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Houzz Tour: Contemporary Country Charm in Iowa
Limited square footage is offset by flexible design, careful planning and an expansive outdoor landscape
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
This 1,000-square-foot farmhouse in the countryside beyond Iowa City was designed for a young couple with a shared passion for local agriculture and contemporary architecture. After falling in love with this piece of land that they knew they could farm, Joanna and Geoff needed to find a simpatico architect who could help them marry the local aesthetic they loved with a simple and efficient contemporary style.
"Joanna saw a project of ours in a book and called to see if I knew any architects in their area. We had such a good time talking over the phone that I just knew that we'd find a way to work well together," says Seattle architect John DeForest. Before he knew it, he was making regular trips from the West Coast to the Midwest and getting to know the agrarian Iowa landscape.
"Having lived on the coast, I found the sweep of the Iowa landscape to be just stunning," says DeForest. "We spent a lot of time staking out the house footprint and testing different orientations so that we could get it just right." This included studying microclimates to maximize the home's efficiency, as well as choosing the views they would enjoy from bed, the dining table and the outdoor living areas. A lasting effect of the project is the passion it gave DeForest for collaborating with clients far beyond his home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Joanna and Geoff
Location: near Iowa City
Size: 1,000 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, work loft
"Joanna saw a project of ours in a book and called to see if I knew any architects in their area. We had such a good time talking over the phone that I just knew that we'd find a way to work well together," says Seattle architect John DeForest. Before he knew it, he was making regular trips from the West Coast to the Midwest and getting to know the agrarian Iowa landscape.
"Having lived on the coast, I found the sweep of the Iowa landscape to be just stunning," says DeForest. "We spent a lot of time staking out the house footprint and testing different orientations so that we could get it just right." This included studying microclimates to maximize the home's efficiency, as well as choosing the views they would enjoy from bed, the dining table and the outdoor living areas. A lasting effect of the project is the passion it gave DeForest for collaborating with clients far beyond his home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Joanna and Geoff
Location: near Iowa City
Size: 1,000 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, work loft
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| The trio immersed themselves in the region, touring local quarries, farms and salvage yards. "My clients appreciate modern design, but they also deeply admire the local building forms and traditions," says DeForest. "Through our homework process, we worked together to come up with a blend that built on tradition rather than reproducing or rejecting it." The home's form borrows heavily from the rural Iowa vernacular, right down to the exterior color and the window placed like a hayloft door. "From the exterior, the house appears as a classic form amid sweeping fields and surrounding woods," describes DeForest. |
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However, forms on the interior break with tradition. DeForest worked within the small footprint to create an open and light-filled interior, and he cleverly made the most of every inch. "In a small house, it is key for spaces to be flexible and serve multiple purposes," he explains. "For example, sliding fabric panels allow the sunporch to be used for dining, sitting or overflow sleeping, and a rolling section of kitchen counter can be detached for entertaining and wheeled into the dining area for serving."
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Local style came into play via new and salvaged materials freshened up and given new lives. These included remilled subflooring from a nearby Amish farmhouse slated for demolition, a salvaged laboratory sink (used in the bathroom), galvanized steel (used as a shower stall), red-stained plywood normally used for concrete formwork (used to make cabinets) and twin-wall greenhouse cladding (used to wrap around the work loft; note how the light comes through it).
A traditional quilt hung from the work loft adds a traditional touch to the décor.
A traditional quilt hung from the work loft adds a traditional touch to the décor.
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There wasn't any money in the budget for an elaborate custom ladder for the loft. "We decided to use materials available from the local hardware store and left over from the rest of construction," says DeForest. This connected the ladder visually with the rest of the home, as the bright red plywood stringer was used in the cabinets, and the the region outdoors, as the treads were short pieces of the flooring salvaged from a nearby Amish farmhouse.
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The open space is warmed up by wood accents, including maple plywood ceiling panels, which flow from the porch to the main room to the entry.
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| Wood accents continue down a slatted storage wall that divides the main living space from the master bedroom. "Geoff and Joanna wanted to avoid dividing the house up into cubicles of white wallboard; this wall creates an open, airy feeling without sacrificing privacy," he says. The plywood boxes can be rearranged depending on storage and display desires. To the right is an enclosed sunporch running the length of one side of the house. "The porch enjoys a sweeping view, so we wanted it to get as much use as possible," says DeForest. It backs up to the bedroom, so he created a panel wall made of fabric between the two. This allows the bedroom to be hidden from view during a dinner party, then opened up to the spectacular views of the sunporch after the guests are gone. |
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Here is the other side of the slatted wall, which contains the master bedroom. "Since this is mostly often a house for two, we designed the master bedroom to be close to the heart of the house," says DeForest. The wall keeps the room separate from the main living space without cutting it off completely.
Also, the room was oriented to enjoy sunset views and opens to the sunporch via the previously mentioned fabric panels. It extends far beyond the cantilevered work loft (seen here), leaving it open to a high ceiling covered in maple plywood.
Also, the room was oriented to enjoy sunset views and opens to the sunporch via the previously mentioned fabric panels. It extends far beyond the cantilevered work loft (seen here), leaving it open to a high ceiling covered in maple plywood.
