Inside a Renovated Farm House Designed to Respect its 1970s Classic Charm (Full Tour)

I think this project was influenced by the clients themselves, the stories they told about memories of being here, and just them explaining how important it was that we capture that. They never wanted to lose sight of what was here before. It was really, really important to them that we maintain the original charm and feel of the farm. Understanding what their vision was and their hopes and dreams for the space really helped us select materials and finishes that really resonated with them and kept the charm of the original farmhouse. My name is Patti from Patti Wilson Design, and welcome to the farm. We started this project in 2022, and what really resonated with me from the beginning was the clients' family values. This property has been in the family since the 1970s and was originally owned by my clients' parents. There was many challenges, specifically with the heating, the plumbing, and some structural that had to be repaired before we could even start to think about the pretty. When you walk into the home, you're greeted by this beautiful wood staircase. The level of detail on the stairs is absolutely beautiful and was an original vision that we had for the farm. To the right of the foyer is this grand space, which combines the kitchen, dining room, and living room. Working with our architectural engineer and also our structural engineer, we were able to raise the ceiling, as when you walked in the original space, it was really quite low and dark, and you really actually didn't get a chance to appreciate the grand fireplace. Now when you walk into the space, you have this grand ceiling, and you can really appreciate this gorgeous fireplace. One of the first things our clients asked us to address was the infrastructure. The heating system and the mechanical system. Because timber frame construction is the structure of the building, in order to insulate, we had to add new walls in front of the existing timber frame walls. This allowed us to address the heating issues, and so you'll see deep window sills throughout the house. We used some of the original materials from the beams on the ceiling, and we added it to this grand entranceway, which I think really speaks to the feel of a farm. In keeping with the feeling of the original farmhouse, we knew early on that we wanted to add a lot of texture and warmth, so we added this beautiful wood paneling. We also extended that wood paneling in the TNG on the ceiling and with wood beams. So it kind of created a little bit of a challenge when it came to the rest of the finishes in the kitchen. We didn't want to put wood on wood, and so we selected for the cabinetry a beautiful Farrow & Ball color called Mouse's Back, which is one of my absolute favorites. On the back range wall, we added this beautiful natural limestone, and we had the mason wire brush all of the mortar joints to give it that aged look like it had been there for years and years. One of the main focal points that we wanted to enhance was the views to the property, and we wanted to make sure that we could see that from every vantage point, really maximizing on the views of the property and the barn off to the left. We had many conversations about the fireplace, and it would have been just as easy to add a gas insert, but it was really important for my clients to maintain that feature. They had many memories of spending lots of times around a roaring fireplace, playing games and long conversations, and so it was a really important part of keeping the charm and character of the farm. My vision for this project always involved expanding on these magnificent views, and the way to do that was adding a three-season room. We have three walls of windows. We added a beautiful gas fireplace and also heated floors so that this room can be enjoyed all year long. Walking down the hallway, we have a guest bedroom on the left and bathroom, and then on the right, we have the principal bedroom and bathroom. In the principal bedroom, we had two original windows that we replaced with one large center window so that we could maximize those gorgeous views. My clients love to spend a lot of time outdoors, and so it was really important that they have a basement that functioned well for them and their family. They have three children, and they wanted three bedrooms so that each could have their own space. We added a small kitchenette for convenience so that coming out in the morning, they could pour their own cup of coffee and enjoy the sunrise. I wanted the basement to feel warm and cozy. We had a lot of natural light, and so it allowed me to use some warmer, darker, moody colors. There's been many enjoyable moments during this whole journey, the design process, and lots of laughs, even some tears every once in a while, but I think for me, the most enjoyable was really, really getting to know my clients. They are the kind of people that are extremely generous and genuine, and I'm so grateful to be able to call them my friends. The trust that clients put into us is priceless. It means so much to us that when we can work on a project together and we have a clear vision and we're working as a team, that the results just speak for themselves. We're just so incredibly grateful to be just a small part of the legacy and journey of this particular project and the history of this family.