Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A New Farmhouse Suits a Growing Family
Homeowners swoop on a next-door property to tear down a flooded house and build a custom home
After more than five years in their suburban Alabama house, Katherine and Clark Bailey and their three young boys were getting squeezed for space. When the property next door went on the market, the couple jumped at the chance to remain in their beloved neighborhood and build their perfect-size home from scratch.
The farmhouse, or cottage, architecture blends into the Homewood neighborhood. “This style of house was very popular in Homewood from about 1910 to 1940,” says Lee Eubanks, who served as the project manager for Willow Homes. “We tried to make this house as authentic as possible.”
The design includes a raised foundation, side gables, a shingled roof, dormer windows, a front porch and a symmetrical facade with three operable double doors.
Land Design Services, a Birmingham landscape firm, created a traditional front yard that includes a brick staircase, bluestone pavers, foundation plantings and a lawn, as well as a broom-finished concrete parking pad that eases backing up from the garage.
Doors and windows: Southern Window Supply
The design includes a raised foundation, side gables, a shingled roof, dormer windows, a front porch and a symmetrical facade with three operable double doors.
Land Design Services, a Birmingham landscape firm, created a traditional front yard that includes a brick staircase, bluestone pavers, foundation plantings and a lawn, as well as a broom-finished concrete parking pad that eases backing up from the garage.
Doors and windows: Southern Window Supply
Up the porch steps, a glass doorway leads to the home’s foyer. There, Katherine created a credenza fashioned from two vintage acrylic table bases topped with a piece of reclaimed wood. The painting is by Cecily Hill Lowe, a local artist.
Planters: Big Lots; interior sconces: Savoy House
Planters: Big Lots; interior sconces: Savoy House
Two swings, one at each end of the porch, were custom-made by Katherine’s father to lure the family outdoors for lazy afternoons. “Our kids eat a lot of meals on these swings,” Katherine says.
The seat cushions are actually crib mattresses. Tongue-in-groove pine ceiling cladding and fans add a rustic touch.
Pillows: Ikea and Target
The seat cushions are actually crib mattresses. Tongue-in-groove pine ceiling cladding and fans add a rustic touch.
Pillows: Ikea and Target
Gas carriage lamps and a bold siding pattern add to the ambience of the home’s front porch. “We copied a siding style that Katherine had seen on a Gulf Coast home,” Eubanks says.
To achieve the look, the building team wrapped the house in 4-by-8-foot sheets of Hardie board, a fiber cement product, then applied 1-by-10-foot Hardie boards to that backing, leaving a 3-inch gap to create shadows and texture.
Lantern: The Coppersmith; exterior paint: Old White, Farrow & Ball
To achieve the look, the building team wrapped the house in 4-by-8-foot sheets of Hardie board, a fiber cement product, then applied 1-by-10-foot Hardie boards to that backing, leaving a 3-inch gap to create shadows and texture.
Lantern: The Coppersmith; exterior paint: Old White, Farrow & Ball
White oak flooring, pale walls and a high ceiling frame the living room. Katherine used her interior design skills to create an eclectic, comfortable setting that complements the home’s architecture and can withstand the rigors of a young family.
The white sofa? “It’s slipcovered,” Katherine says, “so it’s easy cleaning. Our old couch is upstairs in the den the boys use.”
And, rather than there being any lingering over fabric or accessories decisions, the interior came together with lightning speed. “We promised our house could be on a local parade of homes tour a few days after it was built,” Katherine says. “That forced us to get it done right away.”
The mirror, chandelier and area rug are local antique finds.
Sofa: Willow Design Studios; coffee table: Gabby Home; wall paint: Slipper, Farrow & Ball
The white sofa? “It’s slipcovered,” Katherine says, “so it’s easy cleaning. Our old couch is upstairs in the den the boys use.”
And, rather than there being any lingering over fabric or accessories decisions, the interior came together with lightning speed. “We promised our house could be on a local parade of homes tour a few days after it was built,” Katherine says. “That forced us to get it done right away.”
The mirror, chandelier and area rug are local antique finds.
Sofa: Willow Design Studios; coffee table: Gabby Home; wall paint: Slipper, Farrow & Ball
Doors leading to the back porch flank the living room fireplace. Katherine chose a custom blue-gray paint color for the trim to accentuate the interior architecture.
Chest, armchairs and lamps: Willow Design Studios; artwork: Cecily Hill Lowe
Chest, armchairs and lamps: Willow Design Studios; artwork: Cecily Hill Lowe
A small office off the foyer can be closed off with glass doors and has another set of doors that lead out to the front porch.
