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My Houzz: Better Flow for Feasts and Family in Alabama

Newly open spaces make this home ideal for entertaining, but intimate areas keep things personal

Paula Coldiron March 16, 2014

Hi! I am a contributing home tour photographer and writer for Houzz. Blogger of Two Ellie where I strive to bring inspiration to others and take part in making life more beautiful through the creativity God has given me. My husband and I also have a photography business, Kellen Jacob Photography. Most importantly I am a mother of two.

Hi! I am a contributing home tour photographer and writer for Houzz. Blogger of Two... More

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Rachel and Layne Schranz designed and built their home with entertaining in mind. Layne, a racecar driver, associate church pastor and business owner, and Rachel, a stay-at-home mom who homeschools their two daughters, worked with builder David Acton and home designer David Smelcer to create a family-friendly home with an open layout. It now accommodates gatherings of up to 80 people and complements the couple’s rustic, traditional style.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Rachel and Layne Schranz, and their daughters, Ashlyn (14) and Devyn (12)
Location: Leeds, Alabama
Size: 3,900 square feet (362 square meters) on 3 acres; 4 bedrooms, 4½ bathrooms
Year built: 2009

Traditional Living Room by Two Ellie

After moving from Colorado, Rachel and Layne purchased 3 acres in Leeds, Alabama, and asked Smelcer to come up with a plan that fit all their needs. “He took our wish list and made it flow into a home design that serves our family well,” Rachel says.

Sofa: BSC; pillows: Lacefield Designs; wall paint: Balanced Beige SW 7037; trim paint: Brainstorm Bronze SW 7033, both by Sherwin-Williams

Traditional Living Room by Two Ellie

Rachel stuck to mostly a neutral color palette; the stone fireplace, solid cedar beams and muted tones allow the outside to flow seamlessly in. Finding something big enough and affordable enough to fill the space above the large fireplace became quite a challenge, until Rachel found a local woodworker who could create a framed mirror sized to the space.

Mirror: Kiwi Wood Werks; light sconces: Aidan Gray

Traditional Living Room by Two Ellie

Finding an area rug big enough to fill the space also proved challenging. To save money, the owners chose a carpet they liked and had a piece bound to the size they needed — for a fraction of the cost of a ready-made rug.

Although Rachel did most of the decorating herself, she reached out to color specialist Meg Wallace for help picking the paint in the main living spaces. “There were just too many paint colors to choose from, and that decision would have been too expensive to fix later if I guessed wrong,” says Rachel.

Chairs: BSC

Traditional Living Room by Two Ellie

Family photos decorate each room, such as on this console table in the great room. The stone fireplace is an ode to the Colorado life Layne had before moving to Alabama. He grew up in Colorado and began his life with Rachel there, so the Centennial State will always hold a special place in the couple’s heart.

Chandelier: Currey & Company; sofa table: Aidan Gray

Traditional Living Room by Two Ellie

Rachel grew up in homes where gatherings weren’t true gatherings unless an abundance of food was present. This still holds true for her and her family. The formal dining room serves as a great place for intimate dinners or buffet-style feasts. The kitchen was designed to be large enough to feed an army, and to allow many cooks to gather at once without feeling overcrowded.

Mercury lamp: Aidan Gray

Traditional Dining Room by Two Ellie

The dining room is the one room that is somewhat separate from the rest; it gave Rachel the chance to go bold with dark paint and a brick wall that matches the exterior.

Although the home is large, it does not have an abundance of hidden storage, so the owners picked pieces that were not only beautiful but also practical.

Paint: Brainstorm Bronze SW 7033, Sherwin-Williams; lantern: Solaria; cabinet: Classic Home;
table: custom; chairs: Aidan Gray

Traditional Family Room by Two Ellie

Rachel and Layne wanted to have a spot where the girls and their friends could lounge without having to go upstairs. This space and the main living area are just far enough away from each other that both TVs can be on and not interfere with each other.

The porch bed swing beyond is another perfect place to lounge when weather permits.

Swivel chair on left: BSC; TV table: Vagabond Vintage

Traditional Family Room by Two Ellie

One thing the owners didn’t want was clutter. Rachel was intent on keeping things minimal. “It makes cleaning easier,” she says.

