The Post & Beam Farmhouse: An American Classic

“The more things change, the more they stay the same” or “Charity (and comfort) begins at home”. Okay, I added the “and comfort” part, but you probably know where this post is headed.

Life today is hectic; we operate in over-drive much of the time. As many of us look for a calm and soothing balance to our busy lives, a return to a simpler time beckons. Enter the American farmhouse. What is more soothing than a house and barn sitting unassumingly yet beautifully on a hillside or gently rolling expanse of verdant green? Strong and uncomplicated, the farmhouse represents a slower pace and a straightforward lifestyle.

Imagine knowing this was where you were headed at the end of a busy day. I feel relaxed already!

Today’s farmhouses are being built across the country; hillsides, grasslands and abutting lakes. Due to their simplicity, they fit comfortably in a wide range of settings.

This new post and beam farmhouse sits in the mountains of Vermont.

The interior of the farmhouse is simple, but that word should in no way imply spare or stark. Warm woods and soothing color schemes set the tone for total comfort of body and soul.

Today’s farmhouse kitchen has all the amenities cutting-edge technology offers.

Many farmhouses have a mudroom area. A wonderful transition space between outdoors and inside where shoes, boots, coats and hats can be put away before entering the main part of the house. Laundry rooms are often found here for the practical reason of dirt containment. Our forefathers (or let’s face it, mothers) knew what they were doing!

The dining room of the post and beam farmhouse is cozy and cheerful.

An inviting guest bedroom in a new post and beam farmhouse.

To read more on today’s American farmhouse please see a recent article in the Chicago Tribune; The timeless appeal of the farmhouse

Clover Hill Farm, located in the rolling hills of Massachusetts, is a new Yankee Barn Homes structure.