Photography by Harris Visual Media | Story by Emily Robertson

When you combine a beautiful farm, a love for the outdoors and a young family with a laid back style ready to build their forever home, the result, at least for one local couple, is a stunning home with a timeless style that is now the perfect gathering place for all of their family and friends.

The homeowners had previously lived in a smaller home, but after having two young children, they knew they needed more space. Their family farm, which totals nearly 700 acres in all, had a separate tract of 120 acres that provided the perfect spot for their new build.

Construction on the five bedroom, five and a half bath home started in July of 2022, and it was move in ready at the beginning of 2024. Every inch of the home was created to suit the owners’ needs, from extra storage in the kitchen and throughout the home, to tons of windows for natural light and views of the outdoors. The family spends considerable amounts of time outdoors on the family farm working and playing, so they knew they wanted a home that is both beautiful and functional. 

The owners say their style is realistic and livable with an industrial, modern feel and they went with neutral walls and fixtures. They wanted a beautiful home, but also a place where their small children could play and they didn’t have to worry about any mess that comes from living on a farm. They made sure to include a built-in hall tree for lots of farm clothes storage and a mudroom right off from the garage where they could get cleaned up from the outside. The owner’s favorite area of the home is the coffee and sitting nook adjacent to the kitchen. She says that her favorite part of the day is sitting and enjoying coffee in the nook in the mornings, where she can look out the window and enjoy the farm and reflect on the blessing of her family.

When it came time to furnish the home, the homeowners had trouble finding direction for their style. They chose to work with Ford’s Furniture to fill the home with decor and furniture and utilized their free design services all through the process, working with designer Clarissa Smith.

“We had a connection from the very beginning and that is what makes these designer and client relationships work so well,” Smith says. “Our personalities worked so well together and when you’ve been doing this for 20 years and your client really trusts you to bring them the very best, it is so much fun to do these kinds of projects.”

The homeowners knew because of a previous purchase from Ford’s Furniture for their young son’s bedroom, that they wanted to outfit their home from the locally owned company that has been in business for 90 years. Smith worked hard to give the homeowners options of furniture for each room and allowed for the owners to pick out the entire home’s furniture in under two hours. She even worked to help combine the styles of requests from both the husband and wife, helping them to find recliners that the husband wanted that fit with the beautiful style of the home.

“They gave me total control and they said they trusted me,” Smith says. “I was so grateful because I could give them what they wanted because I just listened to them. You have to listen to your clients because when I leave here, they live here. I could make it beautiful all day long, but if its not functional, it doesn’t matter. I haven’t done my job if I don’t give them what they want.” 

Smith says she works on many homes and commercial projects each year, but she says all the hard work is so worth it when she knows that families are enjoying the homes she helped design.

“I want these homes to be stunning and beautiful, but at the end of the day, I want my clients to feel comfortable and happy in their homes,” Smith says. “You don’t want a home so sterile that you can’t live in it. Life happens, Thanksgiving, spills, kids, laughter and love, and you want to feel it is your home.”

VENDORS:

Contractor: The Jones Company, Kerry Jones
Furniture/Décor: Ford’s Furniture
Stone: Three Brothers Construction
Cabinets: Bluegrass Cabinets
Appliances: Ferguson
Trim/Deck: Bill Young
Technology: McGown TV
Granite/Quartz: Tate Granite
Windows/Doors: ABC Supply
Tile: Jaquar Masterson
Plumbing: Sullivan Construction Group
Concrete: Sullivan Construction Group
Electric: Joe Woods Electric
Permanent Fixtures: Christen Baker
Railings: James Chaney