The Little Blue Farmhouse
Designed and built completely with-in the existing footprint, this “green” remodel, as featured in Residential Architect magazine, turned a century old farmhouse into a bright, airy and sustainably designed single-family home. Outside, white steel window punch-outs break through the brilliant blue stucco exterior. Locally grown and milled, white cedar walkways connect the house with a new two-car garage, which opens onto a European-style auto court and an expansive side yard. A white-metal roof crowns the house’s clean lines with a recyclable material and contemporary industrial aesthetic.
Inside, certified, Wisconsin-grown maple flooring connect the open kitchen, dining and living areas while large windows provide ample cross-circulation and outdoor views. The kitchen cabinets are constructed of low-formaldehyde, sustainably grown wood and water-based lacquers. Off the kitchen is a four-season porch/family room that includes an alcohol burning fireplace.
An open stairwell with solid wood-block steps leads up to a master bedroom with an aircraft-cable-railed balcony and dressing room with a tiny window. A bathroom with lead-free blue, yellow and green tile separates the master bedroom from a second bedroom, with similar balcony, charming windows and closet cubby.
The open stairwell also leads down to a family room, day lit by a large window well. Marmoleum flooring of renewable materials provides a tough, durable, yet warm option underfoot. Throughout the house, low-VOC paint, high-efficiency mechanical systems, water saving plumbing fixtures, and energy-efficient appliances add to sustainability of this home. A thermal-solar panel also provides 80 percent of the home’s domestic hot water demands.
Credits:
Architect: Charles R. Stinson Architects
Interior Design: CRS Interiors
Kitchen by Valcucine
Photography: Paul Crosby