When a couple with two young boys moved to Maine and purchased a wooded lot in a new subdivision, they asked us to design a home that could accommodate the needs of their family with ample space for guests. They requested that we personalize the design a step further, using their geographic roots as inspiration for the architectural style by blending the vernaculars of mid-coast Maine and New Orleans respectively.

This contemporary farmhouse is the perfect melding of Southern style and New England charm, with an exterior that features a covered porch and steep roof pitches. On the interior, the ten-foot ceilings accentuate oversized windows and doors and generous moldings. The windows sport a vertically proportioned grille pattern, another nod to New Orleans, while the clean trim and wide-plank white oak floors offer the balance of a farmhouse.

An open floor plan kitchen and living area occupy most of the downstairs, along with a formal dining room. A cozy den and daylight basement provide plenty of room for family time and play. The second story holds the bedrooms and a home office. Equally sized bedrooms for the boys are connected by a Jack-and-Jill bathroom, while the owners’ bedroom faces out over the wooded backyard. An in-law suite sits over the three-car garage, which also connects to the main house. We found that the marshy land on the back of this lot provided some building challenges, but we remedied them by elevating the house and designing it towards the front of the lot.

While the fusion of the two geographical styles was an accomplishment, we believe that the timeless feel of this contemporary farmhouse, built with family in mind, is the ultimate success.