Houzz Tours
My Houzz: Country-Chic Farmhouse in North Carolina
An open, contemporary layout and an expansive, picture-perfect site sit pretty with a family from the West Coast
When Scott Bradford and Abbie Charette relocated from California to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, they fell in love with this farmhouse-style home and its open and contemporary layout.
"The views outside the window are like a painting, with the flowing pastoral land, green trees and endless blue sky," says Charette. Not wanting to detract from the beauty with clutter, she stuck to a simple material and color palette, balancing the couple's more modern style with the home's rustic architecture.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Scott Bradford and Abbie Charette with their 2 sons, 2 cats and Buddy, their golden retriever
Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Size: 3,600 square feet on 4 acres; 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms
That's interesting: When the couple bought the house, they inherited Roy and Daisy, two pot-bellied pigs.
"The views outside the window are like a painting, with the flowing pastoral land, green trees and endless blue sky," says Charette. Not wanting to detract from the beauty with clutter, she stuck to a simple material and color palette, balancing the couple's more modern style with the home's rustic architecture.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Scott Bradford and Abbie Charette with their 2 sons, 2 cats and Buddy, their golden retriever
Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Size: 3,600 square feet on 4 acres; 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms
That's interesting: When the couple bought the house, they inherited Roy and Daisy, two pot-bellied pigs.
The house, built in 2005, is a beautiful representation of an old farmhouse.
The front room serves as an office for Charette. A cluster of photo frames full of shots of the couple's boys hangs on the back wall. Charette chose a color palette of whites and neutrals to create a calming effect. Numerically labeled items and patterns add a playful touch to the room.
The openness between the kitchen and the living room means everyone can gather for multiple activities in a close family setting. Bradford and Charette brought the farmhouse table and ladder-back chairs from their home in California and were happy to see them fit right in. "Because we had come from a much smaller house into this larger one, it was a fun challenge decorating this house, as we were working on a strict budget and there was a lot of space to fill," says Charette.
An Andrew Wyeth print of the Bradford House, which carries an uncanny resemblance to this home, hangs in the living room. The antique pie chest to its right is a reminder of the history behind the architecture of the home. The classical seating arrangement is updated with layers of texture and color, handmade pillows and nesting side tables.
Small mirrors: Bellesol, Ballard Designs; throw pillows: Etsy
Small mirrors: Bellesol, Ballard Designs; throw pillows: Etsy
The combination of shield-back and slat-back dining chairs continues the gentle playfulness into the formal dining room and downplays the formality of the crystal and mercury glass chandelier. The wide-plank flooring — with exposed nails — was installed by the previous owner to keep with the farmhouse style of the home.
Previously a craft room, this space off the kitchen now serves as a TV room. A large sea grass rug in a herringbone pattern was chosen for its low maintenance and friendliness to kids and pets. An Eames-style lounge chair adds a nice midcentury modern accent to the room.
Sectional: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; accent pillows: Crate & Barrel; rug: Arrowhead, Design Materials
Sectional: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; accent pillows: Crate & Barrel; rug: Arrowhead, Design Materials
Another angle of the TV room shows tasteful repetition through color and pattern.
One of the many whimsical and interesting elements that came with the home is a water fountain in the TV room.
The children's rooms have built-in beds next to the windows with storage drawers and trundles underneath. The boys love to sit in the sun and read.
Inspired by Mary McDonald’s Hollywood Regency–style interiors, Charette designed the master bedroom with a romantic aesthetic. The sweeping drapes and mirrored accent furniture reflect an elegance and a romance appropriate for a master suite.
End tables: Hayworth, Pier 1 Imports
End tables: Hayworth, Pier 1 Imports
Charette decided to go with a bolder color palette in the guest bedroom. She says, "My secret to decorating is to not spend too much money on decorative accents that I know I'll want to update every couple of years."
She incorporated books and magazines with bindings that color coordinate to the room colors throughout the house. It’s a simple, easy way to tie up the design.
Rug: Target
She incorporated books and magazines with bindings that color coordinate to the room colors throughout the house. It’s a simple, easy way to tie up the design.
Rug: Target
In the entryway, simple and elegant accents give an immediate hint that the home is a place of respite for the family.
Outdoor accessories from HomeGoods tie the front porch space together in an inviting way.
One of the several seating arrangements around the exterior of the house, the two rocking chairs on the front porch provide a simple place for relaxing.
The screened-in sunporch is full of lively details. A black wicker dining set sits on an quatrefoil-pattern rug. Casual pillows and punches of black and yellow throughout make summer feel endless.
Charette and Bradford added an in-ground pool right after they moved in. After consulting a landscape architect, they chose simple grasses to allow the backdrop to speak for itself.
When they purchased this North Carolina home, the couple inherited Roy and Daisy, two pot-bellied pigs who still live with them (outside only!) on the four-acre property.
Charette and Bradford with their dog, Buddy, on the front porch.
Houzz call: Do you live in a farmhouse-style house? Share it with us!
Houzz call: Do you live in a farmhouse-style house? Share it with us!