Exterior

Autumn is Christine Hoffman's favourite season. She was married in October, four years ago to Steve Sollien, here in Black River Falls, Wisc. Christine baked 14 pies, wore a $4.99 Pendleton jacket over a sparkly dress, and danced the day away in red cowboy boots. Steve wore his lucky pants! It takes two and a half hours to get to this paradise from the Twin Cities, where Steve works as a carpenter and Christine multitasks as a set designer, colour consultant, and retail stylist. "Once we get here," she says, "we're content to putter on various projects or in the garden." Leaves dot the grass like confetti. "Fall's a gem of a season," she declares. Once inside this unassuming 1870s farmhouse, it's apparent that Christine and Steve are inspired by a whole lot more.

Chair

"I wanted the house to blend with the surroundings," Christine says, "and to have some excitement too." An obsessive but fun search resulted in the perfect shade of green, Prairie Green from Ace, for the exterior. For contrast, she used dark chocolate and vanilla pain on the architectural details. The four and a half-acre property includes a granary and a red barn.




Kitchen Items

"I love collectibles in multiples. It elevates an everyday object into a statement. Or so I tell myself to justify buying more!" says Christine.




Kitchen

The kitchen offers ample display space for Christine's cache of vintage household goods. Stacks of faux bois and woven-patterned picnic tins, which provide storage for more stuff, fit perfectly into tight corners; metal snack trays make an artful wall composition inside the pantry.



Dining Room

"Orange furniture seeks me out!" says Christine of the two farm tables and $25 kitchen hutch. It also puts some funk into the farmhouse, especially in the dining room. Chartreuse vinyl c. 1949 chairs, a gift from Christine's parents, and a jewel-toned mid-century collection add the unpredictable decor.



Green Sofa

The style doesn't much matter. Christine is open to enticement and sees no need for era purism. She says, laughing, "I'm all over the place." The living room, anchored by a 1950s sofa, has a swank air. Christine kept the colours here cooler than in most other rooms in the house.



Entryway

The master bedroom, which is accessorized with floral art, beaded bags, and vintage jewellery, is the designated girly room: "I'll often break up the frill with something a little edgy or goofy."



Pantry

The price has a big influence on what Christine buys. "I am a bargain hunter," she states with pride. Her heart pounds as she approaches $2 estate-sale boxes. Pantry jars and tins came from these estate-sale boxes.



Linen Closet

The peacock chenille bedspread was $10 at a Missouri yard sale. Her living room sofa and chair were $35. Steve encourages Christine's savvy thrift and is known as the Enabler.



Collection

The colour of an object usually grabs Christine's attention first. White, however, also gets its due, in Christine's collection of vintage ceramics.



Bed

She applies this same dressing technique to the perfectly weathered bed on the enclosed sleeping porch. Christine likens this space to "a tree house without the bugs." The bed is dressed in an inviting heap of pillows and blankets. Red satin binding peeks out from under a blanket. Christine is always good for some sass.




photo credit: Laura Moss & Lucas Allen