Our Beautiful House on the Louisiana Bayou

Honestly, I wasn’t in love with our Louisiana Bayou house when we first bought it. The builder-grade finishes were dull and dark, but I saw the potential. Over the next few years, I transformed it into my dream home, one DIY project at a time.

Living Room

The biggest transformation in our Louisiana Bayou house was replacing the floors. We chose Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) throughout the entire house. To add character, I installed 5mm underlayment wood boards, cut into 10-inch-wide strips, on some of the walls to mimic the look of old shiplap. I’m a firm believer that curtains are essential. They make a room feel cozy, even if they’re just decorative. We never actually close ours—who would want to hide the stunning view of the bayou?

I chose light paint colors for the walls, trim, and ceiling, which really brightened up the entire space.

I also painted the wood behind the entertainment center, which made that area feel much more open. As you can tell, I love the combination of wood and white. To define the living room and kitchen, I added a faux cypress beam, and let’s be honest—who doesn’t love the look of a cypress beam?

I love decorating every little corner, even in the smallest spaces like a hallway. For this one, I styled it with a #6 crock (a nod to our family of six), a fiddle leaf fig tree, and layered two vintage gold frames for a more dramatic effect.

Foyer

I’m so disappointed that foyers have gone out of style because I absolutely LOVE them. A foyer is the perfect space to welcome guests and set the tone for the rest of your home.

I found this antique pie safe on Facebook Marketplace for $300, and it fits perfectly in this space. It’s been so much fun to decorate! On the opposite side, I added a bench with hooks above it and some artwork. Everything in this area in our Louisiana Bayou house is thrifted except for the jute runner rug.

Master Suite

The master bedroom was originally dark and cluttered with oversized, heavy furniture. I replaced the floors, painted the walls, and couldn’t take down those dark curtains fast enough! To add more texture, I used the same 5mm wood paneling on the wall behind the bed as I did in the living room.

Instead of traditional nightstands, I chose taller sideboard cabinets to better suit the scale of the room. With my tall ceilings and large bed, standard nightstands would have felt out of place. I’ve linked a few similar options below!

I kept the décor simple, using a mix of natural and colorful items, and added a unique touch by hanging a vintage piano roll on the wall.

Bathroom

Changing the floors instantly warmed up this white space. That’s what I love about Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP)—it’s waterproof and can be used in every room. I’m a fan of large mirrors in bathrooms, and they only look dated if they don’t have a frame. So, I added a natural cypress frame around the mirror and a cypress valance over the window. I had more ideas for this space but never got around to them. Leave a comment below and let me know what you would have done to this room!

Kitchen

The kitchen didn’t change much because tearing out a perfectly good kitchen wasn’t high on my to-do list. It wasn’t exactly my style, but it fit the house, and I could live with it. I added shiplap to the dining room wall and painted it a dark blue-gray, which I enjoyed for a few years before eventually painting it white. That’s when I realized—I love color in my décor, but white walls truly make me happy. That’s how I’ve discovered my style over the years—by trying new things and experimenting with different looks.

Laundry Room

The laundry room makeover was so much fun! I have a few YouTube videos showcasing how I achieved this look using wood and hot glue. If you’d like, I can also create a blog post detailing the process!

Brandons Room

This is a room where I truly embraced color on the walls. I went for a mid-century modern look and had a blast decorating it! The large ‘B’ is actually an old drop-down screen that I transformed into a striking piece of art for this space.

Waylen’s Room

His room has transitioned beautifully over time. He began in a really cool pirate toddler bed that I gave a makeover, complete with lights on the side that actually lit up. As he grew, we moved him to a big boy bed while keeping with the nautical theme. This was the first time he had his own room, and I had dreamed of a nautical theme since he was born. Waylen—whale—had plenty of whale décor to match!

Ryan’s Room

It was always too messy to get pictures of that room! In fact, the photographer didn’t even take any shots of it when we listed the house 😂. Are your kids messy too?

Wryn’s Room

She was a surprise, and we didn’t have a room for her in the house. However, I’ll be sharing a blog soon that shows how I transformed a closet in this hallway into the cutest nursery you’ve ever seen!

Bonus Spaces

In this house, we had a detached building that we called the ‘outside kitchen.’ It featured a kitchen, living area, dining area, and a half bath. I completely made over this space as well! You can watch me makeover the space below.

And, of course, there’s the woodshop, where I spent so much time creating alongside all of you!

I hope you enjoyed touring our Louisiana Bayou house! While it was beautiful and I do miss some aspects of it, I don’t regret selling. I love our life here in Mississippi and look forward to creating new memories in our new home. I’ll leave you with pictures of my favorite part—the backyard. Yes, there are gators in that water!

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