French Farmhouse

Megan Runion brings her signature style home to Greenville, South Carolina

Megan with one of her “girls.” “Sometimes the best part of our day is in the backyard with our pups and chicks.”

In the South, a front porch is a must-have, and specifically, a front porch with a haint blue ceiling. Megan and John begin their mornings there together.

To spend time with Megan Runion in her home in Greenville, South Carolina, is to be treated to a sensorial and soulful experience. From squawking chickens and barking dogs to the scent of lavender from her French-inspired garden, Megan and John Runion’s renovated farmhouse is the true embodiment of their lives together, filled with abundant love, respect for the land and animals, and most of all, an inviting space to gather with cherished friends and family.

Megan started the blog For All Things Lovely in 2012 as a way to document her passion for fashion and lifestyle. She also has chronicled her home renovation and continues to inspire her more than 230K Instagram followers with artistic photos of her home and life. Perhaps it’s a coat closet that she and John converted into a beautiful bar with an antique table against a moody greenish-black painted wall, or a centerpiece crafted of woods and greens she collected from her yard that now adorns her dining table.

The Inspired Home Journal spent the day with Megan and John at their home in Greenville. Megan spoke with us about her carefully curated French farmhouse style, and the very intentional building of their lives and their home together.

IHJ: Thank you so much for opening up your beautiful home to us. It seems like this house was made for you and your husband. Can you tell us a bit about why you chose this particular home in Greenville?

Megan Runion: John and I are both from South Carolina, and we met in Greenville. Our families are mostly here, so it made sense. In our house search, we knew we wanted the character of an old home. Although we added onto the existing house, we wanted to keep as much of the original home as we could—the bones and the detail that made us fall in love with it. The old, solid wood doors with brass door knobs, the original hardwood floors, the rusted hardware beside the windows where the shutters used to be, and the naturally aged chimney were all things that most people would get rid of that really spoke to our idea of what we wanted our home to be. Also, we loved the yard and size of the lot. We immediately saw the potential for summer night family dinners and early morning coffee with our chickens running around the backyard. Being outside— soaking up the sunshine, with our animals, planting and gardening—it all feeds our soul.

IHJ: What are some of your favorite things about Greenville and the community here? mr: Being close to our vibrant downtown was so important to us—it’s where we work and where we play. And we love that each house in our neighborhood has its own character; we love that it’s so family oriented and we’re so excited to eventually raise a family here. And last, but definitely not least, we love that everyone drives around in golf carts!

MR: Being close to our vibrant downtown was so important to us– it's where we work and where we play. And we love that each house in our neighborhood has its own character; we love that it's so family oriented and we're so excited to eventually raise a family here. And last but definitely not least, we love that everyone drives around in golf carts!

IHJ: What are a couple of favorite memories that you’ve had in your home?

MR: We’ve only lived here a year and a half and already have so many! I will say one of my favorite memories was waking up the first morning we slept here. Each room was full of boxes, nothing was unpacked, and we slept with a single blanket on top of our mattress, but I woke up with tears in my eyes and the biggest smile on my face—my heart felt so full. All of our hard work and endless decision making finally paid off and it just felt right.

Aside from that specific memory, we live for gathering friends and family around our table. Cooking, endless conversation and laughter, and simply making the most of every moment. Everything from John’s surprise 30th birthday party to an easy, weeknight dinner with our best friends— we celebrate it all.

IHJ: Do you have any summer traditions in your home?

MR: Summer is easily our favorite time of year—windows open throughout the house, planting and working in the yard all day, and grilling every night—it’s how we live our best life together. My biggest “want” when designing our outdoor area was a long farmhouse table we could gather around. We even extended our deck to make it happen. John and I designed and built our entire patio on our own, from start to finish. We planted all of our favorite things around it and put a fire pit right in the middle surrounded by oyster shells. We have happy hour on the patio, complete with pups and chickens running around the backyard. Our little outdoor area is a work in progress for sure, but one of the happiest places in the world for us.