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While galvanized steel is a common material in the area, it's rare to see it indoors, much less in a shower stall surround. "It was a bit of an experiment but has held up well. If it ever needs to be replaced, the old panels can just be unscrewed and new ones installed," says DeForest. The salvaged sink is from an old laboratory.
Completing this project opened DeForest up to the pros of designing from afar, and he's taken on many long-distance projects since. He's even opened a satellite office in Northern California. "Monitoring construction from a distance was actually easier in ways than a local project," he says. "Rather than making many site visits, the owners and contractor emailed photos regularly. I remember noting an error on an email one evening and being able to call the next morning to correct it before any more work had been done."
More:
Houzz Tour: Mobile Modern Farmhouse
Houzz Tour: Virginia Wine Country Cottage
10 Wonderful Farm Houses
Completing this project opened DeForest up to the pros of designing from afar, and he's taken on many long-distance projects since. He's even opened a satellite office in Northern California. "Monitoring construction from a distance was actually easier in ways than a local project," he says. "Rather than making many site visits, the owners and contractor emailed photos regularly. I remember noting an error on an email one evening and being able to call the next morning to correct it before any more work had been done."
More:
Houzz Tour: Mobile Modern Farmhouse
Houzz Tour: Virginia Wine Country Cottage
10 Wonderful Farm Houses
Comments
roxanns1 Would love to see the loft.
15 months ago · Like
dkdevine Love the ship's ladder...where was it made?
15 months ago · Like
kayathouzz Any chance to see the floor plan and/or dimensions? Looks spacious for 1000 sq. ft....
15 months ago · Like
sochijava Inspiring space, I love it. Especially love the ceilings - I wonder how maple plywood panels compare in cost to other wood ceiling options.
15 months ago · Like
David Hursh The maple plywood ceiling panels on the gabled loft ceiling, can that somehow be put on over an existing drywall loft ceiling?
15 months ago · Like
Sharmini Berwick I could see this house in the mountains of Colorado. It's a great ski house design!
15 months ago · Like
krissyb92603 Gorgeous! Love that this is just outside of my hometown and is a collaboration with a Seattle architect (where I currently live). Lovely modern interpretation of a traditional Iowa farmhouse. Well done!
15 months ago · Like
CAROLE MEYER This is just a wonderful looking home....the view and the simplicity...love it.
15 months ago · Like
T. Duffy and Associates.com This is. Great home, will be a future classic, like Johnson's glass house.
15 months ago · Like
Erin Lang Norris What a strikingly gorgeous home, it's so welcoming and serene. I'm sure your guests feel at home, and smile often, from the moment they step in! Great job. I love the bathroom sink and the windows in the sunroom.
15 months ago · Like
nelsonke Yea! Finally, a home from Iowa featured on Houzz--love it!
15 months ago · Like
Becky Harris Nelson I'd love to see more Iowa homes - let me know if you know of any that are ready for their close ups :)
15 months ago · Like
mouming Thank you Becky for the nice article, and to the commenters for your kind words. John DeForest was truly our Sherpa through the entire process, and remains a dear friend. Needless to say, we recommend him highly! There should be a loft picture on the Dwell website. Use the search term "Farm Fresh". (Geoff and Joanna)
15 months ago · Like
mouming To answer a couple of comments: Our maple ply ceiling is installed over drywall. The drywall is painted black, to suggest depth behind the surface. It is laid (layed? lain?) in a brick lay pattern, with half inch reveals. And, other Iowa houses. For one, google the Butler Mansion in Des Moines--a Streamline Moderne masterpiece. Frank Lloyd Wright's Cedar Rock in Quasqueton, Iowa, is a Usonian gem. Ray Crites was based in Iowa, and a search of his name should reveal some Iowa residences (Seiberling, Shive, and Crites homes). Mason City is home to the only surviving, and lovingly restored Park Inn Hotel by Wright, and that city's Rock Glen neighborhood is a Prairie School masterpiece.
15 months ago · Like
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libralady are some or all of the windows, H Windows?
15 months ago · Like
Becky Harris Thanks for your answers mouming! A lot of us are very jealous of your beautiful and relaxing home.
15 months ago · Like
mouming libralady: All of the windows are H windows. The only glass that is not an H window is the sliding door near the wood stove in the living room. H windows are all made to order, so we specified windows that resemble old fashioned double hung, but open awning style and rotate completely for cleaning. They're very sturdy and provide great protection from frigid Iowa winters--we strongly endorse them!
15 months ago · Like
Elisa Edkins_Proctor I love the modern architecture, the wonderful natural light in that gorgeous setting.
15 months ago · Like
nasafemme Lovely home. I live in the woods and miss the sweeping views an Iowa farmhouse affords.
15 months ago · Like
Bob R Simply brilliant! 10 out of 10, this is proof that square feet don't make more living space, just more area to clean and maintain. A Zen experience out where they've never closed a drape, I don't see how they could enjoy life more with this dream home.
14 months ago · Like
Ideabook published on Feb. 18, 2012.
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