Modern Farmhouse in Los Gatos, CA

When Amy and Kyle first met with me to discuss options for a remodel, they brought with them a binder chalked full of magazine photos they had been collecting for years. As Amy explained it, these were pictures of rooms, exterior spaces, design elements – everything you can think of really – that they loved and hoped one day to use as inspiration for their own home. When looking through the photos, one theme stood out in particular: farmhouse. As fate would have it, an actual 1900’s historic barn stood just down the block. It used to be nestled in the orchards that grew on these hills, which would later became Amy and Kyle’s neighborhood. Though a diamond in the rough, this barn-turned-house structure was also a big inspiration for their project. And so began our journey to transform their ranch style home into the modern farmhouse with an open floor plan they had been dreaming of.

The original 1800 square foot home had three bedrooms, one and a half baths and a detached garage. The home was essentially a long rectangle so the space needed to be opened up and reconfigured a bit to achieve the proper flow. Thankfully the home’s existing footprint allowed us to make good use of pre-existing rooms in addition to creating new ones. The result is a 3300 square foot home complete with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, an enlarged family room, expanded kitchen, new office, dining room, TV/game room, mud room and a cellar, as well as an attached two car garage.

Exterior

BEFORE

AFTER

Amy and Kyle loved the idea of a white farmhouse with a big welcoming entrance. The original entry was cramped and oddly placed, so we centered the entry door and made it the focal point of the new entrance. The old house was one story. While the house is still one story, the roofline features a prominently raised ridge, connoting the volume of an old barn, which in turn creates impressive vaults at the interior.

Based on the Johnson Orchard Barn

Before buying this property, Amy and Kyle searched for a barn they could convert into a house. Their search came up unsuccessful so we designed one for them instead. The new attached garage was designed specifically to look like the red barn they had been searching for.

Based on the Johnson Orchard Barn

No barn is complete without an oversized barn light.

With the house being all white, we wanted some contrast for the front entrance. An extra-wide 10-lite front door with black accents seemed to be the perfect thing.

Family Room

The French doors and windows are framed with hand-selected reclaimed 19th century barn wood.

The hand-hewn reclaimed barn wood still contains mortise and tenon notching.

Past the entry foyer, the home unfolds to reveal its grand vault, reclaimed barnwood beams, and picture windows framing the views of the family farm backyard.

Kitchen

To honor the farmhouse style, we went with a neutral palette in the kitchen that balanced soft colors with industrial elements like gray basalt countertops, black hardware and stainless-steel appliances.

Because of the location of the kitchen, it serves as the heart of the home from which the family room and dining room are seamlessly connected.

The openings to the kitchen as well as the dining room feature the continued detailing of reclaimed barn wood that frames the windows and doors in the family room. These integral spaces flow easily to one another, yet are still defined to highlight their unique functions striking a balance between casual and formal.

Dining Room

Amy and Kyle wanted an eating area outside the kitchen but still within easy reach so family members and guests could easily move from one space to another.

The passthrough to the dining room defines the space from the kitchen but still keeps the room wide open.

The oversized picture window at the back of the dining room brings in natural light and also provides a great view of the backyard.

Backyard

BEFORE

AFTER

The French doors allow for convient access to the backyard and provide lots of fresh air to the family room and a large barnlight floods the back deck with light for entertaining.

The backside of the garage includes a second garage door for easy passthrough access from the front yard to the back.

An outdoor kitchen is conveniently located right outside the kitchen door.

Removing the old garage from of the backyard created significantly more usable space for the family’s vegetable and flower gardens.

No farmhouse is complete without a herding dog, but of course the chickens may think otherwise.

Client Testimonial

“Thanks to Michelle, we couldn't be more thrilled with our gorgeous farmhouse. During the design process, she was able to strike the perfect balance of listening to our requests while making suggestions that would not only enhance the beauty of our home but also comply with strict city design and code requirements, and keep us within budget. Ultimately Michelle created a beautiful and functional design that far surpassed our expectations. Working with Michelle was a pleasure and I can't imagine undertaking a whole house remodel without her sense of humor, patience, excellent communication skills, and outstanding design and building expertise.”