If it’s possible to be in a long-term relationship with a door….
…this would be the one.
The first time I walked through this door after we bought back the house, I almost cried.
Oh….the stories this door could tell.
It’s a dutch door that leads to the laundry room. The dutch part of the door was a little sad and missing a piece and we just fixed it and painted it black and hung a boxwood wreath and cowbells on it.
And now?
It looks like this.
Did you sigh?
Did you just remember how much you love dutch doors?
Did you think how good the new house paint color looks with the door?
Oh, good.
Me, too.
Here’s the view of the other side of the door.
There’s the cutest little laundry room and butler’s pantry right inside the door.
We just repainted and remodeled this space.
On one side there are built-ins for the washer and dryer.
We added a shelving in between and added a countertop on the top for extra storage and a place to fold clothes.
There’s a ledge at the top filled with baskets for extra dish storage.
(total aside: I know. I KNOW. I have too many dishes. Blame it on the half-price table at yard sales.)
I found these super cute galvanized metal containers at Hobby Lobby.
(total aside: If you go to Hobby Lobby looking for these—please remember to use your 40% off coupon. You can just pull it up on your phone from their website and they’ll scan it right there in the store.)
I added all the laundry helpers to these and placed them in the shelves between the washer and dryer.
And then?
There’s the other side.
The mini-butler’s pantry.
Are you ready?
Are you sitting down?
If I squint, I can almost pretend I’m back at the farmhouse.
This is where we keep the microwave and the coffee maker and all the coffee things and the trashcan and a toaster when I find a super cute one.
All those luncheon plates I had in the butler’s pantry at the farmhouse—this is where they live.
There are mini-marble countertops.
And subway tile.
And a set of dog bowls.
And the cutest mail carrier I found at our local ReStore.
(If you live in McKinney—they had tons of these there).
It hangs on the back door and mostly keeps the laundry soap company.
I love you dutch door.
You’ve always been there.
You watched as I carried two tiny 4 pound (and almost 4 pound) twinnies home. I brought those two car carriers through the door with one on each arm.
You smiled as I walked out of this door in my wedding dress on my wedding day with hot rollers and red lipstick and slippers on.
You grinned as my new husband carried me back inside the day after our wedding to greet our family and friends for a wedding brunch the next day before we left for our honeymoon.
You wept with me as I walked back inside after my father’s funeral.
You encouraged me with my mother as you both gave me hope with my struggles with four tiny munchkins under the age of seven.
You looked on as my children took their first steps and ate cheerios and squash at the countertop and played with legos on those old oak floors.
All the hours.
All the moments.
All the days.
I cried when I left you.
And then?
When I opened you back up for the first time and let the sunshine in, I threw my head back and laughed with all the excitement and anticipation of a thousand Christmas mornings.
I’m here to stay.
Here’s to all the joy to come. 🙂
PS Thank you for all your encouragement with the new book and the videos.
Here are just a few behind-the-scenes i-phone photos of our bookcase styling session.
We styled this entire bookcase in four minutes using easy tips and a little inspiration.
I can’t wait for you to see them.
ooOOOOh! my heart be still! It's beautiful and soulful...stories old and new one to follow!
This is fabulous on so many levels! First I love that there is an exterior door to carry the laundry out to the clothesline... yes, some of us still do this, at least with sheets. I love the boxwood wreath and the cowbells are simply perfect. I love that you have your home to love and cherish. I bet your home is as happy as you are right now! Teresa at Lost Mule Lodge
Good Golly Miss Molly. I could happily live in the laundry room~ it's gorgeous, it's light and it's bright. It has a COFFEE MAKER....oh my. LOVE! Extra exclamation points needed. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love that door! My son has one in his old house too. I also love how you multipurposed that wonderful room! That house is definitely where you are supposed to be. Hugs!
I don't know how you could have let your Mom sell this home, so glad you have it back. So special.
The black on the outside is perfect, and so is the white on the inside in that gleaming laundry room, which has me 100% jealous. That penny tile!!!!! As Teresa of Lost Mule Lodge says, it's great to have a door to take the laundry straight outside. I have to bring it up from the basement, go through the bedroom (we have French doors going outside there), down some too-steep steps to the clotheslines. I hang everything outside except towels. Good for the clothes, good for the environment, good for the budget. And smells great.
I love the smell of laundry that has been dried outside. The only thing that we dry in the dryer is towels, otherwise everything is dried on a rack.
Perfect! I had 2 dutch doors in one of my California houses. Loved them so much!!! Your laundry room/butlers pantry is to die for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Doesn't everyone need more dish storage?
Sweet Karianne, I love this house so much! Not that I didn't love your former house. I loved it too! Like our children, different yet you love them both equally as much, lol! Beautiful laundry room and charming Dutch door!
You are so very blessed.
