I have a friend I’m dying to tell you about! Becca and I met in college (go dawgs!) and she’s doing some pretty amazing things.
After college, Becca and her husband felt called to move right into the inner city of Atlanta to be a light and a help to the people there. They picked up their tiny family, left the safety and comfort of the suburbs and put down roots right in the middle of the fray – literally right in the middle of one of the most crime-infected, highest-poverty zip codes in Atlanta – to be full-time urban missionaries and run a mentoring program for kiddos at the local elementary school.
The story is so inspiring to me: leaving “it” all behind to go and do something. Not waiting until their kids were a certain age or they made a certain income or reached retirement. Just going, right now.
It’s also inspiring because right there, in the inner city of Atlanta, Becca and Adam bought a house that needed some help, and they have created an absolute haven in a neighborhood that really needs a safe place.
Wanna see, wanna see? 🙂
Let’s start with the master bedroom. Totally a normal place to start a house tour.
Becca’s husband Adam created this plank wall, and the headboard was actually salvaged from their own house during their renovation. (GAH. That is so romantic and beyond cool.)
Another look at that incredible headboard:
This is a Katie Daisy print (the same artist who created the print over Mila’s crib) which Becca literally taped to the wall with washi tape and hung behind a thrift store frame. (Brillz!)
The curtains are made from drop cloths and you know those bamboo shades are where it’s at.
Becca, by the way, is an amazingly talented photographer. She took the pic on my about page of Andy and me with Weston in our lap, and also my little profile pic on the top left of my site. She also took this amazing picture of the Atlanta skyline and hung it in a vintage frame over this dresser. She handwrote the numbers on the knobs with a gold pen. I pretty much need that yellow shape thingy.
This tiny, sweet little canvas hangs between her windows and came from this etsy shop.
On to the main living area! This is what the kitchen looked like before.
Who’s feeling inspired now?! hahahaha.
But look what they did with it!
Yes WAY.
Becca says it works perfectly for making big meals and hanging out with huge groups of neighborhood kiddos who take over their house on a regular basis.
The walls are Sherwin Williams Tame Teal and the cabinets are Sherwin Williams Passive Gray. (How hectic does your life have to be to choose paint colors whose names are “tame” and “passive?”)
The countertops cost them “free dollars” – they came from some old butcher block tables Becca and Adam found at an industrial warehouse and had sanded down. They used the same butcher block tables for the open shelving.
That photo of those glorious open shelves is an extreme, imminent danger to my upper kitchen cabinets.
Let’s just have a little chat about these lights for a minute, because come on.
They found these old egg baskets at an antique store and hung them up with a pendant light kit. Bam: awesomeness.
The concrete bar top was a DIY project and the wooden corbels were made my Becca’s crafty father-in-law.
We all need a barn door in our lives, truth?
Ignore the “happy thanksgiving.” That’s just how long it’s taken me to finally share these pics with you. #BloggerOfTheYear. Although, feel free to have a happy thanksgiving this year as well.
And now, friends, I’m so excited to introduce you this DIY driftwood chandelier!
I know. It kills me too with all it’s awesome glory. Becca’s husband made that for her as a Christmas present!
This is what Becca’s dining room looks like most of the time:
Don’t you love that?
And one bonus vignette from their living room.
You can read more about what Becca and Adam are up to on her blog, or check out their ministry Blueprint 58.
What’s your favorite spot in her house? Anyone have a nice pile of driftwood they’d like to donate to my new Must-Have-that-Chandelier Fund?
Hi, I'm Kelly. Glad you're here! This little blog is where I chronicle our efforts to fix up our beaten-down home on a tiny budget. We're not there yet, but here's a peek at the view along the way...
That gave me goose bumps. It’s so inspiring to see people that are passionate about a cause and go to extreme measures to accomplish something. Love their home and especially their DIY light fixtures.
