Houzz Tour: Kentucky Country Comfort in 750 Square Feet
An exterior refresh and an interior remodel make this ranch house on a Kentucky horse farm a welcoming retreat
“The homeowners wanted guests to feel truly welcome and at home during their stays,” says Shana Wilson, a designer at Anderson & Rodgers Construction, the firm that handled the construction. So the owners hired Barbara Purdy, a Toronto designer they had worked with before, to redesign the house, giving her free rein to create a rustic-modern space in a down-to-the-studs remodel.
New Exterior Welcomes With Curb Appeal
Creating a place that would make guests feel welcome started outside the front door. The old Kentucky limestone exterior of the house was wonderful, but the rest of the exterior elements weren’t highlighting its charms. Now a new front entry porch invites visitors to come in or sit outside a spell and enjoy the surroundings.
Purdy gleaned inspiration for the porch from the barns and stables on the property. It’s crafted of cedar — left natural to gray over time — and she specified a new standing-seam metal roof. She chose a new front door in a rich mahogany with glass panes and sidelights that let in the natural light, then flanked it with large lantern sconces that fit the horse farm vibe. New container plantings bring life to the space.
Vintage French farmhouse lanterns: RH; see more farmhouse-style outdoor lanterns
Container planting ideas for every season
Creating a place that would make guests feel welcome started outside the front door. The old Kentucky limestone exterior of the house was wonderful, but the rest of the exterior elements weren’t highlighting its charms. Now a new front entry porch invites visitors to come in or sit outside a spell and enjoy the surroundings.
Purdy gleaned inspiration for the porch from the barns and stables on the property. It’s crafted of cedar — left natural to gray over time — and she specified a new standing-seam metal roof. She chose a new front door in a rich mahogany with glass panes and sidelights that let in the natural light, then flanked it with large lantern sconces that fit the horse farm vibe. New container plantings bring life to the space.
Vintage French farmhouse lanterns: RH; see more farmhouse-style outdoor lanterns
Container planting ideas for every season
A Compact Space Opens Wide
Having the kitchen, dining and living room open to one another makes the home’s compact footprint feel more expansive.
With the beautiful landscape that surrounds the house, an equestrian design theme would have been overkill. “I really had to hold myself back,” Purdy says. In doing so, she came up with a design that honors the horse farm and regional bluegrass country style in more subtle ways, incorporating some special pieces that came with the place when the homeowners bought it.
Purdy replaced the flat popcorn ceiling with a vaulted one, which makes the home feel larger, brighter and more open. To create a relaxed farm feel, she used shiplap on the walls and ceilings. For cohesion, all the walls are painted in Oxford White by Benjamin Moore, and the flooring is European oak with a brushed oyster finish.
Flooring: Moncer Specialty Flooring
Having the kitchen, dining and living room open to one another makes the home’s compact footprint feel more expansive.
With the beautiful landscape that surrounds the house, an equestrian design theme would have been overkill. “I really had to hold myself back,” Purdy says. In doing so, she came up with a design that honors the horse farm and regional bluegrass country style in more subtle ways, incorporating some special pieces that came with the place when the homeowners bought it.
Purdy replaced the flat popcorn ceiling with a vaulted one, which makes the home feel larger, brighter and more open. To create a relaxed farm feel, she used shiplap on the walls and ceilings. For cohesion, all the walls are painted in Oxford White by Benjamin Moore, and the flooring is European oak with a brushed oyster finish.
Flooring: Moncer Specialty Flooring
Before. Here you can see the old ceiling, dark paneling and walls, and the small galley kitchen. Having the eating area to the left worked well; Purdy kept that placement but created a version that could serve more people.
After. To make the main public space as open as possible, Purdy got rid of an existing coat closet and replaced it with a coatrack at the entry, designed an open kitchen island and built in a banquette to save space in the dining area.
Browse metal coatracks and hall trees
Browse metal coatracks and hall trees
Kitchen Offers an Eye-Catching First View
This area is visible from the front door, so it needed to be beautiful. Purdy centered the range between two windows and added a custom wooden vent hood. Note the way the panels on the front of the hood play off the Shaker-style cabinet doors. Purdy dressed the windows in natural fiber Roman shades under metal farmhouse-style wall sconces. A subway tile backsplash in a herringbone pattern extends to the ceiling.
