Pigsty? That's almost a compliment. In fact, its the truth: "Nesting" in a Barn

Just look at this view...



I recently did a photo shoot for a catalog at this location. The area was amazing, but the house on the property was what interested me most. My friend Laura Beth, who secured the location shoot asked homeowner Debby Stalling to give me a tour of her house. Laura Beth insisted I would be amazed at what Debby had to show me. Laura Beth was right!



Debby so graciously obliged,even allowing me to invite my Bloggeritaville friends, er "frans" in too. That's southern hospitality. There is so much to see under the red barn roof....so much in fact, it will take me this week to show you it all....but you will NOT want to miss a thing. Debby may just have earned the Thrifty crown this week. Perhaps the year.

So come on in, y'all. Come see why I found this location so fascinating.




Why, Yes. She lives in a barn.



The barn has been restored and has Debby's signature touches throughout the home. When I began talking to Debby I knew she was "my kinda girl".

Why you ask?

Because she lugs cast off trash into her car on drive-bys and takes it home, fixes it up and makes it one of a kind conversation pieces, as you will see as we tour her home.

This is Debby's living area. It was once horse stalls and the main part of the working barn.

HORSE STALLS.

Debby insisted to the builder who was converting the barn to leave the integrity of the barn. She wanted all of the original wood kept in tact. She used every bit of it. She didn't want her home to loose it's weathered barnwood charm.




Most of the furnishings are "either thrift store or yard sale finds. Bargains and no less, that's for certain." Debby insisted. Her husbands stuffed deer head was the only thing she compromised on. The rest was all Debby's vision of " barn charm".










I mentioned the original barn wood. This doorway is all original. And it almost got the builder fired. He and Debby came to blows about the wood around the door. It was uneven because a horse and used the doorway to cut its teeth on. This the waves int he wood. The builder wanted to replace the strip with a flat piece. Debby insisted he did not, she wanted her barn's character to remain. For it's history to be literally tangible throughout. Horse "tales" and all. The builder said he would not do it. She told him, if the wood was replaced, so would be he. As you can see here....who won out.




Debby was very proud to share this curbside trash bin find. It was a vinyl chair in a trash heap. She turned around and threw it into her car. She found some very suitable and "cow print" fabric and recovered the chair herself. I love her sense of whimsy and humor.



Here it sits in the living room beside her leather sofa and old mirrored door she also found in the barn and cleaned up. I don't think I mentioned that the floors are poured and stained concrete. To die for beautiful.





Debby purchased this artwork at a tag sale. She aid $75.00 for it, which she thought was allot. She got home and did some research on the internet and found it was an original piece by a well known artist. The artwork was well worth what she had paid for it. She loved the colors and the paint strokes in the piece.



Debby found the antique and authentic postal mailboxes at a local flea market. She purchased 2 of them for $30.00. I think I must have told her a million times that she got a deal of a lifetime. Those boxes, even sold individually are very pricey. She uses it to house a tv remote or two.



I LOVED Debby's idea for this slab of a tree trunk. Debby and her husband now rent out their property for gatherings. She recently hosted a wedding. The tree slabs were just that, but she thought them to pretty to be used as firewood. She shellacked it and used the slabs to hold the wedding cakes. I can imagine the elegance of wedding cakes against the rustic wood slabs. Very cool. And what a great gift idea!



Isn't it wonderful? This old barn! I hope you will join me back here tomorrow for more of the tour of Debby's barn turned home.