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Houzz Tour: A Light and Bright New-build Farmhouse
Rich timber, tactile textiles and warm metals bring character to a monochrome, open-plan family home
For their new home in Utah, a young family of six wanted everything light and bright. To accomplish the look inside and out, they enlisted interior designer Sita Montgomery to match the interiors to the exterior – white with black trim – for a fresh spin on a classic Midwestern farmhouse.
To match the exterior’s quintessential farmhouse look, Montgomery chose old-looking materials inside. The flooring in the open-plan living room and kitchen-diner is new, pre-finished, wide-plank hardwood, while timber accents pop up elsewhere, from the mantel to the kitchen extractor hood and open shelving – all done in the same stain. White, tumbled, handmade bricks on the fireplace help the home give a nod to years past.
“It really looks like an old farmhouse, like it’s been here a long time,” Montgomery says.
Flooring, Hallmark Floors. Sofa, Four Hands. Leather chairs, West Elm.
“It really looks like an old farmhouse, like it’s been here a long time,” Montgomery says.
Flooring, Hallmark Floors. Sofa, Four Hands. Leather chairs, West Elm.
Under the window next to the fireplace, a cosy window seat delivers more ‘farmhouse feel’ in a buffalo check fabric. The navy and blue tones in this room travel to other areas of the house to create a cohesive colour palette, while the larger print gives an extra layer of scale and contrast to other patterns in the living room.
Rug, West Elm. Ottomans; lamp, all One Kings Lane. Coffee table, Gabby Home. Sound bar, Sonos. Sconces, Visual Comfort.
Rug, West Elm. Ottomans; lamp, all One Kings Lane. Coffee table, Gabby Home. Sound bar, Sonos. Sconces, Visual Comfort.
The open floor plan didn’t allow for a lot of wall space. Montgomery found a place over a built-in bookcase to draw the eye forwards and break up all the white with a single piece of art, which is part of a set of three she broke up and scattered throughout the house.
Art, Target.
Art, Target.
A wooden bird sits on a side table by the sofa for a subtle nod to the home’s wooded setting. “The home is in the mountains and has unbelievable views,” Montgomery says. “This was a way to bring in nature and a piece of the outdoors.”
The kitchen gets a lot of natural light, and white cabinetry and quartz worktops further brighten the space.
To minimize reflection and add contrast, Montgomery chose muted metals, such as brass and iron.
“Being careful with finishes is really important,” she says. One tip she suggests is trying to match hardware to either the tap or lighting for best results.
The bar stools have brass feet, tying in the same tones. The island – outfitted for the big family of six – has a barnlike ‘X’ at the end.
Worktops, Pental. Bar stools, Pier 1 Imports.
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To minimize reflection and add contrast, Montgomery chose muted metals, such as brass and iron.
“Being careful with finishes is really important,” she says. One tip she suggests is trying to match hardware to either the tap or lighting for best results.
The bar stools have brass feet, tying in the same tones. The island – outfitted for the big family of six – has a barnlike ‘X’ at the end.
Worktops, Pental. Bar stools, Pier 1 Imports.
Planning a kitchen island? Here are 10 decisions you need to make
White tongue-and-groove and a stained-wood hood (the same wood as the living room mantel) “keep things from feeling stark”, Montgomery says. Brass sconces also add warmth.
Lights, Savoy House. Range cooker, Thermador.
Lights, Savoy House. Range cooker, Thermador.
A traditional trestle table has been modernised by sleek seats and a cool overhead fixture with large bulbs.
Chairs, Four Hands. Light, Hinkley.
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Chairs, Four Hands. Light, Hinkley.
8 things Houzz designers have taught us about kitchen islands this year
Montgomery installed four large pendant lights to lead the eye along the landing. White brick repeats here, with playful artwork full of loving messages to read as the family walk by hung over the low bench.
Lighting, Hinkley.
Lighting, Hinkley.
The owners’ 4-year-old daughter loves pink, but rather than designing a typical kid space, Montgomery used a more mature blush pink, from the vintage-inspired metal bed to the check wallpaper and layered pillows that will work well beyond the preschool years.
“I wanted to create a space she could grow into, that was simple, clean and bright,” Montgomery says.
Wallpaper; pillows, all Stagg Design Shop. Bed, Land of Nod. Bed linen; rug, all Target.
“I wanted to create a space she could grow into, that was simple, clean and bright,” Montgomery says.
Wallpaper; pillows, all Stagg Design Shop. Bed, Land of Nod. Bed linen; rug, all Target.
In the master bedroom, a canopy bed creates an antique feel. To give the room more texture, Montgomery added grasscloth to the wall behind the bed in muted green to bring in natural earth tones found elsewhere in the home. Deeper teals and aquas layer on simple white linens to maintain a restful retreat.
Bed, Pottery Barn. Pillows, Robert Allen. Bench, Four Hands.
Bed, Pottery Barn. Pillows, Robert Allen. Bench, Four Hands.
For the master bathroom, the designer created an elegant look using black, brass and white. Black custom-made cabinetry is offset with brass hardware, while an oversized black-framed shower door makes a major statement.
The patterned tiles are timeless due to the classic colour palette. Rather than installing pricey cement tiles, Montgomery used porcelain ones that are digitally printed with the same iconic designs, saving over half the cost.
The patterned tiles are timeless due to the classic colour palette. Rather than installing pricey cement tiles, Montgomery used porcelain ones that are digitally printed with the same iconic designs, saving over half the cost.
The freestanding bath is outfitted with brass fixtures to stay consistent with the rest of the metal tones. A lantern fixture overhead speaks to the modern yet rustic farmhouse feel throughout.
Pendant, Gabby Home.
What do you think of this modern farmhouse? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Pendant, Gabby Home.
What do you think of this modern farmhouse? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here A family of six
Location Mountain Green, Utah, USA
Size 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms
Designer Sita Montgomery of Sita Montgomery Interiors
Photos by Sara Boulter
The front door is black on both sides and anyone who walks through it sees this home is willing to make a statement. Oversized Feather Bloom wallpaper graces the hall wall, while stock tiles were cut down and reshaped into a herringbone pattern for a more interesting look.
Designer Sita Montgomery went with an open console to keep the space airy and let the patterns play up as much as possible.
Door painted in Black Beauty, Benjamin Moore. Wallpaper, Schumacher. Cebu Silver tiles, Arizona Tile. Console, Alder & Tweed. Light and lamps, Hinkley. Mirror, Gabby Home.