Megan designed the entryway to establish the inviting tone of the home. Since the space flows directly into the living room, she created a defined and functional entryway by adding a large mirror and concrete benches.

The light and airy living room, is fully enjoyed by the Runion’s dog Gibson, and is the perfect spot on a beautiful spring day to indulge in a little rosè.

Balance means: Working hard, but knowing when to call it a day. Being strong but vulnerable. Taking care of yourself so you can love others better."

Another look at the cozy front porch.

A closet turned home bar. “We both grew up in homes that were full of antiques and sentimental pieces. We filled our home with a lot of those hand-me-downs that brought us comfort and love.”

IHJ: You and John seem very much in love. What do you think are the most important factors in a healthy marriage?

MR: Everyone preaches trust and communication in a relationship and those things are so, so important. However, to us, the most important thing in a marriage is simply choosing each other, always. We love to be together. I don’t want to experience anything without John; I want him there for the big things and the little things. We constantly try to ‘outdo’ each other and are intentional about making sure the other feels loved.

IHJ: What are your favorite qualities about John and what do you think he’d say about you?

MR: I think both of our answers would be each other’s heart. For me, I love and feel things so deeply, and John loves and appreciates that about me. He trusts my intuition and loves that I constantly cultivate our relationships with our family and friends. I love that he has the most giving and servant heart and would do anything for anyone, always. His actions always speak louder than his words. He can do anything, fix anything, and he’s such a hard worker.

IHJ: What does balance mean to you?

MR: It’s knowing how to proportion the different areas of your life with the right things so that it doesn’t fall apart. Working hard, but knowing when to call it a day and focus on what feeds your soul. Being strong, but vulnerable. Holding on to people tight, but also trusting your gut when it tells you to let go. Ordering a salad with a side of french fries! Taking care of yourself, so you can love others better. Making mistakes that teach us lessons. Knowing when to let yourself rest and when to hustle. Breaking down so you can break through.

Megan’s one request for the master bath was a big, beautiful soaking tub that became the focal point of the bathroom.

“We live for gathering friends and family around our table. Cooking, endless conversation and laughter, and simply making the most of every moment.”

The master bedroom serves as the perfect little escape.

IHJ: Tell us about the chicken coop!

MR: Our chicken coop is a labor of love, to say the least. For months, we poured our time, hearts, and souls into creating a safe and beautiful home for our girls. Sometimes the best part of our day is in the backyard with our pups and chicks, so we wanted to make sure it was a space we longed to live in at the end of the day.

IHJ: Our team is based in the Midwest and we always hear about Southern hospitality. What does that mean to you?

MR: Southern hospitality is a way of life. Saying thank you and holding a door open might seem like a ‘good deed’ to others, but it just comes naturally to Southerners. We don’t overthink it—manners and kind gestures are how were were raised and how we raise our own.

IHJ: You’ve mentioned that you and John are drawn to the French Farmhouse look. Where did this inspiration come from?

MR: We both grew up in homes that were full of antiques and sentimental pieces. Since we got married at such a young age and couldn’t afford much, we filled our home with a lot of those hand-me-downs that brought us comfort and love. Together, we developed a love for sourcing our own antiques and pieces we truly loved. It turned out that every single time we found something we couldn’t live without, it’s been a vintage, French piece. We started gravitating towards that culture and lifestyle and made ourselves well versed in understanding what that looked like when it came to our home decor.

We’ve incorporated that into our outdoor living as well—we’ve been really intentional about filling our yard with French herbs and flowers. The farmhouse lifestyle was something that really developed when we moved into “the lovely cottage.” When we decided to have chickens of our own, it really gave meaning to our French Farmhouse decor.

Megan Runion’s blog can be found at forallthingslovely.com. You can also follow here on instagram @meganrunionmcr and @thelovelycottage.