A Historic Vermont Farmhouse Renovation

While the new owners of this vintage farmhouse in northern Vermont were committed to preserving its historic character, they couldn’t resist embracing the spectacular mountain views with an expansive new three-season screened porch, furnished with Lane Venture wicker sofas and a Hudson Valley Lighting Group fixture.

Like many vintage farmhouses, this 1880 home sits close to the road, prompting landscape architects Keith Wagner and Abby Comeau to create a subtle buffer that includes maple trees and a staggered getty gray granite wall.

The home’s rear exterior features a three-season porch.

Like many vintage farmhouses, this 1880 home sits close to the road, prompting landscape architects Keith Wagner and Abby Comeau to create a subtle buffer that includes maple trees and a staggered getty gray granite wall.

Though the kitchen was extensively remodeled, the owners chose traditional furnishings, classic cabinetry, and reclaimed French oak flooring to blend old-world charm with modern functionality.

Another nod to the past is an enclosed scullery off the kitchen that houses an overflow kitchen, food prep area, and wine room.

A French farmhouse table from the 1800s anchors the walk-out portion of the basement that serves as a garden/potting room. The antique stool has been in the owner’s family for generations.

n keeping with the home’s palette, the second-floor guest room incorporates earthy mocha tones.

The children’s bunkroom sleeps six and features reclaimed French oak floors and built-in storage drawers painted Benjamin Moore Louisburg Green.

A second-floor “spillover” room designed for guests with children, this alcove-like bedroom also doubles as a cozy reading nook.

The powder room has a vintage sink and faucet, antique mirrored tile, and a wallpapered jib door concealing the water closet.

A stand-alone tub anchors the primary bathroom.

Preserving a Historic Vermont Farmhouse

‘‘Restraint.’’It’s a word that interior designer Mika Frechette uses often when she describes how the new owners of a classic-but-tired Vermont farmhouse approached its much-needed renovation. “Many people would have considered the home, built in 1880, to have been a teardown, but these clients were different,” explains the Vermont- and New York City-based designer. “They’d fallen in love with the historic spirit, look, and feel of the home and wanted to preserve as much of that as they could. And that’s exactly what they did—with admirable restraint.”

Architect Adam Davis admits he was challenged, but thrilled, when he learned that the farmhouse’s new owners wanted to modernize the home but not lose its historic feel.

“For example, we stripped a lot of the farmhouse to its bones, raised the height of the first floor, and added new mechanicals but were careful to retain the classic look of the home from the roadway,” he explains. “The owners felt that the home had been there so long and had been so well-loved, they didn’t want to replace it with a modern house
that would look out of place in the historic neighborhood. Also, although they could have, they didn’t expand the farmhouse’s original footprint.”

Restoring the Farmhouse with Timeless Materials

Details mattered to the new owners. For example, a beautifully carved ornate oak stair railing was saved during the renovation, lovingly restored to its former glory, lengthened a foot by a local craftsman, and reused in the redesign. Nearly every room in the home had been wallpapered over the years in a variety of colors and patterns, and Frechette suggested they echo that idea by incorporating wallpaper in many of the redesigned rooms. “They loved the idea and called it a ‘nod to the past,’ ”says the designer.

The badly worn wood floors had to go but were replaced with classic reclaimed oak from France. To evoke the home’s historic roots, the owners and Frechette added traditional furniture, classic fixtures, and antiques while working with an earth-tone palette, rich with rusty, amber colors throughout the farmhouse. “We wanted a cozy, relaxed, old-style feel,” says Frechette.

Taking Advantage of Mountain Views

One major design change to the farmhouse was an expansive three-season porch that was sited behind the house and takes full advantage of majestic mountain views. “We made sure that it wasn’t visible from the road,” explains Davis. “Again, we didn’t want to alter the look and feel of the historic home. But the panoramic views are showstoppers.” A traditional flat-roofed connector/mudroom links the home to the porch.

Landscape architects Keith Wagner and Abby Comeau transformed the forty-acre property by removing trees to expand the views and enlarge the pond. In keeping with the owners’ wishes to retain the spirit of the farmhouse, they chose classic plantings such as hydrangeas, red maples, and catalpa trees. They also added getty gray granite staggered stone walls to help separate the home from the road.

Stowe-based builder Chapman Smith and his team spent more than two years renovating the property, including disassembling and rebuilding a classic timber-framed barn. Like others involved in the process, they were impressed by the owners’ long-term commitment to preserving the past. As Frechette explains, “The renovation may have taken longer than a new build, but there’s a great explanation: it takes more time to preserve a jewel box.”

Project Team
Architecture: Goldsmith & Davis Architects
Interior design: Stoneledge Studio
Builder: Patterson & Smith Construction
Landscape design: Wagner Hodgson Landscape Architecture

Interior photography by William Waldron and exterior photography by Lenny Christopher