A farmhouse almost sounds like an oxymoron. Normally the constructions are conventional and nostalgic, have been in existence for decades, and so are only added on to or remodeled. That’s why builder and architect Eric Rauser’s new-build farmhouse on an organic farm in Austin, Texas, is so unusual. Rauser studied historic farmhouses in Central Texas and forced it seem like a very old house.
He realized the impact by producing add-ons he imagined would have been done by generations of households over time. A living room punches from the structure and mixes different materials to mimic an expansion job that would have come in a different period in the house’s life. “People say it’s a great remodel, which is a compliment because we needed it to feel as if it had always been there,” Rauser states.
in a Glance
Who lives here: Glen and Paula Foore, organic farmers
Location: Springdale Farm, Austin, Texas
Size: 1,800 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, 800-square-foot porch
Rauser Design
The square form is a style response to the fact that the structure is in the center of a farm, together with prominence on all sides, unlike urban houses that face a street and have a private backyard.
While the outside walls may seem like wood, they are really fiber cement panels. Rauser, who also constructed the house, chose this material as the paint job will last 10 times more.
The 800-square-foot wraparound porch adds colour along with a breezeway.
Rauser Design
Instead of having an indoor dining space, which would have shrunk the kitchen, the homeowners put their own dining room on the porch. Cedar planks compose the porch flooring. Rauser chose to not treat the timber, because he desired it for a living element that affects over time, demonstrating discoloration and scratches to give it an older, worn look.
The ceiling is really superglossy walnut floor.
Chairs: Design Within Reach
Rauser Design
In an unusual twist, front entrance of the house opens to the expansive kitchen. Rauser landed on this concept after researching dozens of historic farmhouses that embody this layout, which lets farmers carry their vegetables right to the kitchen to wash and cook them.
All the flooring, handrails and stair treads are all hundred-year-old reclaimed loblolly pine.
Rauser Design
Cooking is a fundamental activity in the house. The homeowners provide fresh organic produce to many local restaurants, and chefs are always stopping by with buddies to pick produce and cook meals in the kitchen.
Rauser Design
When the homeowners purchased their farm, there was a old house from the 1940s in the front part of the lot. They turned into offices for their business, and lately a restaurant, but they saved the stove and had it retrofitted and updated. Rauser made the contemporary steel hood.
Rauser Design
To make the all-new structure feel older, Rauser cleverly devised punch-outs coated in metal siding to give the feeling of a remodel.
Rauser Design
The living room punches out and is clad in shiplap to mimic an add on. The coffee table is an old Lineberry cart the homeowners bought off Craigslist.
Furniture: Spruce; artwork: Milbie Benge
Rauser Design
To update the traditional look, Rauser included a galvanized metal roof, steel pillar beams onto the porch and untreated steel plate.
Rauser Design
The downstairs master bedroom has a rustic vibe, with reclaimed wood floors and ceilings.
Rauser Design
An Austinite created the master bath’s breeding square claw-foot tub.
Rauser Design
A little sitting room divides the two upstairs bedrooms.
Furniture: Spruce
Rauser Design
Rauser found that the metal bed frame in a neighbor’s trash pile. He covered it in a clear sealer to capture the worn look.
Rauser Design
The top-floor bedrooms have pitched ceilings and are bathed in walnut.
Inform us : Do you reside in a farmhouse, contemporary or traditional? We would love to hear about it.