Purdy allowed herself two equestrian indulgences in the design: horse-themed dish towels and a horseshoe wine rack, which you can just make out behind the leafy centerpiece at left. (Click on the photo to enlarge it.)
Grandview sconces: Rejuvenation; 3-by-6-inch subway tile in white: Daltile; grout in Storm: Bostik; shades: SelectBlinds
This area is visible from the front door, so it needed to be beautiful. Purdy centered the range between two windows and added a custom wooden vent hood. Note the way the panels on the front of the hood play off the Shaker-style cabinet doors. Purdy dressed the windows in natural fiber Roman shades under metal farmhouse-style wall sconces. A subway tile backsplash in a herringbone pattern extends to the ceiling.
Purdy allowed herself two equestrian indulgences in the design: horse-themed dish towels and a horseshoe wine rack, which you can just make out behind the leafy centerpiece at left. (Click on the photo to enlarge it.)
Grandview sconces: Rejuvenation; 3-by-6-inch subway tile in white: Daltile; grout in Storm: Bostik; shades: SelectBlinds
Purdy designed the island, and Anderson & Rodgers had a local craftsman make it. The hickory wood and metal piece maintains an open, not-so-kitchen-y feel within the open plan.
Appliances: KitchenAid; faucet and stools: Pottery Barn; Mason glass jar pendants: RH; see more glass pendants
Appliances: KitchenAid; faucet and stools: Pottery Barn; Mason glass jar pendants: RH; see more glass pendants
Here’s a closer look at the island’s sanded wood top and metal rivet detailing, borrowed from details on the coatrack at the entry. A streamlined faucet and utensil railing over the range add modern touches.
Shaker-Style Cabinets Create a Furniture Feel
The Shaker-style cabinets here are two-tone: the uppers in a white that matches the shiplap walls and glass doors, the lowers in quarter-sawn oak with an espresso finish. “Because the kitchen is wide-open to the rest of the space, I felt an all-white kitchen would look too much like a kitchen,” Purdy says. “Instead I used wood on the bottom cabinets to give them more of a furniture look and fit in with the entire space.”
The glass-front doors on the upper cabinets keep things light and help guests unfamiliar with the place find what they need. “This kitchen also needed to be user-friendly for guests,” Purdy says. “Being able to see where everything is prevents them from having to open every cabinet door looking for coffee mugs in the morning.”
The countertops are a quartz with Carrara marble-like veining. Their straight edges lend a modern touch.
Shaker-style cabinetry was an appropriate choice, not only for the country style of the house, but also for the region. Shaker style comes from the religious group that got its name from members’ ecstatic movements during worship services. Their modest lifestyle was reflected in their straightforward, well-made furniture. In 1805, a group of Shakers settled in Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, about 30 miles from this farm, and it remained the third-largest Shaker village in America until 1910. Today it’s a 3,000-acre site with a Shaker village, historic center, inn and preserve that celebrates Shaker traditions.
Cabinetry: Dutch Cabinet Company; countertops in Venatino: ColorQuartz
See why a designer chose quartz for her countertops
The Shaker-style cabinets here are two-tone: the uppers in a white that matches the shiplap walls and glass doors, the lowers in quarter-sawn oak with an espresso finish. “Because the kitchen is wide-open to the rest of the space, I felt an all-white kitchen would look too much like a kitchen,” Purdy says. “Instead I used wood on the bottom cabinets to give them more of a furniture look and fit in with the entire space.”
The glass-front doors on the upper cabinets keep things light and help guests unfamiliar with the place find what they need. “This kitchen also needed to be user-friendly for guests,” Purdy says. “Being able to see where everything is prevents them from having to open every cabinet door looking for coffee mugs in the morning.”
The countertops are a quartz with Carrara marble-like veining. Their straight edges lend a modern touch.
Shaker-style cabinetry was an appropriate choice, not only for the country style of the house, but also for the region. Shaker style comes from the religious group that got its name from members’ ecstatic movements during worship services. Their modest lifestyle was reflected in their straightforward, well-made furniture. In 1805, a group of Shakers settled in Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, about 30 miles from this farm, and it remained the third-largest Shaker village in America until 1910. Today it’s a 3,000-acre site with a Shaker village, historic center, inn and preserve that celebrates Shaker traditions.
