A newly built farmhouse in Momence, Illinois, was designed to blend into its rural setting as if it had stood there for generations. Aimee and Kevin Buccellato of Buccellato Design and Architecture worked with the homeowners, a retired couple returning to their Midwestern roots, to give the house a sense of history while restoring the property’s original 19th-century barn and corn crib.
The 6,000-square-foot home has four bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms. Its design draws on traditional farm complexes, which often grew gradually over time. The aim, the designers said, was for the new house to feel like a sensitive continuation of the property rather than a conspicuous replacement for its former farmhouse.
Inside, antique white oak flooring, salvaged beams and heritage-inspired patterns help establish the historic character. In the kitchen, a broad bank of windows replaces upper cabinets, opening views across the farmland toward the barn and walnut trees. Storage and practical features are set in an adjoining dish room and larder, while salvaged oak beams and barnboards reinforce the agricultural references.
Other rooms take cues from the landscape and the home’s setting. A dining-room mural references the Kankakee River, and the glass porch looks out toward the river. The primary bedroom pairs earthy neutrals with pale blues, while a tucked-away speakeasy recalls the original farmhouse’s stone foundation.
The result is a new home shaped to feel rooted in its surroundings, alongside the restored outbuildings and mature trees that define the property.
Sources: House Beautiful.