Houzz Tour: Modern Style for a Massachusetts Blueberry Farm
This new nontraditional farmhouse blends modern and Asian influences for a family on a working berry farm
Camille LeFevre
June 14, 2017
Houzz Contributor. Arts journalist specializing in design and architecture. Former editor of Architecture Minnesota, editor of Innovative Design Quarterly, contributor to Midwest Home and HomeDish blog, contributor to Architect's Newspaper and author of the monograph Charles R. Stinson: Compositions in Nature. Have also written for Architect, ICON and Architectural Record. On my bucket list: Modernism Week in Palm Springs; happy to have done Modernism Week in Phoenix in 2017!! More at camillelefevre.org
Houzz Contributor. Arts journalist specializing in design and architecture. Former... More
Photos by Nat Rea
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple with three young children
Location: Lexington, Massachusetts
Size: About 5,000 square feet (465 square meters)
Architects: Colin Flavin of Flavin Architects and Ben Wood of Studio Shanghai
When the homeowners found this bucolic site on one of the last working blueberry farms in the area, they decided to build a new house while keeping the farm in production as an agricultural enterprise and a community resource for annual blueberry-picking celebrations.
The design of the house was a joint effort between architect Colin Flavin (a Houzz contributor) from Boston and architect Ben Wood from Shanghai, and was inspired by traditional courtyard houses in China. The house includes green features such as passive solar heat and native landscaping. The exterior is clad in stucco and natural wood in clear and stained finishes.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple with three young children
Location: Lexington, Massachusetts
Size: About 5,000 square feet (465 square meters)
Architects: Colin Flavin of Flavin Architects and Ben Wood of Studio Shanghai
When the homeowners found this bucolic site on one of the last working blueberry farms in the area, they decided to build a new house while keeping the farm in production as an agricultural enterprise and a community resource for annual blueberry-picking celebrations.
The design of the house was a joint effort between architect Colin Flavin (a Houzz contributor) from Boston and architect Ben Wood from Shanghai, and was inspired by traditional courtyard houses in China. The house includes green features such as passive solar heat and native landscaping. The exterior is clad in stucco and natural wood in clear and stained finishes.
The custom teak gate at the front entrance was imported from China. The lattice screen on the gate defines the entry and creates a sense of enclosure from the courtyard. The large overhangs extend the horizontality of the house and engage with the surrounding landscape. The flat roof was selected to reference the many midcentury homes in the surrounding neighborhood.
From the front entrance, the glass-lined walkway-solarium, which faces into the courtyard, leads to the kitchen and open-plan living spaces.
An L-shaped plan organizes the house. Extensive windows facing the courtyard are oriented south, taking advantage of the winter sun to help passively heat the home. The two-sided limestone fireplace divides the dining area, with its soaring, double-height ceiling, from the more intimate living area. Electronic roller shades let the family block sunlight or create privacy when desired.
The living room is a relaxed, modern space for the family to gather. Comfortable furnishings are juxtaposed with modern tables, while abstract artwork and floor coverings add graphic elements.
A kitchen pass-through to the dining area, the floor-to-ceiling windows and a clean, crisp white palette — created in part with Benjamin Moore’s Super White — are enhanced by white oak flooring in this serene, light-filled space.
In the kitchen, a large window lets in light and views. “It’s a very curated view of the outdoors and the blueberry farm and fields beyond,” Flavin says. The Italian-made Arrital Cucine cabinets and PentalQuartz countertops continue the clean aesthetic.
The kitchen also includes a nook for casual dining, with spacious views to the outdoors. Appliances are tucked into the cabinetry to further the kitchen’s clean modern aesthetic.
A media and family room upstairs features a wraparound deck with views of the farm.
The master bedroom and bathroom are also on the home’s second floor, and feature expansive windows to take in natural light and views. The wall tile is from Tile Showcase; the floor tile is from Ann Sacks. The master bath also includes a Wetstyle tub, a glass-walled shower and Bluform vanity cabinets with quartz countertops.
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Everything in this home is stunning and lovely. Each different room seems to have its own character and story.
Hey look, more white on white on white. Is that massive walkway/solarium heated & cooled? It seems like a giant-and costly-waste of space.