Tom Crane Photography
Country detached barn photo in Philadelphia

Located on farmland in McLean, Virginia, the American Farmhouse balances the expected comforts of a new home with the bucolic beauty of an old farmhouse. The final site plan still has evidence showing parallel courses of the barn’s destiny. The house mass is broken and lowered so that the home can remain secondary to the monolithic barn structure. Earthy and elemental materials are selected for the home that reference the barn without directly mimicking it. Wooden members found inside the barn and from other barns bridge ceilings and are used in floors along with rustic slate adding to a sense of simplicity to the farmhouse design. The age and patina of the barn is reflected in the house’s textural use of board and batten and field stone layered similar to stone foundations. The original development plan was to demolish the existing barn and construct three suburban homes. Part of an endangered breed, as one of the few remaining barns in the area, it was originally viewed as a challenge in a luxury home construction with several difficulties posed to the impending project: it would be expensive to renovate, vulnerable to demolition, and threatened by urban sprawl. However, instead of trying to alter or destroy the barn, the structure was fully embraced into the traditional architecture project as a centerpiece and was used as the inspiration for the home. The new house was sited parallel to the barn so that views to the barn gable were accessible.

Clients' first home and there forever home with a family of four and in laws close, this home needed to be able to grow with the family. This most recent growth included a few home additions including the kids bathrooms (on suite) added on to the East end, the two original bathrooms were converted into one larger hall bath, the kitchen wall was blown out, entrying into a complete 22'x22' great room addition with a mudroom and half bath leading to the garage and the final addition a third car garage. This space is transitional and classic to last the test of time.

TMS Architects
Country dark wood floor dining room photo in Boston with white walls

YE-H Photography
Entryway - transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor entryway idea in Seattle with beige walls and a medium wood front door

Bedroom - coastal master light wood floor bedroom idea in Miami with gray walls

Example of a cottage single-wall dark wood floor eat-in kitchen design in New York with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, paneled appliances, wood countertops, gray backsplash and stone tile backsplash

Inspiration for a large rustic detached barn remodel in Other

The beautiful, old barn on this Topsfield estate was at risk of being demolished. Before approaching Mathew Cummings, the homeowner had met with several architects about the structure, and they had all told her that it needed to be torn down. Thankfully, for the sake of the barn and the owner, Cummings Architects has a long and distinguished history of preserving some of the oldest timber framed homes and barns in the U.S. Once the homeowner realized that the barn was not only salvageable, but could be transformed into a new living space that was as utilitarian as it was stunning, the design ideas began flowing fast. In the end, the design came together in a way that met all the family’s needs with all the warmth and style you’d expect in such a venerable, old building. On the ground level of this 200-year old structure, a garage offers ample room for three cars, including one loaded up with kids and groceries. Just off the garage is the mudroom – a large but quaint space with an exposed wood ceiling, custom-built seat with period detailing, and a powder room. The vanity in the powder room features a vanity that was built using salvaged wood and reclaimed bluestone sourced right on the property. Original, exposed timbers frame an expansive, two-story family room that leads, through classic French doors, to a new deck adjacent to the large, open backyard. On the second floor, salvaged barn doors lead to the master suite which features a bright bedroom and bath as well as a custom walk-in closet with his and hers areas separated by a black walnut island. In the master bath, hand-beaded boards surround a claw-foot tub, the perfect place to relax after a long day. In addition, the newly restored and renovated barn features a mid-level exercise studio and a children’s playroom that connects to the main house. From a derelict relic that was slated for demolition to a warmly inviting and beautifully utilitarian living space, this barn has undergone an almost magical transformation to become a beautiful addition and asset to this stately home.

Large country multicolored two-story mixed siding exterior home idea in Other with a metal roof

Farmhouse red two-story wood gable roof photo in DC Metro

TMS Architects
Example of a farmhouse galley dark wood floor open concept kitchen design in Boston with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances and an island

Brian Vanden Brink
Country l-shaped kitchen photo in Portland Maine with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash and white appliances

TMS Architects
Country freestanding desk light wood floor study room photo in Boston with white walls

TMS Architects
Bedroom - farmhouse medium tone wood floor bedroom idea in Boston with gray walls and no fireplace

TMS Architects
Farmhouse deck photo in Boston with a roof extension

Linda McManus
Example of a large country red two-story wood gable roof design in Philadelphia

TMS Architects
Inspiration for a cottage wood gable roof remodel in Boston

Dan Cutrona Photography
Inspiration for a country freestanding desk dark wood floor home studio remodel in Boston with white walls