Text by Bethany Adams
Anyone else who stepped into the derelict Colonial in Canton, Georgia, may have seen it as a lost cause. But to Amanda and Josh Becker, the missing cabinet doors, lack of functioning plumbing, and absence of usable appliances looked more like an opportunity.
“Basically, we renovated it from top to bottom,” Amanda says, noting that they learned skills like tiling, plumbing, and painting while renovating and flipping their previous house. At the end of the transformation, the only things that remained of the home as they found it were the oak floors on the main level and an antique fireplace surround originally salvaged from a home in Alabama.
Starting with the fresh canvas of warm white walls, Amanda went about discovering the style that best fit the spirit of the home. “In the last three years, I’ve started to notice I gravitate toward English country—very classic, traditional fabrics,” she says. She notes that block prints and ginghams in blues, greens, and creams are not only timeless, but they also lend themselves to mixing and matching and are perfect for transitioning across seasons.
Because of that, it’s easy for her to warm her home for autumn simply by introducing the rich reds, oranges, and yellows she usually avoids during the rest of the year. “When we got married and started traveling, I fell in love with Maine and Massachusetts,” she says. “It’s just so beautiful and vibrant. Anytime I go to decorate for fall, I always think about [our travels to the Northeast].”
Complementing the New England influence, the rest of the décor finds its inspiration in Amanda’s love of natural elements. While she has purchased preserved gourds at antiques stores, the rest of her seasonal décor comprises the fresh pieces she brings home from her annual trip to the nearby apple orchard and pumpkin patch with Josh and their son, Charlie.
The tradition also provides plenty of produce for the baking Amanda enjoys in the home’s large kitchen, which—along with the honeyed butcher block—is warmed by her collection of antique copper cookware and bakeware. “My love of old things goes back to when I was very little,” she says, remembering trips to her grandmother’s house. “If I’m going to redo a room, the first places I’m going to look are antiques stores.”
The timeless finds seamlessly accompany the classic design style she and Josh decked this fixer-upper in, and the fall décor only enhances the comfortable ambience. And with such an abundance of cozy seasonal charm in every room, it’s undeniable that the finished product makes all of the Beckers’ hard work well worth it.
To follow along with Amanda and Josh’s decorating journey, visit their blog at sincerelymariedesigns.com.
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