30 Year Farm House
 

The Bridge

The house’s traditional architecture and consisted of compartmentalized layouts lacking connectivity. The renovation began by making the kitchen a central note for the house, creating an expansive, light-filled room that could accommodate groups for cooking, eating, and hanging out. Its open design connects the living and dining spaces to the new addition andlandscape. On the west, the kitchen steps down to the Bridge Room, a glassed connector for lounging and spending time together. These spaces create continuous visual and physical corridors that activate the various activities that play out across the property.

Places of Repose

The house had a beautiful, manicured landscape before we arrived, but the site was large and much of it was not well-utilized. Palette used the layout of the new architecture to create a variety of exterior spaces that were programmed differently and could take advantage of the shifting environmental conditions throughout the day and the year. The Bridge room has separate exterior spaces on each of its three sides, a cooking area to the north, a sunny relaxation zone to the south, and a partially covered deck to the west that looks out to the pool. We also created a large, screened porch at the south of the new addition that has become the most used area of the house. The space has tall gabled ceilings and large openings on all four sides that lets it take full advantage of the sun, shade, and breezes through most of the year. The porch is furnished with dining and relaxation furniture that has allowed much of the family gathering activities to shift outside.

Natural Connection

The clients came with dual objectives of respecting the existing house but also wanting a new architecture that could provide deeper interaction with nature. The new addition was positioned to respect the old-growth trees that were on the property. The bedroom and office are furnished with large panoramic windows that showcase the views and surrounding trees. Palette selected a palette of textured, natural materials that were utilized throughout the project: white oak flooring and cabinetry, stone aggregate terrazzo, basalt tile, and local slate and blue stone.

Drawings