A Post and Beam Farmhouse in Vermont: Surprise, It’s Brand New!

This post and beam farmhouse by Yankee Barn Homes is the latest surprise here at Post and Beam Living. I would have sworn is was an eighteenth century building remodeled, except I happen to  know when it was built – two years ago!

The exterior of the home is beautifully landscaped. Rock retaining walls and gardens are made to appear as though they could have been built last year or last century. The use of plants indigenous to the New England area is another naturalizing and timeless effect used with great success.

Once you’ve entered the house you might again begin to question if this is an older home redone or a new home which has been well executed to resemble and 18th Century post and beam farmhouse. The ceilings appear lower, like in an older home. But upon second look you realize they are not low at all, it’s the scale of the fireplace and mantle, the taller windows, the use of a tall armoire, along with large furniture pieces, all give the illusion of a lower ceiling. In actuality, these ceilings are almost ten feet high.

The kitchen is one of my absolute favorite post and beam kitchens. From the use of the plain fronted cabinets  to the pewter color chosen to paint them, from the honed black marble countertops to the pot rack made from an old barn hay loft ladder, and finally, that richly stained bead board ceiling and those beams (which match the butcher block center island and floor color) – I LOVE this space. WELL DONE!

I kept this picture fairly large so you could see the floor – it’s a stained diamond pattern, beautifully done so the wood grain remains visible. Check out the vanity, it’s a reproduction of an antique pine cabinet turned into the 21st Century version of a wash basin! The wallpaper (french toile pattern in red),  bead board siding with chair rail and wall sconces are very reminiscent of 18th Century style. Again, notice the true height of the ceiling. By breaking the vertical space with the siding and wall paper, the high ceilings are successfully masked. Proper use of scale and proportion was essential in achieving the correct look of this space!

Even the bedrooms have elements which are nods to the past. The beautifully hand-quilted coverlets, the lace canopy over a traditional pine tester bed, and a wall ladder up to a loft area. But never fear, the master bath is a step forward in time with its spa like color scheme and it’s thoroughly modern fixtures and amenities. Hey, even a devotee of antiquities can and should have a great master bath!

So, tell the truth – if I hadn’t told you this was a new farmhouse, would you have known, or would you have been like me, unsure which way this home came to be what it is today?