I love Dutch doors to absolutely no end! You are so fortunate to have that beauty in your house. The fact that you and your family are living in your childhood home warms my heart. It would be like a dream come true. My grandmother's house just went up for sale for just the second time since she sold it (she has since passed), and I have dreamed of buying it and fixing it up. It's nearly 500 miles away from where I now live, so that's a bit of a problem! I love your blog and I love seeing you breathe new life into this house where you have so many wonderful memories.
You are so very blessed. Continue to live in the moment.
What a lovely post, KariAnne! A lot of memories, to be sure...and I love the whole new space you've created!
Oh Karianne! I could just hug you And this entire room! Love! Love! Love! One question though.....how far is the water for that coffee pot? And how did you decide to locate the coffee out there? I love the smell of fresh brewed coffee in the morning as it wafts through the house.... But that door is exquisite and the entire laundry room is fantastic! Great job!
You have done such a fantastic job with this house. I'm moving in -- just to be in this lovely place (and to keep you company) !! :) :) :)
Love it!! Everything looks fantastic! Your house is beautiful and filled with wonderful memories.... and enjoy making more!!
This might be my favorite room in the entire house! I love it all! The butlers pantry side is my husbands dream.
I have always loved dutch doors and this one is perfect! The whole room is perfect along with your sweet memories that go with it! xo Shelley
Jealous - your laundry room/butlers pantry is gorgeous and I would kill for a dutch door.
Absolutely beautiful! What paint color did you use in your laundry room? I'm looking for something similar for mine
Kate, It's painted SW Repose Gray! Thanks friend! karianne
A house with a heart and a soul. I could just hug it. First, stories of the mirror. Now stories of the door. I want ALL the stories!!! Hugs to you.
I love the history you share with your dutch door :) So glad you kept it. My aunt use to have one in their house and we'd play post office or grocery store when I was little.
It took my breath away! Gorgeous, just gorgeous!
I love Dutch doors!! Always secretly needed one. I love the paint and bells, but the memories of that door are the best. Truly. And if the laundry room weren’t enough, the Butler’s pantry took my breath away. Stunning. And magical. Love it all. Thanks for sharing, friend.
Oh Karianne, so many things I love about this.....the door...the tile....the shelves with the 50% off yard sale dishes... and especially the shelves wrapped around the window!! sigh I had my husband put a dutch door in our laundry room as well but it goes into the interior of the house. You're awesome!! love this house, can't wait to see the rest of your room makeovers!
"All those luncheon plates I had in the butler’s pantry at the farmhouse—this is where they live." Everything should have such a lovely place to live! Every nook and cranny in that house must hold precious memories for you...how fun! We moved much more than you did growing up but, ever since you moved back to your old house, I've been daydreaming about all the charming places we lived and imagined if I lived in one of them now. *sigh*
I believe I am in love with your door....or maybe it is all that you have been thru with your door!! All the memories are so beautiful and sweet!! I know it is very special!! You are a wonderful person Karianne and so special. I so enjoy the way you express yourself. Your door is beautiful as is the room it opens into. Things are coming together and I cannot wait to see the rest when it is completed. Thank you so much for sharing.. xoxo
Love the space! Great job, it looks Wonderful! Enjoy your memories, and the making of more. Hugs to you and your family!
Hi Karianne, I absolutely looooove the Dutch door. We don't have one, but I just might have to add one somewhere in our farmhouse! And the cow bells are swoon-worthy... We have the exact hexagonal tiles in our master bath, and while I absolutely love them, I must have lost my brain and good sense when we built our farmhouse, because I had them grouted with WHITE grout---seriously, who uses white grout in a farmhouse bathroom in the middle of a wheat field in North Texas?!? My question for you is, do you know any way to change the grout color to a charcoal color that doesn't involve me very laboriously painting every tiny grout line on those 1 inch tiles? Just thought with all your DIY Rock-Star-ness, you might, just might, have an idea. Thanks so much!! :)
Did you live there as a little girl and also when you were married, move and now move back again. It is more than I could ever imagine.
https://thistlewoodfarms.com/one-post-never-thought-id-write/
Well, you knocked it out of the ball park once again, girlfriend!! Not only with a fantabulous room ( so sparkling white ), but also with your prose! You were made for one another... truly. 😊
Dutch doors are MY FAVORITE!! There is NOTHING CUTER than a Dutch door!
Well,I have to admit,your laundry room is stunning. You dragged me kicking and screaming to Texas and I didn’t think Thistlewood could be replaced. Texas and this House are growing on me.
Sigh, and they lived happily ever after going to and fro through the Dutch door.! It looks beautiful. I want my laundry room/pantry to look like this when it grows up. I can just hear the happy in your words. How wonderful to be home!
I love the "when I find a cute one" toaster comment! I have a stressful job and just love taking a moment out of my day read your blog posts. They make me smile, and cry!
