This house started and a working farmhouse with an old stone foundation. Several expansions occurred over the years, built on proper concrete foundations. While the essential core of the house was solid, it was also functional more than it was inspiring.
New owners from the city envisioned using the house as a weekend getaway, and ultimately a future retirement home. There was an essential question of whether to renovate or rebuild. The owners took their time exploring an optimal solution, working through several iterations of concept and design before landing on their dream vision.
An overall design goal was to bring disparate parts of the house built at different times into a cohesive and modern design. While the core of the original farmhouse remained largely unchanged, changes to the other structures were extensive. A new scissor truss installed over the existing roof created a coherent roof profile. The roofline was extended over a new mudroom, and the same triangular profile was echoed in a new bump-out with expansive windows into the newly renovated kitchen.
An extended living room area created ample interior living spaces. The living area existed into a large, timber-framed exterior porch. Additional outdoor living areas featured an indoor-and-outdoor fireplace and pad for a hot-tub.
The result was a thoroughly modern and coherent weekend getaway that made good use of existing structural elements. The exterior of the house is brought into harmony through consistent structural design elements, new siding and frieze mouldings. Large new windows are framed with crown mouldings that create architectural interest, hold paint well and don’t rot. New interiors and exteriors significantly expanded living and entertaining spaces that will support the owners long into the future.