's other great features," she says.

3 of 12

Advertisement

4 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

The Great Room

Credit: Alison Gootee; Styling: Elly Poston

With so much activity happening in the house it was even more important that the white sofas be covered in easy-to-clean Sunbrella fabric. Cowhides and leathers were chosen for their graceful aging qualities. This durability is vital because, as Gilbreath puts it, when it comes to mess-making abilities, little children and goats are "about neck and neck."

Rugs upon rugs are not only a Gilbreath trademark but a budget-friendly move to boot. "Start with a more affordable rug (such as a seagrass one) below, and then bring in a smaller, more expensive topper rug," she advises. That way, your money is going where the impact is (here, an antique Oushak from Parviz Oriental Rugs), and you don't lose the comfort of having a warm, cozy floor covering beneath.

4 of 12

5 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

The Living Room

Credit: Alison Gootee

It all came together in this clean-lined, airy home packed with meaningful details, just as Michelle had hoped. And while there aren't yet grandchildren to run alongside the pond and jump on the furniture, one of the couple's older daughters, Ivy, hosted nine sorority sisters for a pre-finals retreat, and the youngest, Mary Alan, recently invited her kindergarten class to the farm for a field trip.

In the living room, the official Colbert home intercom: a landing on the second floor where family members can shout from up above. Below, Kindel Furniture's round Penelope Coffee Table holds court among curvy CR Laine tub chairs.

5 of 12

6 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

The Den

Credit: Alison Gootee

"As we evolved the structure from a tired weekend cottage to a bustling family home, we tried to have fun and take advantage of every part and parcel of this house," Smith says. Fittingly, that's exactly how the Colberts live in it. Smart design elements helped bring it all together in style.

Barnlike, soaring wood ceilings mixed with light walls and fabrics epitomize the home's fresh farmhouse look. "I'm probably a symmetry fanatic to a fault," designer Ashley Gilbreath says, and the visually pleasing pairs throughout the home confirm it. "A little symmetry is awesome, but there is also a need for an unmatched piece to shake things up," she says. Here, it's the antique wood coffee table between CR Laine wing chairs.

6 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

The Master Bedroom

Credit: Alison Gootee

Blush and emerald make an unlikely color combination. You can attribute the pair's success to the opposite positions of red and green on the color wheel, making them easy complements. Rich wood tones help pull together the shades.

7 of 12

8 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

2016 Idea House: The Master Bedroom

Step inside our 2016 Idea House in Birmingham, Alabama. Inspired by the October 1979 issue of Southern Living, Virginia-based designer Lauren Liess created a relaxing oasis out of neutrals and textures in the master bedroom. She added hemp burlap wallcoverings; soft, fern-printed bedding; and a traditional Southern four-poster bed to create an easy-breezy vibe.

8 of 12

9 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

The Master Bath

Credit: Alison Gootee

Nearly all the bathtubs and sinks in the house came from South Front Antiques during the Colberts' trip to Kelly's hometown of Memphis. A Visual Comfort & Co. lantern above adds scale that's worthy of the vintage find.

9 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

The Upstairs Lounge

Credit: Alison Gootee

This space tucked off the stair landing is a favorite of Christian, 21, and Annabeth, 23, when they visit home. Gilbreath outfitted it simply with a few pops of flair like the durable hide rug and punchy beanbag.

10 of 12

11 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

The Girl’s Bedroom

Credit: Alison Gootee

In spaces with high or unconventional ceilings (6-year-old Mary Alan's A-frame bedroom has both), try a large light fixture to add a warm, full feeling. "It helps draw your eye upward and balances the empty space up top," says Gilbreath. Brilliant!

11 of 12

12 of 12

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

The Boy's Bedroom

Credit: Alison Gootee

One break in the all-white paint scheme came in the room of 16-year-old Hunter, who instead preferred to leave the natural wood that drove much of the room's design. It also served as an ideal spot to display hunting mounts. Gilbreath's key to incorporating taxidermy: Think of these pieces as a collection arranged in tandem for an artlike display. This carved bed, which has been in the family for years, keeps the room from veering too country or juvenile.

12 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Amy Preiser

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 12 The Exterior
2 of 12 The Stables
3 of 12 The Kitchen
4 of 12 The Great Room
5 of 12 The Living Room
6 of 12 The Den
7 of 12 The Master Bedroom
8 of 12 2016 Idea House: The Master Bedroom
9 of 12 The Master Bath
10 of 12 The Upstairs Lounge
11 of 12 The Girl’s Bedroom
12 of 12 The Boy's Bedroom

Share options

Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Login

Southern Living

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Books from Southern Living
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Southern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Southern Living is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab All Rights Reserved. Southern Living may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.southernliving.com

View image

The Farmhouse of Our Dreams All Started With a Single Instagram Post
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.