Thanks for Sharing our house and story sweet friend! 🙂 also I apologize for the fact I don’t have myself more together to send you pictures from more than just 2 rooms in our house haha! 🙂 ps- I’m pretty sure our chalkboard still says “happy thanksgiving” 🙂
Your friends sound great….and, humanitarian work aside, I love to see people fixing up those lovely old houses :). If I hang out with you, will this awesome light fixture making ability that you and everyone you know seems to have rub off on me? ;). Oh, and we went to the same college. Woof.
this home is AMAZING!!!!! love it! the kitchen is my favorite!
What a great story, and such a pretty and happy house filled with love!
LOVE this! Thanks for sharing. Especially am in love with the kitchen – pinned it! I’m going to spend some time at their sites later today!
First off, they sound like an amazing family! So inspiring! Secondly, the kitchen! Sorry, I don’t usually use so many exclamation marks. But. The kitchen! I love those shelves.
Inspiring. Their house AND their story….
Beautiful home that you can tell is filled with love. How inspiring!
These sweet, selfless people choose to be your friends – so that says a lot about your character as well. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
What an amazing story! And a beautiful house to go with it! That is just incredibly inspiring!
Very inspiring story and home. Wonderful people~~Angela
Beautiful story. Beautiful home. Beautiful people.
Loved everything about this post! Their home, their ministry, their story… what an inspiration!
Wow. Beautiful story and beautiful home to match. Thanks for sharing!
oh wowzers. those are some awesome people… and you love that yellow thing because it reminds me of your laundry light!! 🙂
What an amazing house and an amazing family! Their eye for upcycling is spot on– everything looks great! I also love that they followed their calling with no excuses! If only more of us were bold enough to do that! Thanks for sharing their story and their space! Have a great week, Kelly!
~Abby =)
Wow…what an amazing couple. The people in that area are so incredibly lucky to have them. And what a great reminder to just go for it…sometimes doing the “uncomfortable” thing is the best thing. Thanks for sharing, Kelly!
PS. I voted for you, too! Love your style and blog! 😉 Jesse @ Scout & Nimble
Wowwwww…. Incredible! Love their story and their kitchen. Any idea of the industrial warehouse where they got that butcher block counter? This Atlanta girl has been looking for somethign JUST like that!!!
Great tour:)
LOVE this….truly. My sister-in-law and brother have a ministry working with youth, too! And that driftwood chandelier….seriously.
Off to check out her blog!
Have a great day rock star!
karianne
How awesome are they?! I love that they’re living the life they really want RIGHT NOW. Cool pad as well.
Love it all! Thanks for sharing!!!
It’s nice to read about people who are making a difference in their community. (And stylish, too!)
What an amazing transformation! I love the bright and cheery kitchen and I really want my own personal barn door. God bless Becca and Adam’s work in the inner city of Atlanta!
What an absolutely beautiful home (love all of the rustic design elements) and a beautiful story of following God’s call into ministry…no matter where it takes you or when it comes. Makes me think of some of our close friends who just moved to one of the poorest parts of Bangladesh to serve as missionaries. They have a 4 year old boy, 2 year old girl, and just announced they’re pregnant with baby #3. Now THAT takes major trust…and I’m both challenged and inspired by our friends and by your friend, Becca and Adam. Thanks for sharing this with us!
Shut up. What an inspiring story and what an amazing home! I adore their kitchen…and barn door…and everything!
I’m humbled by their awesomeness. Truly. And such a lovely home create by two truly lovely people!
🙂 Linda
This is amazing. Such an inspiring space and an amazing family.
Girl all your commenters are the best . . . their kind words and encouragement totally made my day (or week or longer for sure) 🙂 thanks for sharing again!!!!
Wow, amazing!
Wow, we live in Athens (so I double the go dawgs) but I see all the crime on the Atlanta news everyday. It takes a special couple to be able to do this. And to have such an amazingly decorated house at the same time!
My goodness. I finally realized why I enjoy reading your blog so much. #GoDawgs. Oh, and also the ministry stuff. And the fantastic design stuff. That stuff helps.