Cabinetry: Dutch Cabinet Company; countertops in Venatino: ColorQuartz
See why a designer chose quartz for her countertops
Plenty of Room for Family and Friends
The homeowners love to entertain at the farm, and the dining table off the kitchen extends accordingly. “They had 16 people here for Thanksgiving dinner,” Purdy says. The vaulted ceilings allow for larger-scale items like the farm table and chandelier.
Chairs with rush backs and seats bring in more texture, and a mix of throw pillows adds pattern, including gingham, a nod to farmhouse country style. Built-in banquette seating has storage underneath.
The owners enjoy collecting art; this streetscape photograph is from a place meaningful to them and brings a splash of color to the neutral palette.
Darlana chandelier: Circa Lighting; Carson dining chairs: Serena & Lily; gingham pillows: Ikea; table: Arhaus; see more farm tables
The homeowners love to entertain at the farm, and the dining table off the kitchen extends accordingly. “They had 16 people here for Thanksgiving dinner,” Purdy says. The vaulted ceilings allow for larger-scale items like the farm table and chandelier.
Chairs with rush backs and seats bring in more texture, and a mix of throw pillows adds pattern, including gingham, a nod to farmhouse country style. Built-in banquette seating has storage underneath.
The owners enjoy collecting art; this streetscape photograph is from a place meaningful to them and brings a splash of color to the neutral palette.
Darlana chandelier: Circa Lighting; Carson dining chairs: Serena & Lily; gingham pillows: Ikea; table: Arhaus; see more farm tables
Before. Here you see the door to the original bath on the left. The other door leads to a bedroom. The desk was a holdover from the days when the house served as an office. If you compare this photo to the next one, you’ll see how the team borrowed space from the kitchen to expand the bath.
After. Purdy laid out the conversational seating arrangement in a way that incorporates a cozy reading nook. Throw pillows repeat the gingham pattern in a larger scale. The sofa folds out to a bed for extra sleeping space.
Designer’s tip: Install an outlet in the floor under a sofa that’s placed in the middle of a room like this to avoid the hazard of cords in traffic paths. Purdy recommends this even if you have a rug under the sofa — you can cut a slit in the rug to access the outlet.
Rigby TV stand: Crate & Barrel; Seguro coffee table: Crate & Barrel
Designer’s tip: Install an outlet in the floor under a sofa that’s placed in the middle of a room like this to avoid the hazard of cords in traffic paths. Purdy recommends this even if you have a rug under the sofa — you can cut a slit in the rug to access the outlet.
Rigby TV stand: Crate & Barrel; Seguro coffee table: Crate & Barrel
Reading Nook Offers More Lounging and Sleep Space
Purdy designed this special reading nook to fit a twin-size mattress. It provides comfortable seating during gatherings and an extra bed for overnight guests.
Shelves made from the same wood as the flooring hold books and serve as a nightstand or side table. Drawers underneath offer more storage. The homeowners enjoy fly fishing on the property; three fly ties are matted and framed over the daybed.
20th C. Library single sconce: RH
Good Idea: Put Sconces Over the Sofa
Purdy designed this special reading nook to fit a twin-size mattress. It provides comfortable seating during gatherings and an extra bed for overnight guests.
Shelves made from the same wood as the flooring hold books and serve as a nightstand or side table. Drawers underneath offer more storage. The homeowners enjoy fly fishing on the property; three fly ties are matted and framed over the daybed.
20th C. Library single sconce: RH
Good Idea: Put Sconces Over the Sofa
This view from the kitchen shows how the spaces flow together for casual entertaining.
Before. In the original bathroom, the small vanity, toilet and tub-shower combo barely fit into the space.
A Bigger Bathroom
After. Purdy expanded the bathroom’s tiny footprint by pushing it into the kitchen a few feet and adding a window to let in natural light. When the builders added the window, they carefully saved the Kentucky limestone they removed to reuse later. “Anderson & Rodgers were wonderful to work with,” Purdy says.
