Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Contemporary Country Charm in Iowa
Limited square footage is offset by flexible design, careful planning and an expansive outdoor landscape
This 1,000-square-foot farmhouse in the countryside beyond Iowa City was designed for a young couple with a shared passion for local agriculture and contemporary architecture. After falling in love with this piece of land that they knew they could farm, Joanna and Geoff needed to find a simpatico architect who could help them marry the local aesthetic they loved with a simple and efficient contemporary style.
"Joanna saw a project of ours in a book and called to see if I knew any architects in their area. We had such a good time talking over the phone that I just knew that we'd find a way to work well together," says Seattle architect John DeForest. Before he knew it, he was making regular trips from the West Coast to the Midwest and getting to know the agrarian Iowa landscape.
"Having lived on the coast, I found the sweep of the Iowa landscape to be just stunning," says DeForest. "We spent a lot of time staking out the house footprint and testing different orientations so that we could get it just right." This included studying microclimates to maximize the home's efficiency, as well as choosing the views they would enjoy from bed, the dining table and the outdoor living areas. A lasting effect of the project is the passion it gave DeForest for collaborating with clients far beyond his home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Joanna and Geoff
Location: near Iowa City
Size: 1,000 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, work loft
"Joanna saw a project of ours in a book and called to see if I knew any architects in their area. We had such a good time talking over the phone that I just knew that we'd find a way to work well together," says Seattle architect John DeForest. Before he knew it, he was making regular trips from the West Coast to the Midwest and getting to know the agrarian Iowa landscape.
"Having lived on the coast, I found the sweep of the Iowa landscape to be just stunning," says DeForest. "We spent a lot of time staking out the house footprint and testing different orientations so that we could get it just right." This included studying microclimates to maximize the home's efficiency, as well as choosing the views they would enjoy from bed, the dining table and the outdoor living areas. A lasting effect of the project is the passion it gave DeForest for collaborating with clients far beyond his home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Joanna and Geoff
Location: near Iowa City
Size: 1,000 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, work loft
However, forms on the interior break with tradition. DeForest worked within the small footprint to create an open and light-filled interior, and he cleverly made the most of every inch. "In a small house, it is key for spaces to be flexible and serve multiple purposes," he explains. "For example, sliding fabric panels allow the sunporch to be used for dining, sitting or overflow sleeping, and a rolling section of kitchen counter can be detached for entertaining and wheeled into the dining area for serving."
Local style came into play via new and salvaged materials freshened up and given new lives. These included remilled subflooring from a nearby Amish farmhouse slated for demolition, a salvaged laboratory sink (used in the bathroom), galvanized steel (used as a shower stall), red-stained plywood normally used for concrete formwork (used to make cabinets) and twin-wall greenhouse cladding (used to wrap around the work loft; note how the light comes through it).
A traditional quilt hung from the work loft adds a traditional touch to the décor.
A traditional quilt hung from the work loft adds a traditional touch to the décor.
There wasn't any money in the budget for an elaborate custom ladder for the loft. "We decided to use materials available from the local hardware store and left over from the rest of construction," says DeForest. This connected the ladder visually with the rest of the home, as the bright red plywood stringer was used in the cabinets, and the the region outdoors, as the treads were short pieces of the flooring salvaged from a nearby Amish farmhouse.
The open space is warmed up by wood accents, including maple plywood ceiling panels, which flow from the porch to the main room to the entry.
Wood accents continue down a slatted storage wall that divides the main living space from the master bedroom. "Geoff and Joanna wanted to avoid dividing the house up into cubicles of white wallboard; this wall creates an open, airy feeling without sacrificing privacy," he says. The plywood boxes can be rearranged depending on storage and display desires.
To the right is an enclosed sunporch running the length of one side of the house. "The porch enjoys a sweeping view, so we wanted it to get as much use as possible," says DeForest. It backs up to the bedroom, so he created a panel wall made of fabric between the two. This allows the bedroom to be hidden from view during a dinner party, then opened up to the spectacular views of the sunporch after the guests are gone.
To the right is an enclosed sunporch running the length of one side of the house. "The porch enjoys a sweeping view, so we wanted it to get as much use as possible," says DeForest. It backs up to the bedroom, so he created a panel wall made of fabric between the two. This allows the bedroom to be hidden from view during a dinner party, then opened up to the spectacular views of the sunporch after the guests are gone.
Here is the other side of the slatted wall, which contains the master bedroom. "Since this is mostly often a house for two, we designed the master bedroom to be close to the heart of the house," says DeForest. The wall keeps the room separate from the main living space without cutting it off completely.
Also, the room was oriented to enjoy sunset views and opens to the sunporch via the previously mentioned fabric panels. It extends far beyond the cantilevered work loft (seen here), leaving it open to a high ceiling covered in maple plywood.
Also, the room was oriented to enjoy sunset views and opens to the sunporch via the previously mentioned fabric panels. It extends far beyond the cantilevered work loft (seen here), leaving it open to a high ceiling covered in maple plywood.
While galvanized steel is a common material in the area, it's rare to see it indoors, much less in a shower stall surround. "It was a bit of an experiment but has held up well. If it ever needs to be replaced, the old panels can just be unscrewed and new ones installed," says DeForest. The salvaged sink is from an old laboratory.
Completing this project opened DeForest up to the pros of designing from afar, and he's taken on many long-distance projects since. He's even opened a satellite office in Northern California. "Monitoring construction from a distance was actually easier in ways than a local project," he says. "Rather than making many site visits, the owners and contractor emailed photos regularly. I remember noting an error on an email one evening and being able to call the next morning to correct it before any more work had been done."
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Completing this project opened DeForest up to the pros of designing from afar, and he's taken on many long-distance projects since. He's even opened a satellite office in Northern California. "Monitoring construction from a distance was actually easier in ways than a local project," he says. "Rather than making many site visits, the owners and contractor emailed photos regularly. I remember noting an error on an email one evening and being able to call the next morning to correct it before any more work had been done."
More:
Houzz Tour: Mobile Modern Farmhouse
Houzz Tour: Virginia Wine Country Cottage
10 Wonderful Farm Houses
The home's form borrows heavily from the rural Iowa vernacular, right down to the exterior color and the window placed like a hayloft door. "From the exterior, the house appears as a classic form amid sweeping fields and surrounding woods," describes DeForest.