I love your Dutch door! I have a question for you. I am interested in how you like your front load washer? I have heard that if you are not meticulous about wiping down the inside including the rubber ring it will have a mildew odor that transfers to your clothing. I love being able to have a shelf but friends have urged me to reconsider due to the extra work with keeping door open, etc.
Oh I do love it all. I can't wait to get the book and see the video series.
It's just beautiful !!! Lucky you !
Your Dutch door has already gone through a couple of lifetimes already...here’s to another couple! ;)
I have a love affair with Dutch doors too...like embarrass myself drooling kind of love....though I've never actually had one. Maybe someday... Your laundry room is so incredibly quaint! I would have a hard time getting laundry done with all the distraction of cuteness. So lovely! You'll cry more when one of your kids walks through that door on their wedding day...trust me. Enjoy every precious moment!
So many wonderful memories...
So cute KariAnne- love how your laundry room and butlers pantry compliment each other. And never enough dish storage- because never too many dishes! ;)
I need a better shot of the washer/dryer. I want to know if they are enclosed, what's on top, etc. They look so fancy and neat and orderly.
Have you ever read the Mitford Series by Jan Karon? This reminds me of a scene from that series~May you, your children and family Forever and Always be Blessed as you go in and out of the doors of this family home~
Isn't it funny how a door can hold so many memories and hands! My grandmother had a Dutch door and I adored that door almost as much as I adored Grams..... Now I have my own Dutch door in a home that I love with all my heart and soul. I hope all the family and friends and hands that will open and close this door, so close to my heart, will have their own sweet sweet memories of wonderful times spent in our home. Thank you for sharing your Dutch door with us!
I am J-E-A-L-O-U-S!!! Could you have anything else that I want??? Lol I think "Ozzie and Harriet" or "Father Knows Best" had a Dutch door and I decided then that I needed one! It looked cool then and it looks cool now--if it comes up missing--don't come lookin' for it missy!!!
Made me cry!
Bless you Kari ❤️ Happy you’re home 🏡
Just wonderful! A chair to enjoy a sneaky coffee would be great if there's room - since the coffee machine is there afterall ;)
It's beautiful. Nice post this is. Thanks for sharing.
You struck a sentimental chord with me...AGAIN! If walls (or doors) could talk! The laundry room is awesome/amazing! I love the shelves and marble and subway tiles. Good job!
What a beautiful, heartfelt post! Your Dutch door is just beautiful as is your laundry room and butlers pantry. It is such a warm place to welcome you home, and to think it is utilitarian, too! Thanks for proving once again that utilitarian, functional spaces can be charming, too!
*sigh* The stories of your house make me almost want to see if my childhood home is available. Almost. It's in Minnesota though and there isn't anyone in my family who could go back up and live in that cold...even for a beautiful dutch door like yours. The makeover is just lovely. The butlers pantry with the sun streaming in is perfect. I can almost see you filling up your coffee cup. :) Btw, you totally need that cute SMEG toaster for your counter. Nancy
KariAnne, you make me dream bigger dreams. I love what you've done and cannot fathom the wonderful sweet feelings you have waking up everyday in that home. It is a treasure.
Just wonderful, wonderful!
If a door could feel I'm sure it's heart would be melting right about now. It's lovely thru and thru. Your the best KariAnne!
I must ask...Dutch Doors and BUGS?? I love the look but hate the flys, mosquitoes and stink bugs we get round here. Plus the occasional bee and wasp. How do you manage???
Great, tears in my coffee. Sniff. :)
Oh, my goodness KariAnne an absolutely beautiful post! You are so inspiring and truly a wonderful writer!
Why did this make my want to cry? I just wanted to boohoo big time!!! Have you ever read something, that you felt their emotions as you were reading their words, so much so that you felt their life, memories, joys and sorrows that it's all so beautiful that you can't help but get teary? Well that's how this affected me! I just loved this so, thank you KariAnne welcome home!
Such a lovely post! What a blessing for you to return to your childhood home! You and your beautiful writing are a blessing to us. Thank you for sharing!
Did you create the dutch door? If not, where did you purchase it?
I have quite honestly never seen a butler's door! I love the architecture and beauty of your home's in the South! Here in Canada there are some amazing homes in the old part of Montreal but the cost would be in the millions to even get a home and have it renovated.
My heart is going pitter-patter!!! I just realized the other day that our laundry room could use a little help and this gave me to push to tackle it ASAP! I'm in love and so inspired to take our home from really good to OUTSTANDING like yours!
Love the door and the memories you shared. I really wish dutch doors would make a comeback in newer homes or at least be able to be installed. My laundry room could use one!
Love, love, love that laundry room and butlers pantry! I'm wanting a butlers pantry so bad...not sure if my pantry is big enough. The wooden box with a handle I have one similar.
The Thistlewood farmhouse in Kentucky stole my heart. The new/old house in Texas had me at laundry room!! xoxo
We had a Dutch door on my house when I was a child. I loved and would love to have another one. Great post. Your laundry room is fabulous.