She designed the vanity to fit the space. “The homeowners wanted two sinks, which was a little tight but it worked,” she says. A large, square mirror and the thick, straight edge of the countertop bring in simple, modern touches.
The playful check pattern reappears here in encaustic cement floor tile. Wall-mounted faucets save counter space.
Floor tile: Clé Tile; Mist sconces: Rejuvenation
After. Purdy expanded the bathroom’s tiny footprint by pushing it into the kitchen a few feet and adding a window to let in natural light. When the builders added the window, they carefully saved the Kentucky limestone they removed to reuse later. “Anderson & Rodgers were wonderful to work with,” Purdy says.
She designed the vanity to fit the space. “The homeowners wanted two sinks, which was a little tight but it worked,” she says. A large, square mirror and the thick, straight edge of the countertop bring in simple, modern touches.
The playful check pattern reappears here in encaustic cement floor tile. Wall-mounted faucets save counter space.
Floor tile: Clé Tile; Mist sconces: Rejuvenation
The shower is large and open to make use of the natural light from the new window. And it has something of a window of its own. “We custom-built the shower niche to incorporate LED lighting,” Wilson says. They built a small recessed nook above the niche and installed LED tape light in it, then covered it with frosted glass to protect it from water. When this light is on, the niche resembles a sunlit opening.
15 Great Design-Minded Uses for LED Lighting
15 Great Design-Minded Uses for LED Lighting
For the Bedroom, a More Comfortable Layout
The bedroom’s footprint didn’t change much, but replacing an exterior door with the window seen here gave the designers more freedom with the furniture arrangement. Limestone salvaged from the bathroom window installation now covers the remaining part of the opening where the door had been.
By eliminating a utility closet and moving the HVAC into the attic, Purdy was able to give this room a small clothes closet and create an adjacent space for a compact stackable washer-dryer.
The antique dresser, beds and Native American portraits came with the place. “It was nice to be able to use these pieces instead of having everything new. It gives the house a soul,” Purdy says.
The bedroom’s footprint didn’t change much, but replacing an exterior door with the window seen here gave the designers more freedom with the furniture arrangement. Limestone salvaged from the bathroom window installation now covers the remaining part of the opening where the door had been.
By eliminating a utility closet and moving the HVAC into the attic, Purdy was able to give this room a small clothes closet and create an adjacent space for a compact stackable washer-dryer.
The antique dresser, beds and Native American portraits came with the place. “It was nice to be able to use these pieces instead of having everything new. It gives the house a soul,” Purdy says.
Takeaways From This Project
More
3 Top Ingredients of Modern Farmhouse Style
Tour more inspiring small homes
Browse interior designers near you
- Creating a welcoming vibe begins outside the front door.
- If you’re looking to make a high-impact change to your exterior, consider a new entry porch.
- Sticking with one color for your walls, ceilings and millwork can make a small space feel larger and cohesive.
- An open island is a good way to separate a single-wall kitchen from the other spaces without closing it off too much.
- If you’re ever in the middle of Kentucky, stop by Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill.
- If you build in a reading nook, include lights and shelves for books. If you can squeeze in a twin mattress, it’s also a great way to create a cozy sleeping spot for an overnight guest.
- That LED shower niche lighting is a neat trick — file it away!
- A cheat sheet for subtle country, or farmhouse, touches: shiplap on the walls and ceilings, Shaker-style cabinets, subway tile, candle look on the chandelier, oak floors, a few splashes of gingham and a check pattern on the floor.
More
3 Top Ingredients of Modern Farmhouse Style
Tour more inspiring small homes
Browse interior designers near you
House at a Glance
Who stays here: The owners of a horse farm and their guests
Location: Midway, Kentucky
Size: 750 square feet (70 square meters); one bedroom, one bathroom
Designer: Barbara Purdy Design (interiors)
Before. This 750-square-foot ranch house on a thoroughbred farm in Midway, Kentucky, was intended to provide comfort for those visiting on official horse business as well as the farm’s owners when they wanted to relax and entertain in the country. But it wasn’t making anyone feel very welcome. The dark paneling and popcorn ceiling inside felt dated, the bathroom was tiny, and the bedroom’s awkward layout didn’t offer much comfort.