“The first time I visited this house, it had been 90-plus levels and buggy, and I wondered what my customers were thinking when they bought it,” says architect Ken Pursley of Pursley-Dixon Architecture, laughing. But after getting to know this rural site in Chester, South Carolina, he noticed what they did: a simple, bucolic setting that made a fantastic weekend getaway from their busy lives in nearby Charlotte, North Carolina. “My customers love to ride horses, enjoy the pond, ride go-carts, host parties, entertain friends, host parties, sponsor Thanksgiving, camp and unwind here,” he says. “We made the home to be about being comfortable, much like wearing a pair of blue jeans.”

in a Glance
Who lives here: This really is another house for a household of 5
Location: Chester, South Carolina
Size: Around 3,000 square feet; two bedrooms (plus a bunkroom), 3 1/2 baths
That is intriguing: Not 1 inch of drywall went into this home.

Pursley Dixon Architecture

The family needed a casual house for gathering that match with the present agricultural landscape. Pursley looked to the basic kinds of ancient churches and barns, in addition to a 1920s icehouse, for inspiration.

He and his customers have future plans to convert the grain silos into some sort of usable space someday. “They are so great structures; they are concrete, and by the top the views stretch indefinitely,” Pursley says.

Pursley Dixon Architecture

“These steps are more ladder-like compared to staircase-like, and they do not divide up the space by being a big visual block,” Pursley says. He chose rope to expand the open atmosphere to the railings. “Wire would have been too contemporary for the home,” he adds. “The simple feeling of the rope just felt right.”

For all those who are wondering: No, this is not exactly to code up.

Pursley Dixon Architecture

This entire floor-to-ceiling wall of windows slides open. “The home can change with the weather,” says Pursely. “On nice days this wall of glass slides like a barn door, transforming the home in an open-air space.” On colder nights, the household can enjoy a crackling fire whilst dining.

Pursley Dixon Architecture

The farmhouse theme is continued by the furnishings. A metal, rope and linen lighting fixture in South of Market illuminates a farm table, which is surrounded by industrial café seats.

Pursley Dixon Architecture

In the kitchen, a window extends all of the way behind the 5-foot-long concrete sink, allowing light in above and below it. Open wood shelves substitute upper cabinets.

Pursley Dixon Architecture

Pursley created these light fixtures from found items — catfish seals the customers stumbled upon from the forests around the property.

Pursley Dixon Architecture

The house is crafted of durable stuff, exactly like a barn would be: The siding is wood, the chimney is rock and the roof is crimped metal. People assume the home is a converted barn that is 100-year-old.

Pursley sited the home to maximize the views of the pond.

Pursley Dixon Architecture

The home’s footprint is relatively modest, 1,000 square feet. “I made the home around spaces the household will occupy and use, rather than around some grand entrance that is intended to impress people,” Pursley says.

One such space is this comfy, light-filled reading nook, which overlooks the pond.

Pursley Dixon Architecture

Night lighting shows off the structure of the roof. “The icehouse that motivated this form had a double-decker roof for venting, and I realized that would be a fantastic way to get more ceiling height without adding a lot of additional roof height,” says Pursley. “Plus, I just loved the form of it.”

Pursley Dixon Architecture

On the third floor, you can observe how the double-decker roof’s clerestory windows let in the pure light.

This chamber holds six bunks. “The idea is that the next floor’s two bedrooms and 2 baths can home two couples, and of the kids can stack in the bunkroom upstairs,” says Pursley. “My customers also have some African safari tents they place up close to the pond for additional guests.”

Pursley Dixon Architecture

The third-floor bathroom is big enough for a large group to discuss. Its straightforward functionality gives it a contemporary farmhouse aesthetic. Pursley attained this look and feel throughout the home; it’s easy to see why his customers love to escape the rural retreat.

More:
10 Beautiful Farmhouses

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