Kim Case Photography by Joseph St. Pierre

Related Articles

Homeowner Nancy Wood’s eyes go wide as she talks about the first time she and her husband Steve saw the sadly overgrown, and nearly abandoned property in York, Maine. She had always wondered what might be up the long tree-lined drive. Three years ago, out of curiosity, she and Steve explored the run down buildings and immediately fell in love with the possibilities of this 300-year-old farm. As the owners of Moon River Development, the couple had a keen eye and knew they had a gem in the rough. Somewhere beyond the overgrown trees there was an amazing view waiting to be seen, an elegant grand dining room begging for attention, and an enormous attached barn that spoke of long ago summer soirées. Undaunted by the task, the couple bought the property at auction and set to work.

The Wood’s architect, Scott Fiorentino, AIA, says of his first response to the house, “It would have been easier, financially, to tear this 19th century farmhouse down and build a new ‘period replica.’” (Most developers would have, and, in this case, were planning to, according to others who were in attendance at the auction.) But with that approach, you lose the important years of the life of the house, and an icon that has its place in the town’s rich history,” Scott says.

Exposed stones of the foundation add to the masculine feel of the billiard room.

Quickly the Woods assembled their team, and over the course of just one year the house emerged from its state of neglect into the house they had envisioned. As renovators of the Fuller place in Hampton, they had the skill to and team to have taken a completely historic approach. But for this house in York, the couple agreed they wanted to take a different tack. Steve and Nancy were eager to make sure that Highland Farm would remain true to its period style, yet offer more flexibility for real living. As the couple’s family continued to grow, the house not only needed to accommodate the demands of their frequent entertaining, but serve as a suitable family house for their three children.

“In the summer, the kids love the barn and the pool,” Nancy says. Thanks to some creative architectural planning, her three children, two girls and a boy, have their own suite of rooms. “They love having their own space, and Pierce loves his loft,” Nancy says, referring to the small loft in her boy’s room reachable only by a small ladder, every young pirate’s dream perch.

Highland Farm, in its new renovated state has been designed around an active family’s lifestyle. “In this case dogs, cats and goldfish included!,” says Fiorentino: “Although the heated inground swimming pool off the gardens and courtyard is very nice for summer gatherings, my personal favorite area on the property has to be the barn. It boasts a beautiful, massive stone fireplace, a bar/food prep area, and two ‘original’ bowling alleys. Duck pin, of course!’’

Preserved Indian shutters and custom-made chairs in the front parlor.

Aside from some repairs to these unique antique bowling alleys, the barn itself was left virtually untouched. It sits at the end of the house, curving in like a protective shoulder and inviting every visitor to come play. When the great doors slide open, waves of nostalgia waft out in the breeze, smelling of fresh hay.

Beyond a doubt, the true heart of the house is the grand dining room, a surprisingly inviting room for one of such size. When the Woods first saw the room, the original wide wood paneling was hidden under coats of sky blue paint and it was clear that the coating had to go. Even the rough hewn posts were gently sanded, the paint painstakingly removed with dental picks to restore them to their pristine condition. Today, a chandelier designed by Nancy and her interior designer, Michael Cebulla, hangs above the lengthy table, just one of the many joint projects the two worked on,

“I am fond of mixing antiques with many different styles of furniture; this can give a room a certain warmth and character,” the designer explains. “Both Nancy and I have a great respect for antiques and it was fun to combine the elegance of period antiques with comfortable, more functional furniture.”

As the Woods move on to their next project, Highland Farms is on the market once again, but with this loving and complete renovation, it won’t likely be for long.

Kim Case is Editor-in-chief of ACCENT Magazine. Catch up with her at the ACCENT Report, our daily design blog.

Joseph St. Pierre (js-photography.com) provides creative photography and digital solutions for editorial and corporate clients throughout the U.S.