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Houzz Tour: Contemporary Farmhouse in Rural Vermont
Modern furnishings, bright and airy spaces and pared-down interiors make up a family's home in northern Vermont
Architect Rolf Kielman has reinterpreted the rural Vermont farmhouse by expressing how his clients live, work and use the space today. The house rejects the typical New England building tradition that consists of "big house, back house and barn" and instead has the structural order of garage/apartment, big house and work studio. The farmhouse doesn't make too much of an effort to blend in with its surroundings; instead, its architects chose to make a home that's "obviously man-made."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their 3 kids, 2 of whom are in college and come in and out of the home
Location: Northern Vermont
Size: 2,900 square feet
That's interesting: The homeowners' architect officiated at their wedding.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their 3 kids, 2 of whom are in college and come in and out of the home
Location: Northern Vermont
Size: 2,900 square feet
That's interesting: The homeowners' architect officiated at their wedding.
| Here we see from left to right the work studio, where both clients work full-time, and the main house plus the garage structure/apartment, which is connected to the main entrance of the house. The house is a revolving door of kids going and coming for extended visits. This picture shows how the home is surrounded by a forest in the north and a meadow in the south. Only a few homes populate the area, and the nearest paved road is about a mile away. The self-containment of the house doesn't bother Kielman's clients one bit, because they have everything they need for work and play within the home. |
| Kielman's clients wanted to be able to move between the indoors and outdoors with the same ease as they moved through the main house and its different sections. "My favorite part of the home is not actually the home itself but the enclosed outdoor space that's shaped by the arrangement of the three modest building forms and the easy connection each of those forms have to the outside," says Kielman. Fireplace: Nestor Martin RH 35, Fiamma Fireplaces |
Many of this home's environmental features are actually drawn from common-sense traditional strategies employed throughout the region: The orientation of the home is to the south (this image) and the open meadow. The woods to the north protect the house from the cold northwest wind and also provide cool, nighttime air.
Durable exterior materials include corrugated steel siding that has a baked white enamel finish. In lieu of wood trim, Kielman used a composite material trim made from recycled milk bottles and other plastic products combined with waste wood material; this trim is used throughout the exterior and in the area of windows and the entry (this image).
Virtually indestructible polished concrete is the flooring of choice for the well-trafficked entryway.
| A close inspection of the interiors shows iconic modern furnishings in the dining and living areas, which really drive home the point: Although the home's architecture is linked to New England building traditions, the interior design and use of sustainable materials and methods unabashedly breaks with its past. The shadows cast by the windows connecting the indoors to the outdoors tell you two things: All the window widths in the house are uniform in size, and natural light is a frequent, welcome guest in a home that sees very short days in the wintertime. |
| There's no need for family and friends to belly up to the kitchen island; the open floor plan and proximity of the dining room table and living area makes everything feel close and intimate. Kielman's clients and their kids (when they're in town) move just as easily through this space as they do through the different parts of the home. |
| A vase of citrus fruits warms up the stark kitchen, and a backsplash that runs across the full rectangular wall repeats the avocado-green accents throughout the house. A tall standing sculpture adds interest to a small corner, bridging the kitchen to a hallway that leads to the powder room. Backsplash: Waveline Glass Tile, Reed, Best Tile; countertop: Silestone, Nightmist; sculpture: Leslie Fry; cabinetry: Akurum base with Applad white fronts, Ikea |
Double sinks on the floating countertop repeat the strong rectangular shapes and clean lines of the ceiling transom windows, niches and countertop surfaces of the bathroom. Storage under the sink is displaced to a frameless cabinet and vanity nearby.
Sinks: St. Thomas Miro; backsplash: Vihara recycled glass, Sonoma Tilemakers and Silk Jade, Best Tile
Sinks: St. Thomas Miro; backsplash: Vihara recycled glass, Sonoma Tilemakers and Silk Jade, Best Tile
| This casually dressed bedroom makes a powerful statement in paring down a space to its essential parts. The homeowners chose to focus on necessary items: art for the soul, modern furniture that works hard for the room, Vermont-grown select maple flooring on which bare and stockinged feet can tread, and a furry feline that adds warmth to a spartan space. |
Comments
Becky Harris I love it, but for the life of me I cannot figure out what their favorite color must be...
12 months ago · Like
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Amy Lorraine Although I'm a firm believer in "to each his own", it seems to me this is another example of city moving to the country because they like the country and bringing the stark, cold, empty city with them. :(
12 months ago · Like
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kmnstudios Does anyone know what kind/brand of windows were used for this house?
12 months ago · Like
stevehorn I'm green with envy...
12 months ago · Like
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prray1 Clean and lovely. Any information re: flooring throughout home?
12 months ago · Like
Rosalie Katzman_Wieldt I agree with Amy; i wouldn't call this a country house; too stark and cold.
12 months ago · Like
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Sharon Barnard Absolutely love the contrast of "city living" in the rural surround...love everything but the cat!
12 months ago · Like
morrisk01 To each his own. I don't think it's stark and cold...I think it's beautiful. Some of us LOVE sparse furniture and clean lines. Clutter muddles my mind!
12 months ago · Like
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Bowden Carroll Design I am having a severe attack of shelf envy. That wall of shelving running through the kitchen, dining area and living room is simple and stylish and functional.
12 months ago · Like
myosotis I agree with Amy.
12 months ago · Like
brendalarrywallen BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!
12 months ago · Like
dsevy This is magnificent. The architect and his clients have created a beautiful living space. I would be happy to move in with them.
12 months ago · Like
Lauren Donaldson All the natural light is just magnificent in this space. And the finishes are just beautiful. What a lovely home!
12 months ago · Like
no1hoppy What a beautiful house outside to be so cold and empty on the inside
12 months ago · Like
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tinacvt Cold and stark? I prefer to think of it as minimal.
12 months ago · Like
morgana44 I grew up in Ticonderoga...just across the lake from Vermont and I remember the freezing winters and eight feet of snow. We had two stoves that could barely keep the rooms warm during the winter. And so I wonder if they have in floor heating and super insulation to keep them warm. But I do remember the wonderful country views and the deer standing in the drifts in the early hours of the morning. This house looks comfy with great views..
12 months ago · Like
sunfish10 Love the clean! Country doesn't have to be cute , cluttered or crude.
12 months ago · Like
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leftfoot120 I love the house. To me not stark and cold but clean and uncluttered. And I'm not usually a fan of so much white! My only change would be to make the windows in the bedroom bigger.
10 months ago · Like
sydneygrace I don't like it. So blah. Hate the dining table and chairs. looks cheap. Just not my taste.
10 months ago · Like
hollybegonia Why do people who obviously dislike modern decor--who think that it's cold and empty--find it necessary to foist this opinion on those of us who love it? I consistently find remarks like this in the comments for modern and contemporary homes. If you don't like this style, folks, why look at these tours? There are plenty of other styles for you to enjoy.
8 months ago · Like
Ideabook updated on May 30, 2012.
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