House Tour: Country Clever

Elegant white ironstone and other vintage dishes act like art in the dining room. "There's no point in collecting if I have to put it all in a closet," homeowner Andrea Dickerson says. To expand display space, she and her husband, Eugene, built shelves (17 inches tall and 13 inches deep) to fit their collectibles.Modern dining chairs contrast a salvaged bench and a farm table made by Eugene. Andrea pulls the styles together by sticking to a tight color palette.Chairs Modern Stacking. Target. target.com Paint (Shelving and walls) OC-118 Snowfall White. Benjamin Moore. benjaminmoore.com Rug Overstock.com 

A ragged picture of a farmhouse hung on the refrigerator in Andrea's suburban California home for five years before the avid collector and her family finally moved to an 1890 farmhouse in Nebraska. "I'd always dreamed of living in an old farmhouse," Andrea says. "I like their charm and the fact that so many people have lived there through the years."Andrea and her husband preserved the home's character but painted trimwork, walls and cabinetry white to make tiny rooms feel light and open. Flea-market bargains, like salvaged demijohns and wire trivets, star as accessories and art.

On the wraparound porch, a painted farm table and wire chairs with new cushions echo the interior. A weathered windmill tail propped against the porch wall becomes uncommon art.

The kitchen's original dark wood cabinets made the 10x12-foot room feel even more cramped. "I couldn't bring myself to tear them out, so I painted them all white," Andrea says. "That helped open up the space," as did removing doors from upper cabinets flanking the window.A 39x19-inch island conceals recycling and trash cans on the sink side. A new apron-front sink, modern faucet and butcher-block counter meld with the country character.Backsplash tile White 3x6-inch subway tile. Daltile. daltile.com Dishwasher Built-in dishwasher with hidden controls. GE. geappliances.com Faucet Fresco Prerinse. Giagni. giagni.com Paint (On cabinetry) CC-10 Ultra White. (On island) OC-52 Gray Owl. Benjamin Moore. benjaminmoore.com Perimeter countertop Ikea. ikea.com Sink Farmer apron-front fireclay single bowl. Pegasus. Home Depot. homedepot.com

A dresser scored for $50 gains new life as a bathroom vanity. The Dickersons cut a hole in top for the sink and in back for plumbing. Enamel paint for wood and metal protects the dresser from moisture.Faucet Moen. moen.com Paint (On dresser) IronClad latex low-lustre metal and wood enamel, color: OC-52 Gray Owl. (On wall) 926 Seashell. Benjamin Moore.  benjaminmoore.com Sink AquaSource white drop-in round bathroom sink with overflow. Lowe's. lowes.com

A wooden drying rack on the wall and a large spool of twine serve as photo holders.

Hanging kids' art from clothespins makes it easy to switch out.

Want to get the look of this Nebraska farmhouse? Our farmhouse-fresh picks help create a country-chic look. Check them out here.