A look inside this semirural home evokes the feeling of being more in a spacious urban loft than in a farmhouse in New Jersey. “We wanted a finished house that had an authentic feel, not “designed” to any 1 style but having daring and comfortable spaces that met the requirements of our clients,” says principal architect Andy Blanda.
But among the most interesting aspects of the farmhouse is how the exterior design feels connected to the landscape through a villagelike structure of constructions. “Seen from afar, the structure could shelter cows and tractors — not a contemporary household,” he says. “Our use of reddish metallic siding and black asphalt roof located on other local agricultural structures ties the home to its location from the farmland.”
at a Glance
Who lives here: Two doctors and their teenaged daughter
Location: Moorestown, New Jersey
Size: 4,500 square feet
That is interesting: all of the original barn wood removed for new window openings has been flashed to assemble the new stairs and inside doors.
Sandvold Blanda Architecture + Interiors LLC
The house is situated on an old farm with a pond and can be adjacent to a protected property that is planted by a local farmer. The most important part of the house was originally a barn structure from Vermont and was purchased as an unfinished shell. “Our clients wanted to preserve the open structure of the sunroom area, while incorporating distinct bedrooms for them, their daughter and their frequent guests. We needed to make a large outdoor room to connect the barn inside to the landscape, and to some new garage and an amusement area independent from the house for music and parties,” says Blanda.
Sandvold Blanda Architecture + Interiors LLC
Blanda took the open, undefined inside and highlighted the structure by adding spacial interventions, which “generated interesting layers of space,” he says. By placing the new structure adjacent to the existing barn and connecting the constructions together with all the open porch, Blanda made a sequence of outdoor rooms that lead to the home and provide a feeling of a protected place in a landscape.
Sandvold Blanda Architecture + Interiors LLC
Blanda and his clients refer to the chamber as “the party space,” that is a space that’s divided into a dining room and media space with a audio loft that has a view throughout the farm fields.
Light: Random by Moooi, Lumens
Sandvold Blanda Architecture + Interiors LLC
The lower-level media and music room meets the requirements of their husband and daughter, who are both musicians.
Couch: Togo, Ligne Roset; chair: Eero Aarnio Bubble Chair, Hive Modern
Sandvold Blanda Architecture + Interiors LLC
Sandvold Blanda Architecture + Interiors LLC
The Bulthaup kitchen system is situated adjacent to the front door with opinions into the entry court. The spacious floor plan of the home, whitewashed surfaces, sleek kitchen appliances and unique, contemporary decor talk volumes about the household who inhabits the space — even though they’re a little bit farmhouse nation, they’re not afraid of playful and colorful additions.
Saarinen oval dining table (previous picture) and Jamaica bar stool: Knoll; Kartell Upper Step Ladder in Canary Yellow: All Modern
Sandvold Blanda Architecture + Interiors LLC
The structure of this preexisting barn inside was one large, dark and weathered space that was left exposed to the elements for several decades. There were no bathrooms or enclosed rooms, and there was no kitchen — just a freestanding fireplace. These days, the fireplace defines the dining and living locations.
Blanda and his team whitewashed the surfaces and also cut new openings to the outside walls to permit views of the landscape and also to bring light into unexpected locations.
Sandvold Blanda Architecture + Interiors LLC
The master suite is located off the dining area and confronts a walled garden. This space is well conscious of its farmhouse roots: Mahogany bedposts mimic the curves of animal horns, as well as the iconic LC4 chaise couch and throw cushions are clad in cowhide.
Modern Icons: The LC4 Chaise Longue
Sandvold Blanda Architecture + Interiors LLC
Sandvold Blanda Architecture + Interiors LLC
This photograph and past: “We connected the upper floor kid’s and guest bedroom and bathrooms using a steel and wood stair and bridge, and also created a personal, music-listening loft reached by a boat’s stair above the bedrooms,” says Blanda. The boat’s stair can be seen in the far background of the picture.
Equine artwork is displayed throughout the house, a homage to the mother’s and daughter’s love of horseback riding.
Red chair in previous picture: Knoll Bertoia Bird Lounge Chair
Sandvold Blanda Architecture + Interiors LLC
Work on the house was completed on a strict budget, which was a challenge for Blanda and his team. He says, “We discovered that employing stock materials and products like simple black Vermont slate and industrial fixtures wherever possible, we could attain the budget objectives and make unexpected visual interest. The finished house has comfortable spaces that flow into one another and respond to the requirements of our clients.”
Though Blanda worked together with the family in picking their furnishings, he still knows that their taste and selections will alter over time. But he is confident that the potency of this architecture is classic and will “join and frame that the protected surrounding landscape” for several years to come.