Florida Fixer Upper Home Tour – A French Nest

Today we take you to a Florida fixer upper for a delightful home tour of an avid collector! It’s truly the journey that makes our homes special and this family is staying put in their beloved Florida coastal town.

Meet my friend Robyn, a fellow east coast Floridian with an eye for making things cozy and welcoming in her beloved family nest. She’s inspired by all things French farmhouse and is an avid collector and decorator! If you’re over on Instagram she’s quite dedicated to sharing inspiration on her page at Robyn’s French Nest. Head on over…she’s a true gem of a person and I’ll let her take over here below!

Florida Fixer Upper Home Tour – Robyn’s French Nest

“My decorating passion started long before I knew it was called decorating.  The best part about playing with my dollhouse or play kitchen was getting it all set up.  And it only got more fun, as I worked in my parents’ small-town Kansas pharmacy.  One of my jobs in high school was to keep the store window-fronts refreshed and I spent hours rearranging and talking my mom into getting things I thought we could use.”

Sweet Robyn is wonderful at styling vignettes and loves to share her tips on how to best accomplish inspiring looks with vintage finds.

Her home pallet is neutral with plenty of Florida light to work with.

“My education choices took me in a different path and across the country to study music education in a Florida college.  It was there that I met my husband, Robb, who was also a music major.” 

“We settled in a small, coastal Florida town and launched our careers, with me teaching elementary music and theater and Robb completing his M.A. in Business and moving on to work in related fields.  Seventeen years, five houses, and three beautiful children later, we still live in that little coastal town that we now call home.” 

“Though each of our homes required home remodeling projects, our current home has truly been our “fixer upper.”  We purchased this home three years ago, gutted almost the entire thing, and working with our contractor, rebuilt the inside.  Each pattern, color, and design choice has been painstakingly chosen by my husband and I, as we have worked to make this our long-term home.”

Robyn has chosen to add lots of storage for the family with vintage shelving and apothecary cabinets.

 “We knew we wanted to have a timeless approach. While things like subway tile were trending at the time of our renovations, I also decided there is a good reason that subway tile still lines the train stations of France and can be found in the most quaint shops and diners across the country.  We decided to bring those same timeless design choices into our Florida fixer upper home and still love it!”

“I love the quote, “A room should feel collected not decorated” [source unknown].  When choosing pieces for our home, whether it be a 10 foot apothecary or a vintage candlestick, I always filter my choices through the concept of creating a curated home.”

“Antique malls, flea markets, and vintage shops are always my first stop when working on a fresh design.  However, I can also be found enjoying a Starbucks and slowly roaming the Target aisles as well, and love to pick up inexpensive, trending items to mix with my vintage treasures.”

“All of my design and décor choices are also first filtered through my favorite title of “Mommy”.  I am passionate about creating spaces where each member of my family can comfortably live.  Even though we have white couches, for example, everyone is allowed to get cozy.” 

Yes…you can live with white furniture and this Florida fixer upper home is a perfect example of that with slipcovered pieces!

“We thoughtfully purchased slipcovers that can be washed and bleached!  Each detail throughout our home is designed with our family and function being the first priority.  I always joke that even my chippy furniture is thoughtfully chosen with children in mind, because every dent and ding only adds more character!”

“Our bathrooms were some of the most fun rooms to design because I love the huge impact one can make in a small space.  I was heavily inspired by classic patterns like penny and subway tile and we incorporated them throughout our home.” 

“One of my favorite design choices we made was to pull up the old tile in parts of the house and have the concrete polished.  We tied it in with concrete countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms and it is still one of my favorite features.”

“I would say there are two pieces in our home that we couldn’t function without: our grand piano and the kitchen island!  Since my husband and I both play and teach, and now all three children take lessons, the piano gets a daily workout.”

“The same could be said for our kitchen island is used for breakfast and lunch, meal prep, homework time, laundry folding, the occasional sorting and organizing spot, functions as our pantry, and basically holds all the things!  I am so thankful that we went with a custom piece, built to serve all the functions we wanted it to have!”

“My favorite room shifts with the season, but my favorite cozy spot is our back living and dining room.  A fifty foot wall of slider doors allows so much sunlight, even on a rainy day, and I love to be in that space.  We enjoy our evening meals as a family there and our children can often be found playing puzzles and games on the oversized coffee table.  I truly love being in that space.”

Chippy white perfection for this Florida fixer upper home would be perfect in any location.

“Our next big projects are all outside, as we have been slowly making over the landscape.  This fall we will be adding another patio and an outdoor dining space, just in time for our Florida fall and winter.” 

“I welcome you to join us @ robyns_frenchnest as we share our home and lives with you.”

I hope that you enjoyed Robyn’s Florida fixer upper home and for some other vintage style home tours please check out the links below!

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