Like many city slickers, Michael and Emilie Bolton fantasized about trading their hectic Fort Worth, Texas, existence for a slower pace. But unlike other dreamers, these two up and moved to the Hill Country for a new start in a tiny old barn.

Kitchen Table

In the barn's kitchen, a plank from Michael and Emilie Bolton's former house (propped against the cupboard) charts the growth of children and dogs. The table and chairs came from Homestead and Friends, a shop owned by Michael's brother.



Coat Rack

A hallway coat rack becomes a creative composition of safari hats and photographs.



Living Room

A pair of slipcovered Lee sofas, along with leather hassocks from the Arrangement in Dallas, furnish the Boltons' new living room; on the coffee table stands a classic Bolton detail, a vintage toy horse made from papier-mâché and horsehair.



Old and New Buys

This painted wooden dresser represents the only piece of furniture the Boltons brought with them from Fort Worth. Emilie picked up the wall hanging at Homestead and Friends. "I have no idea what it says," she admits. "I just like pigs."



Bedroom

A $500 iron bed — one of Emilie's most expensive purchases — anchors this whitewashed bedroom.



Family Portraits

Tucked behind these portraits of her parents, an empty frame creates a 3-D tableau.





photo credit: Keith Scott Morton & Robin Stubbert