Chairs, rug and lamp: Willow Design Studios; stools and ceiling light: Gabby Home
Chairs, rug and lamp: Willow Design Studios; stools and ceiling light: Gabby Home
The kitchen links the living and dining rooms. The homeowners chose a traditional look for the setting, highlighted by custom cabinetry by Cabinet Creations, a local company.
“We both like to cook,” Katherine says, “and the boys are always in the kitchen when we’re making food, so having lots of prep space was important.”
“We both like to cook,” Katherine says, “and the boys are always in the kitchen when we’re making food, so having lots of prep space was important.”
Calacatta marble countertops and backsplashes add a formal touch to the kitchen.
Refrigerator: Viking; sink: Rohl; faucets: Sigma; bar stools: Gabby Home
Refrigerator: Viking; sink: Rohl; faucets: Sigma; bar stools: Gabby Home
The door of the walk-in pantry matches the panel on the built-in refrigerator at the other end of the kitchen, creating a balanced, symmetrical look. The pantry is under the steps to the second floor.
The master suite is on the first floor, allowing the homeowners privacy from the children upstairs.
The chandelier and the area rug were local antique finds.
Bed and bedding: Willow Design Studios
The chandelier and the area rug were local antique finds.
Bed and bedding: Willow Design Studios
The master bedroom has access to a small patio in the backyard. The bookcases and dressing table are custom designs. The artwork is by local artist Lauren Duncan.
The master bathroom is highlighted by a vanity made from an antique dresser. Eubanks wore two hats on the job, serving as both project manager and handling the trim and decorative carpentry work, including building the vanity, under his own company, Matthew Construction.
Marble countertops and shower wall tile add a luxe touch.
Dresser: Scout Design Studio; tub and faucets: Signature Hardware; mirrors: Gabby Home
Marble countertops and shower wall tile add a luxe touch.
Dresser: Scout Design Studio; tub and faucets: Signature Hardware; mirrors: Gabby Home
A vintage acrylic console and a piece of reclaimed wood came together to create a vanity for the powder room. Katherine had the exposed pipes painted gold for a glam industrial touch. The mirror is a local find.
Eubanks built the custom handrail of natural red oak and wrought iron spindles, and used traditional forms as inspiration for the baluster on the staircase to the second floor.
While there are three bedrooms upstairs, the boys — ages 3, 6 and 9 — are young enough to want to bunk down in one room for now. Katherine created a dorm room with twin beds, low dressers and baskets for toys at the foot of each bed.
Trimmed casement windows add to the room’s vintage look. The ceiling lamp is an antique, with a canvas shade and brass pulleys.
Chests: Ikea; area rug: Dash & Albert; sconces: Restoration Hardware; wall paint: Make Believe, Benjamin Moore
Trimmed casement windows add to the room’s vintage look. The ceiling lamp is an antique, with a canvas shade and brass pulleys.
Chests: Ikea; area rug: Dash & Albert; sconces: Restoration Hardware; wall paint: Make Believe, Benjamin Moore
An antique cast-iron kitchen sink set on a custom base makes for a sturdy washbasin in the boys’ bathroom.
Faucets: Kohler; light fixtures: Ohr Lighting; mirror: Willow Design Studios
Faucets: Kohler; light fixtures: Ohr Lighting; mirror: Willow Design Studios
Another door in the boys’ bathroom leads to a walk-in closet.
The home’s backyard includes a covered porch off the living room and a small patio off the master bedroom to the right.
On the back porch is a fireplace made with reclaimed brick, topped with a rough-sawn cedar mantel and Katherine’s artwork. The andirons are local antique finds.
Sofa, table and dining chairs: Summer Classics; wicker chair: Willow Design Studios
Sofa, table and dining chairs: Summer Classics; wicker chair: Willow Design Studios
A small patio, defined by low brick garden walls and bluestone pavers, provides a spot for morning coffee off the master bedroom.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Houzz at a Glance
Location: Homewood, Alabama
Who lives here: Katherine and Clark Bailey — she’s an interior designer; he’s a traffic engineer — and their three sons.
Size: 3,100 square feet (287.9 square meters); four bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms
Katherine, an interior designer and the principal of Willow Design Studios, tapped the design-build team at partner firm Willow Homes to help the family achieve the easygoing, modern farmhouse they desired, one that would also afford them an indoor-outdoor lifestyle.
The Baileys bought the property next door and demolished the existing century-old house that had been flooded and sat empty for years. “It just wasn’t salvageable,” Katherine says.
They worked with Willow Homes to create a two-story plan, with the kitchen, dining and living rooms, as well as the master suite and office, on the first floor, and three bedrooms and a den upstairs. Porches in the front and back provide outdoor living spaces, while a detached garage shelters cars.