A Renovated Farmhouse in Bedford, NY, with Scandinavian Influences

In Bedford, New York, architect Rafe Churchill transforms a small farmhouse, owned by the same family for 30 years, into a modern weekend house with a subtle dash of Scandinaivan style. Over the years, parts of the house had been renovated to accommodate short-term needs, while others had been ignored, so the “interiors showed an evolved history,” Churchill says.

He modernized the home by raising ceiling heights and creating an open floor plan, and worked closely with interior designer Kathryn Fagin of KJ Designs in Boston to furnish the home. What began as a traditional farmhouse vibe shifted over time toward “a mix of farmhouse with a midcentury, almost Scandinavian minimalist feel,” said Fagin.

The furnishings are mostly a mix of midcentury vintage finds and farmhouse style pieces, with some more modern elements to balance it out, said Fagin. “We looked at local vendors where possible but also sourced from across the country and even from Europe.”

Photography by Amanda Kirkpatrick, courtesy of Rafe Churchill; styling by Anna Molvik.

Above: The entrance has floors of hand-dressed antique ash limestone tile from Floors of Stone.

Above: Fagin sourced entirely new furnishings, save for the owners’ collection of artwork. The living room couch is from Montauk Sofa, the black leather chairs are both from 1st Dibs, and the coffee table is from Ikea.

Above: The millwork wall in the living room is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Charleston Gray.

Above: A black dining room set from Sawkille in Rhinebeck, New York, rests on a floor of mixed-grain white oak with a Danish finish (and integrated flush wood heating grills). Above the dining table hangs a Twig 2 pendant from Apparatus.

Above: Two brass Orbit sconces from Workstead flank the doorway to the kitchen.

Above: “The goal was to keep the kitchen looking somewhat masculine but not overly stripped down,” said the architect. One modern note: A trio of green Muuto pendants hangs above the island.

Above: The countertops are green soapstone, and the custom kitchen cabinets are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Dove Tale.

Above: The kitchen faucet is Easton Bridge from Waterworks.

Above: The ceilings were too low in the original kitchen, so Churchill had the floors lowered to create more room overhead. The brass cabinet hardware is from House of Antique Hardware.

Above: In the den, original wood beams frame walls in Farrow & Ball’s Black Blue.

Above: The claw-foot tub and faucet were preexisting in the master bath, but Churchill had both refinished—the tub painted black and the faucet replated in polished nickel.

Above: The white marble shower has a built-in bench of black granite. The faucet is Waterworks’ Easton Classic.

Above: The family room is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Down Pipe. Above the fireplace hangs a Superordinate Antler Sconce from Roll & Hill.

Above: The sunroom sofa is from Janus et Cie, and Fagin found the coffee table and chairs on 1st Dibs. The ceiling is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Vert de Terre and the curtain fabric is by designer Chris Barrett.

Above: The exterior of the black-and-white farmhouse

For more, see:

• A Country House Reinvented by Jersey Ice Cream Co.
• The Craftsman-Made NYC Apartment, Workstead Edition
• Earthly and Ethereal: An Apartment Makeover by Studio Oink