A Modern Cottage Farmhouse

Get these designer decorating tips for 21st-century life on the farm.

The home you create should be like enjoying your favorite comfort food: a place that makes you feel relaxed and nourished in mind, body and soul.

Homeowners Lisa and Colin Black live in such a home, one that brings Lisa the comforts she remembers from growing up surrounded by handcrafted items and traditional values.

NATURAL LIVING. The living room features a stunning vaulted ceiling with exposed rafters and beautiful stained wood.Marisela replaced the brick fireplace with Arbutus natural stone. Extra-thick grout joints give a natural, rustic feel. She also had the yellow-toned ceiling beams stripped and added a clear coat so they would look more natural. The window treatments are in a deep indigo-blue for contrast with the neutral colors, with a walnut-shell blasting media coated to match the fireplace mantel.

“This house reminded me of my Midwestern roots. I’m from farm people, hardworking generations who taught me values like [have] personal integrity, treat the land with respect, live within your means and keep your eyes peeled for the unexpected (plan ahead and be prepared),” Lisa says. “The photos and some of the artifacts in the house are from my great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. We wanted the home to be a place they could have been comfortable in.”

Lisa’s dream home is actually a dream farmhouse. She and her husband, Colin, live off the land as their ancestors did, in a California community with a fairy-tale name: Elfin Forest, a rural suburb in the foothills of the Santa Rosa mountains. At this time of year, their farm is the picture of the fall harvest season.

Marisela describes the décor as farmhouse style with vintage-modern touches.

“We have planted a lot of roses, and we’re about to harvest our prolific white peach tree,” Colin says. “We have a new, enclosed large formal vegetable garden so we can be more self-sufficient with organic vegetables, eggs and fruit. We added solar panels on the barn, so we are a net-neutral user of electricity now.”

FALL FINERY. Billowy eucalyptus forms the foundation of the table set for a harvest gathering. Mix in bronze accents to punch up the rustic textures to give your tablescape a modern fall feel.

To complete the picture of life on the farm, Lisa and Colin can be found most days riding their horses “Indie” (short for Indiana Jones), a quarterhorse, and a pinto named “Iris.” “One of the things we like about the house is that we can ride the trails right off our property,” Colin says. “We are two busy executives, so the ranch was a deliberate purchase to ensure we wind down and relax on the weekends and in our retirement.”

“ The photos and some of the artifacts in the house are from my great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. We wanted the home to be a place they could have been comfortable in.”

Rework and Roundup

To renovate and redecorate the three-bedroom, three-bath farmhouse built in 2003, the couple contacted interior designer Marisela Contreras of Jackson Design and Remodeling. She helped them achieve their desired look. The fact that Lisa grew up around horses and nature in the Midwest and that she and Colin were attracted to iconic American style informed the décor.

FARM SWEET FARM. A red Dutch door at the farmhouse entrance is an inviting welcome. Lisa had it customized with metal hardware for a more cohesive look, and it was painted red so it would pop. Marisela had a hardware store add a dental-shelf design. The porch is made of brick, and the beams were darkened. The lanterns flanking the door were already in the home, but Marisela had the sidelights painted white.

“The house was decorated in French country style when they moved in,” Marisela says. “They desired the rustic, homey feeling of a traditional farmhouse, balanced with modern simplicity and functionality. Lisa wanted to incorporate family heirlooms from her grandmother’s house, such as a pickle barrel and a butter-churn tray.”

SITTING IN STYLE. This corner of the living room sports a Churchill upholstered chair from Restoration Hardware. The window treatments are in a deep indigo-blue for contrast with the neutral colors, with a walnut-shell blasting media coated to match the fireplace mantel.

Since the farmhouse wasn’t too old, there was a bit of remodeling that needed to be done, but most of Marisela’s time was spent on redecorating.

“We are two busy executives, so the ranch was a deliberate purchase to ensure we wind down and relax.”

“The bathroom needed a new layout,” she says. “It was dark, so I added more windows and a freestanding tub. The room was fully gutted for a full remodel. The kitchen and the rest of the rooms needed more cosmetic updates.”

BEYOND THE BARN. The entryway’s long hallway offered an opportunity to bring in a large statement piece. Karina Kmiotek-Ally, an interior stylist at Jackson Design and Remodeling, found the full “X” barn door at Rustica Hardware in a Barn Grey finish. The bench, with a distressed leather cushion and antique bronze nailheads, is a handsome touch that adds sophistication to the rustic elements.

Design Ideas and Inspirations

Marisela’s design vision was inspired by the homeowners’ love of nature and natural elements. “We used mixed finishes, but I wanted to keep everything cohesive. I wanted to give it more of a rustic feel, a lot of natural materials, natural stone, wood and textures,” she says. “I’d describe it as a farmhouse with vintage-modern touches.”

CLEAN KITCHEN. Marisela kept the existing layout of the kitchen and refinished the cabinetry, painting its original yellow with Alabaster White from Sherwin-Williams. She painted the perimeter white and the island red with black glaze. The barrel-shaped custom range hood matches the appliances. The ribbed-glass light fixtures add a vintage look.

The homeowners’ style was easy to follow, given the foundation of what they already had in their home. “For instance, we bought wine racks from Pottery Barn that have a reclaimed-wood look,” Marisela says. “The kitchen island was there, but we painted it with black glaze to pick up the range hood and added architectural elements such as iron detailing throughout the house.” A full “X” barn door in the entryway that leads to the living room sets the tone for the rest of the farmhouse décor.

COZY COMFORT. Although they may look like heirlooms, the blankets in the living room were brought in to complement the décor, and add warmth and texture. The plush sofa is from Restoration Hardware’s Kensington Collection; the walls were painted in Sherwin-Williams’ Worldly Gray.

Mixing in Modern

To layer in the modern accessories for Lisa and Colin’s lifestyle, Marisela refaced the fireplace in the living room with Arbutus stone. The kitchen features new details that inspire cooking and entertaining. In the dining room, a striking chandelier and primitive art are conversation pieces. The master bathroom was furnished with rustic and modern accessories, such as vintage-style fixtures and wood-look wall planks combined with a modern towel-warmer rack.

FINE DINING FARMHOUSE-STYLE. The dining room takes farmhouse style to the next level. The walls were painted a warm gray for a touch of elegance and sophistication.

If the modern-farmhouse style nourishes your soul as well, Marisela offers some design tips for getting started: “Natural materials really add warmth to a space, making it feel cozy and inviting,” she says. “Also, don’t be afraid of mixing finishes and getting inspiration from vintage pieces.”