Scrapbook > Irwin's Country House (10)
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View from the Road
The house is about 2,000 square feet and was built in the early 1900s. It's typical "farmhouse style." The dining room to the left was added in the 1920s, with additional rooms added in the middle of the 20th Century. The railings, decorative brackets, and posts on the porch are made of cypress wood and the style is the American equivalent of Victorian cast iron work. The porch is divided by the posts and decorative woodwork into three bays and the second floor has four windows. The 4-over-3 relationship adds to the visual interest. Photo by Bruce Buck Photography.
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On the Porch
Irwin and his family spend a lot of time on the porch swing talking to neighbors as they walk by. The chairs are 1930's rattan and the swing is from the same period. Most of the antiques and furniture were purchased from area antique stores and country auctions. Photo by Bruce Buck Photography.
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Patio & Pergola
This shot is of the side of the house, showing the pergola Irwin added a few years ago as well as the side of the renovated living room with the new chimney and oval window that's visible in the upstairs master bath. The original metal siding from the 1960s is still on the back part of the house, waiting for Phase 2 of the renovation which will match the cement composition siding on the front. Photo by Bruce Buck Photography.
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Living Room
The main shot of the living room is in the direction of the dining room (back right). The walls and ceiling have been finished with a waxed plaster finish and the edges between the walls and the ceiling have been smoothed (with the plasterer's thumb) to create a soft edge. This is to make the ceiling appear taller as, typical of such period homes, the ceiling is quite low (about 2m25cm). Also, the shiny finish of the waxed surface as well as the low scaled furniture, adds to the height of the ceiling. The living room has a new wide plank white oak floor that's been wire brushed to give it an old rustic texture, although the light - natural - color makes it appear more contemporary. Photo by Bruce Buck Photography.
Living Room Renovations
Two small windows and large built-in bookcases used to surround a formidable stone fireplace on this wall of the living room. Irwin's renovation plan tore down the old chimney, which jutted too much into the space, and had a new chimney built outside. New French doors look out onto the garden and bring more sunlight into the space. The daybed you see in the photo is from the 1960s. The mantle is of Irwin's design and is adorned with Murano glass doorstop snails, a Dorothy Draper-inspired 1940s mirror, and a female wood nude sculpture with Deco designs. Photo by Bruce Buck Photography.
Dining Room Addition
This view looks into the living room from the step-down dining room addition (originally from the 1940s). The floor was changed from brick to tumbled Travertine Noce and laid in a large-scale pattern based on the sidewalks in Paris. The windows were replaced to make the walls look taller and still have a more formal molding detail at the ceiling. The wall plates were bought on Irwin's trips abroad. The jardiniere on the dining table is French and was bought in Paris. The built-in library shelves hold books and collectibles, with undercounter storage for china and dinner service pieces. Photo by Bruce Buck Photography.
Be Our Guest
Irwin's guest room saw no structural changes during the 2006 renovation, but the room was decorated. Based on the Ralph Lauren bedding, Irwin painted the beadboard paneling a great blue tone. The Overnight Accommodations sign is from an old inn. An Art Deco parchment-covered dressing table is used as a night table. The delicate metal headboard on the guest bed is one of Irwin's designs. Photo by Bruce Buck Photography.
Master Bedroom Suite
Irwin combined two small front bedrooms in the original farmhouse to make a master suite, consisting of one large room with fireplace, a walk-in closet, and a master bath. You can see the tray ceiling effect, created by raising the original ceiling height by bumping up into the attic space. The loveseat in the reading nook was bought at a country auction for $10. It had a red gingham slipcover hiding the fabulous 1970s velvet print. Rather than placing the chimney in the center of the wall, Irwin placed it slightly off-center to accommodate the loveseat. The carpet is a patterned sisal and the mantel is a classic design of Irwin's matching the same Indiana limestone as in the living room. The cabinet to the right of the fireplace is burled walnut and was made in the 1940s. The coverlet on the bed is from Donna Karan. Photo by Bruce Buck Photography.
BEFORE Picture of Living Room
What a difference! This is a view of the pre-renovation living room. The old stone fireplace intruded into the room and blocked traffic flow from the front door on the right. Small windows undersold the great view of the patio and gardens outside. Homemade bookshelves added clutter to the room and places to gather inches of dust. Cheap pine floor, intrusive baseboard heading ducts, and low ceiling tiles made this room a challenge that needed tackling.
BEFORE View of House Exterior
Renovation created a dramatic difference in the curb appeal of the house. Irwin concluded that the enclosed front porch visually pushed the house too close to the road. To help it recede, he tore down the old structure and had it rebuilt as an open front porch with inviting low railings and lacy scrollwork details on the posts. The landscaping changed as well, with all the daylillies dug up and planted behind the property's protective deer fencing (which you can see on the right of the picture). Nuda and yellow groove bamboo was planted in front of the stone retaining wall to protect the property from the road, adding a fluffy Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon cloud of green shoots that the newly renovated home seems to float upon.
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