Painting: Julie Blumenthal, purchased at Commissary (now closed); driftwood piece: HomeGoods; table: Barreveld; chair: At Home, Rowe; sofa: At Home, Rowe

Traditional Kitchen by Two Ellie

Lowering the ceiling in this area made it feel more intimate, and adding the beams joined the two main living areas. This also left room upstairs for the girls’ space.

Sofa: At Home, Rowe; side table: Aidan Gray

Traditional Kitchen by Two Ellie

The large island not only serves as a good place to prep food on, but also a great spot for school projects and crafts. Rachel and Layne saved money by buying the Jenn-Air appliances as a set off a showroom floor, and found the farmhouse sink on Overstock.com after seeing something similar in a magazine.

Lanterns: Pottery Barn; granite: Marron Cohiba

Traditional Dining Room by Two Ellie

Rachel designed this eating area for family meals and much-needed extra seating. “You can cram a lot of people around this little table,” she says.

Chandelier: Currey & Company; pillows: custom, King Cotton; table: custom; built-in bench: Kiwi Wood Werks; art: Katherine Long, purchased at Commissary (now closed); table: custom, UpCycle Birmingham; candy jar: GO Home

Traditional Hall by Two Ellie

This small nook off the master bedroom was the perfect spot for an Ethan Allen piece that was passed down from Rachel’s grandmother. The French water spout above is on loan from a friend who just may have forgotten about it over the years.

Traditional Powder Room by Two Ellie

The Schranzes wanted every area of the home to have a consistent flow — including the half bath. After a long search for a console sink, Rachel came across a custom piece at a local furniture shop that ended up being cheaper than many of the items she thought were just OK.

Console sink: custom, Seibels; mirror: Seibels; lamp: Cost Plus World Market

Traditional Bedroom by Two Ellie

The main bedroom has a look based in simplicity; the couple wanted a space that was serene and that lent itself to a good night’s sleep.

What they did not consider when designing the home was how expensive it would be to actually cover the French doors leading to the backyard. Due to the size of the doors, they had to go custom.

Headboard: Three Sheets; pillows, bedding: custom, King Cotton; curtains: custom, King Cotton; trim paint: Warm Stone SW7032, Sherwin-Williams

Traditional Bathroom by Two Ellie

“We are not bath people, so we didn’t want to sink a bunch of money into something we never use,” says Rachel. “But at the same time, we knew the house needed one.” She found a fiberglass stand-alone tub that beautifully mimics a cast iron piece for less than $1,000.

Wall paint: Warm Stone SW7032, Sherwin-Williams; chair: auction find; antlers: At Home; art: gift from a friend; sconces: Mayer Lightning

Traditional Kids by Two Ellie

Devyn, their preteen daughter, is an avid horse rider, and her room reflects her passions.

Traditional Kids by Two Ellie

Her room is lively and fun. The photograph to the right of the bed was taken with an iPhone and printed on canvas.

Bed: Alabama Furniture Market; chandelier: Large Rainbow Chandelier, Urban Outfitters; paint: Tidewater SW 6477, Sherwin-Williams

Traditional Kids by Two Ellie

Until a recent makeover, Ashlyn’s room was all pale pink walls and Pottery Barn Kids bedding. Now that she’s a teenager, she wanted deep blue walls with bold color accents throughout, and a space that reflected her love of music.

Ashlyn had input throughout the redesign and picked many of the pieces. Rachel just helped pull it all together and make it feel finished.

Paint: Admiral Blue 2065-10, Benjamin Moore; chandelier: Mayer Lighting; bedding: Deny Designs; monogram: Life’s a Stitch, Etsy

Traditional Kids by Two Ellie

Rachel and Layne were both a little nervous with such a bold wall color choice, knowing it would be hard to cover later, but were pleased with the outcome.

Art: HomeGoods; shower curtain: Anthropologie

Traditional Kids by Two Ellie

Desk chair: Southeastern Salvage; lounge chair: Target; music notes: Hobby Lobby

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More: My Houzz: Traditional Touches With Cottage Flair in Canada

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Comments (42)

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slimn78

Would love to know the source of the brick backsplash in the kitchen

Like March 21, 2014 at 3:05PM

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djmini14

Nice, but so . . . white. To each his own, tho.

Like March 22, 2014 at 12:30PM

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samrayazan

awesome . I really feel warm and family .. and I think I may built my future home like yours...

Like March 24, 2014 at 1:54PM

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