PHOTOS: Inside Trading Spaces' Carter Oosterhouse and Amy Smart's Michigan Farmhouse

The TLC star and his actress wife opened the doors of their 100-year-old eclectic summer home to PEOPLE.
By Emily Strohm
October 25, 2018 11:46 AM

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At Home with Amy Smart and Carter Oosterhouse

Credit: Paul Costello

The married couple, who share daughter Flora, 1, spend most of their time at their home in Los Angeles. But in the summers, they retreat to their 100-year-old farmhouse in Traverse City, Michigan. "We love being here," says Smart. "You're surrounded by nature, and it's so serene. We really find our peace and harmony in this setting."

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Kitchen Overhaul

Credit: PAUL COSTELLO

The Trading Spaces carpenter and his actress wife transformed their kitchen by adding a subway-tile backsplash and replacing bulky cabinets with open shelving made from reclaimed barn wood. “I bring the older, more mature pieces, and Amy brings in the finesse,” says Oosterhouse.

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Muted Decor

Credit: Paul Costello

“This is where we chill out,” says Oosterhouse, who has decorated the living room with neutral colors and streamlined furniture. “[We] have friends over and just hang out.”

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Entertaining Space

Credit: Paul Costello

Vintage books are displayed on the living room console. “We don’t have a television in here,” says Smart. “We like to read or play backgammon and have a glass of wine.”

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A Table of Love

Credit: Paul Costello

In their dining area, the center of the space is the modern fireplace. “Amy picked the tile, and I found the wooden beam in a barn,” says Oosterhouse. “In the winter everyone congregates here.”

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A Future Home

Credit: Paul Costello

Oosterhouse says he could see their family moving to Michigan permamently one day. Both he and Smart have ties to the smal town—he was born and raised in Traverse City, and she summered there with her family as a kid. Either way, he says, “this place will always be in our lives,” adding, “To see your daughter run around with the people you went to school with and their kids, it puts a huge smile on my face.”

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Wining and Dining

The couple also own the Bonobo Winery, located nearby, with Oosterhouse’s brother Todd. The vineyard produces some 6,000 cases of wine per year. “It’s been a labor of love,” says Oosterhouse. The winery is open to the public and hosts regular tastings

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