Transforming an aggressively groovy Craftsman home—think 1970s flocked wallpaper, shag carpet, and lots of linoleum—into a light, bright, and mostly white French country retreat may sound très difficult. But not for a handy California couple who has moved some 20 times—all while raising five kids, selling antiques, and training horses. And because the internet can’t resist a good comeback story, almost 300,000 people—virtual houseguests, so to speak!—have accompanied them on their five-year journey from before to happily ever after. And no one even had to remove their shoes at the door.
Maria Carr’s love for the color white is well documented. There’s the name of her online store and brick-and-mortar atelier, Dreamy Whites and her popular Instagram handle, @dreamywhiteslifestyle. When she was searching online for homes five years ago, she scrolled right on past a California listing loaded with dark wood, turquoise carpet, pink Formica countertops, and five sets of sliding glass doors inside. But a few weeks later, after noticing a significant price drop (a $100,000 reduction!), she and husband Thad found themselves touring the circa 1800s Craftsman and were shocked to find they tallied far more positives than negatives.
“We liked that it was so old but sound. We were drawn to the coffered ceilings and suspected that there were wood floors underneath all that awful carpet. It wasn’t falling apart—it was just colorful,” says Maria. “Basically, we ended up falling in love with the house by accident.”
While Thad is a horse trainer and farrier by trade, he also knows his way around a renovation. Once the paperwork was settled, he spent his Sundays stripping away all traces of Saturday Night Fever, gradually transforming the home into a country French-inspired farmhouse one room at a time. (“Because he only worked one day a week, it took a while,” says Maria. “About six months per room.”) As Thad unearthed shiplap walls and Douglas fir floors, installed marble, and painted every possible surface a crisp white, Maria shopped for her signature mix of French go-tos like linen slipcovered furniture, farm tables, chandeliers, and ironstone (all of which she sells on her website). Sometimes, to her delight, that required a passport. Says Maria, “During a never-ending renovation with five kids, five dogs, and a husband who is also the general contractor, there are definitely days when the best thing you can do is go to France!”
Below, take a tour of the entire transformation.
The Entry
During the renovation, the Carrs used approximately 50 gallons of white paint! When it came to choosing the just right whites, Maria skipped the warm white and looked at those that have gray undertones. “I like no trace of yellow,” she says. Her final picks: Cornforth White by Farrow & Ball for the walls and Ammonite by Farrow & Ball for the floors. Another of Maria’s white favorites: slipcovered furniture, but not the fussy covers with too many ruffles. “I like to drape French linen sheets over my sofas. I think it’s a pretty way to protect furniture,” she says.
RELATED: The Best White Paint Colors For Every Room in Your House
BEFORE:
The Living Room
Texture is everything, starting with rough-hewn 12-inch planked walls—a pleasant surprise found beneath layers of old wallpaper and drywall. “We didn’t even know that was normal,” says Maria. “This was before we’d seen Fixer Upper.” Douglas fir floors under the carpet were also a lucky discovery. Thad added beadboard to the tray ceilings and painted everything white, setting the stage for a wood-and-muslin sofa, a pair of plush French-linen slipcovered chairs, an old basket-turned-coffee table, and a jute rug. French bulldog Ivy rests beside an antique marble hearth—found beneath a neighbor’s porch—that was cleaned and restored. Maria embellished a chippy blue door—a Paris find—with artwork.
BEFORE:
Kitchen
The airier space feels significantly larger thanks to crisp ceilings and walls, white cabinets newly crafted from scrap wood, and a sea of marble, including Carrara marble countertops, handcrafted marble-and-wood shelving, and a marble subway tile backsplash. Maria replaced blue panels on her Lacanche “Volnay” range for white and piled in French standbys including ironstone, breadboards, vintage baskets, copper pots, and an old French sieve that hangs above the range. The couple also replaced linoleum floors with a herringbone-patterned alternative in black oak, which they were chagrined to find out has a tendency to turn pink when staining. Thanks to a call for help on Instagram, they found a crowd-sourced solution: Woca oil.
RELATED: Marble vs. Quartz Countertops: Which is Better?
The Kitchen Pantry
The original kitchen didn’t have a suitable place for dry storage, so the family came together to create one. Thad framed out the space; son Dustan crafted shelving out of old Dutch cheese boards; and Maria sanded and hung an old door, which she had previously been using as a headboard.
RELATED: 16 Practical Pantry Organization Ideas That Will Actually Work
The Butler’s Pantry
What began as a 1970s wet bar is now a charming workspace where daughter Bethany can work with fresh flowers (from favorite source The Antique Gardener) alongside woven bags, bucolic landscapes, French canning jars, and locally sourced fresh fruit. The space is even more user-friendly thanks to the old desk topped with a new sink and nickel faucet.
The Kitchen Built-In
The Carrs had originally planned to open up the floor plan by tearing out the pair of large built-ins in the kitchen, but they had a change of heart and chose to paint and add a marble subway tile backing instead. “Those bookcases are kind of my favorite things now. This is a typical old home, where rooms are more divided, and I’ve actually grown to love that,” says Maria.
The Dining Room
“I have about 100 pieces [of ironstone] by French makers like Dijon and Sarreguemines,” says Maria. “You can usually tell where it’s made by looking at the markings. French pitchers also tend to be smaller than their English counterparts.”
BEFORE:
The Primary Bedroom
The light-filled space is awash in a variety of whites ranging from brand-new bedding to the vintage French linens used to make the bed skirt, slipcovered chair, and window treatment (all available at dreamywhitesatelier.com). Maria replaced a set of 1970s Western swing doors on the closet with an 1800s French door, hung a French chandelier, and added a bench from—you guessed it—France.
BEFORE:
The Bathrooms
In the home’s downstairs bathroom, an old French table was converted into a vanity topped with marble and a sink. “I love marble,” says Maria, who estimates they used approximately 5,000 pounds of it throughout the house. A soaking tub sits atop Carrara (yes, more marble) hex tile.
In the master bath, unlacquered brass hardware adds visual interest against white marble tile and white shiplap walls. “The brass is a little too shiny for me right now. I can’t wait for it to blacken because I like it aged,” says Maria.
The Son’s Bedroom
In one of the son’s bedrooms, vintage flags and charcoal striped bedding add some color and graphic pattern against the white backdrop.
The Backyard
In order to better enjoy the mild California temperatures, the Carrs created a few outdoor living areas, including this one featuring Calstone pavers, an old French beach chair, and an array of plants and trees planted in French buckets and old flowerpots. “We do a lot of barbecues out here with fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and homemade bread,” says Maria.
Even the stable gets a French farmhouse feel with a shapely tufted settee—white, of course.
This story originally appeared in the March 2019 issue of Country Living. Photographs by David Tsay. Styling by Janna Lufkin. Flowers and Plants Throughout by The Antique Gardner in Sutter Creek.
