Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Retirees Follow Vineyard Dreams With a Hillside Farmhouse
Being closer to family and growing grapes for wine drove this 5-bedroom new build in the Virginia countryside
When a couple of medical professionals (she was a nurse, he a radiologist) planned their retirement, they planned big lifestyle changes. They were living and working in Indianapolis but wanted to be closer to their children and grandchildren in the Washington, D.C., area, and they wanted to grow grapes for wine. They found 25 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains, close to the West Virginia border and about a 75-minute drive from D.C., and built a new farm that enjoys the right conditions for grapes and spectacular views.
Farm life in the Blue Ridge Mountains is quite different from the life they led in Indianapolis. "When we were planning out the closet spaces, the husband told me all he needed were four hooks for four pairs of jeans," says architect Stephen Vanze of Barnes Vanze Architects. "They planned on becoming serious farmers, and now they are."
Here's how he designed a farm compound to nestle into the mountains as if it has been there for generations.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired couple whose children and grandchildren live nearby
Location: Bluemont, Virginia
Size: 5 bedrooms (2 unfinished) on 25 acres
Farm life in the Blue Ridge Mountains is quite different from the life they led in Indianapolis. "When we were planning out the closet spaces, the husband told me all he needed were four hooks for four pairs of jeans," says architect Stephen Vanze of Barnes Vanze Architects. "They planned on becoming serious farmers, and now they are."
Here's how he designed a farm compound to nestle into the mountains as if it has been there for generations.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired couple whose children and grandchildren live nearby
Location: Bluemont, Virginia
Size: 5 bedrooms (2 unfinished) on 25 acres
"The first time my clients took me up the mountain, it was obvious where the house should be sited," Vanze says. Now it sits on the hillside at the edge of the forest, with vast views of the fields of grapes, the mountains and the valley.
Clusters of buildings within large farms are common in the region. Vanze's instinct was to break the design into pieces that emulated one of these compounds. The red barn serves as a garage on the top level and stores tractors and other farm equipment below. A stonemason created the foundation from indigenous rock.
Within the compound, the garage-barn is to the left, connected to the main living spaces via an open breezeway. The main bedroom suite is located in a separate structure connected via an enclosed breezeway on the right.
Graham Landscape Architects worked on the siting and the creation of this entry court.
Graham Landscape Architects worked on the siting and the creation of this entry court.
HardiePlank cut to resemble board and batten siding, a front porch, white paint and a black metal roof are nods to the region's rural architecture.
"As you approach the house from the entry court, the view is completely hidden," Vanze says. Once you're through the front door, the entire valley is revealed through a 40-foot-wide floor-to-ceiling glass wall in the main living space.
A long hallway along the front porch also serves as a gallery for the couple's large book collection. A beadboard ceiling adds to the farmhouse style.
Vanze designed the living spaces around the view. The living room area and attached deck are for with relaxing with the grandchildren after working in the vineyard.
The fireplace surround is made of three fieldstone pieces chosen by the stonemason, and on the other side is an outdoor fireplace the family can enjoy while out on the deck. The floors were reclaimed from a tobacco barn.
The fireplace surround is made of three fieldstone pieces chosen by the stonemason, and on the other side is an outdoor fireplace the family can enjoy while out on the deck. The floors were reclaimed from a tobacco barn.
The couple's interest in growing grapes stems from their knowledge of gourmet food and wine. The hearth on the kitchen fireplace is counter height so they can use it for cooking.
Large windows with transoms keep the view to the valley open from the kitchen, dining and family room space. A breakfast nook in the corner and a dining area (just out of sight on the right) have great views, too.
Cabinets: pine; counters; Absolute Black granite; floors: slate
Large windows with transoms keep the view to the valley open from the kitchen, dining and family room space. A breakfast nook in the corner and a dining area (just out of sight on the right) have great views, too.
Cabinets: pine; counters; Absolute Black granite; floors: slate
Through the breezeway the main bedroom suite is private and comfortable.
First-floor plan (click images for larger views): Located right off the garage and through the breezeway are a mudroom and laundry room, a smart strategy for allowing the owners to pull off dirty farming clothes and throw them right into the washer.
Second-floor plan: There are two guest rooms for children and grandchildren on the second level in the main building.
Lower-level plan: Vanze left room for more bedrooms and living space in the walk-out basement. These renovations were not immediately essential, so the couple put them off for a later date.
Live in a great farmhouse, new or old? We'd love to see it. Please post a photo and tell us about it in the Comments!
Live in a great farmhouse, new or old? We'd love to see it. Please post a photo and tell us about it in the Comments!
