Colonial Farmhouse
This restoration and renovation of an early-19th century farmhouse showcases NMA’s unique ability to weave distinctly contemporary elements into the fabric of traditional buildings. NMA’s exterior work restores the original building shell while adding a period-correct entry porch and screen porch and two understated stone terraces. The interior renovation is more extensive, subtly transforming existing kitchen, dining, and library spaces on the first floor and providing the owners with a serene, private bedroom suite at the second.
The kitchen and dining areas respond to the challenge of a long, narrow space by concentrating cooking and storage functions within floor-to-ceiling millwork of reclaimed oak. Sliding oak panels conceal the stove side of the kitchen for a tidier look between meals. The linear kitchen island tops reclaimed-chestnut cabinetry with a dark-stained concrete counter that incorporates an integral concrete sink. An inset vertical panel of onyx clads the island’s center section, matching the full-height onyx backsplash that lines the stove recess. Schist tile flooring ties the kitchen with the dining area, which gains definition from a distinctive Lindsey Adelman chandelier. Custom chestnut bookcases line one wall of the adjacent library, extending the millwork motif from kitchen.
Like the first floor design, the owner’s suite above reflects NMA’s city-bred skill at making small spaces feel large. A wall of Shaker-like painted cabinetry provides the bedroom with ample clothing storage. Reclaimed-chestnut millwork in the home office and bathroom tuck under sloping ceilings, making use of otherwise marginal space. White marble lines the bathroom walls, sink counter and tub deck, expanding the room’s perceived volume. Throughout the project, NMA’s design finds common ground between the original building’s 19th century austerity and the similarly restrained modernist and Japanese aesthetics. The result is a house that retains its original character while elegantly meeting contemporary expectations of convenience and comfort, and without resorting to historical imitation.
Photographer: Paul Teeling
