A Modern Virginia Farmhouse Blends Organic Design with Southern Landscape Traditions

“The siting was facilitated by a knoll on the property, which provided an intrinsic setting, and the water on the site naturally flowed around that spot,” explains Cooke. “We also considered the approach to the house from the road to create a very engaging drive with all these ‘moments’ that draw you in from afar,” adds Richardson. The property’s expansive width proved an asset for this goal and also came into play when considering the design of the house. “When we met with the architects, we didn’t have a clear idea of the style of the house, but since we had lived in so many, our primary focus was on how we wanted it to function for this stage in our life,” says Rhodes. “We wanted it to feel indigenous to the property with a more refined attitude than a typical farmhouse.” Cooke leaned in and designed a home with a meandering floor plan that allowed for floor-to-ceiling windows throughout with abundant views that embrace the natural setting.

“When it came to materials, we used a mix that would impart a more intimate and cozier feel in the landscape,” says Cooke. Those included variegated fieldstone and dark cedar-stained siding, which artfully disguises the tractor storage structure at one end of the home. “We also wanted a nod to Virginia’s architectural heritage, so we included exposed framing and timber detailing on a charming building that serves as storage and outdoor enjoyment with its stacked stone fireplace.”

The studied use of materials continues in the architectural interior finishes and all throughout the design. “From the very beginning, we discussed a balance between sophistication and rusticity,” says interior designer Melissa Colgan of Melissa Colgan Interiors. “Given the proximity to metropolitan D.C. and the architecture, we aimed for a refined and polished style laced with more causal notes that reflect the way the Rhodeses live and the setting.” For example, Colgan chose a backsplash for the kitchen with a handmade rough look but executed in a glossy finish. The team also played with hardware finishes from imperfect, unlacquered brass to brilliantly polished nickel. The palette rises from the landscape with sepia, terra-cotta, tobacco, marigold, and faded indigo hues. “No color is super-saturated or too shiny because we didn’t want anything to feel overly precious,” says Colgan. The designer strived to keep the new house from looking like acres of drywall. “Sheri was not that drawn to wallpaper, so we chose limewash and plaster finishes and used white oak paneled treatments for a sense of age,” she says.

“Melissa understood our cleaner, more organic aesthetic, and she also embraced our desire to incorporate all the varied treasures we had collected over the decades without it looking like an international market!” says Rhodes. “A Chinese cabinet found a home in the living room; a huge carved Thai table serves as a coffee table in the den; and our Oriental rugs are sprinkled and layered throughout,” notes Rhodes. “The interiors feel both refined and Virginia farmhouse in the best way.”

Of course, no project would be complete without an equally compelling landscape. Richardson was on the job from the inception to navigate and bring some order to the expansive property. He began by planting about 200 trees before construction even began and then crafted a highly detailed outdoor floor plan with individual garden rooms that serve varying purposes at his client’s behest: “The Rhodeses came to us with a very defined program and had precise ideas of what they envisioned,” says Richardson. “Those included an orchard, a place to raise bees, a vegetable garden, and also fields to mow with a tractor. Later, we focused on preserving and growing the meadowland.”

Between the kitchen and dining room, a multipurpose built-in makes for easy prep and bar service. “We used a more saturated hue and topped it with soapstone to give the space some distinction of its own,” says Colgan.

The garden rooms teem with Southern plantings such as Shasta daisies, Virginia sweetspire, Southern wax myrtle, oakleaf hydrangea, abelia x. grandiflora, and ‘Beatrice’ roses. The team included multiple groupings of trees, such as dogwoods, in the rear of the property and ‘October Glory’ maples to line the chipped stone driveway.

“An evolving garden is how I would describe this property in a nutshell,” says Richardson. “Early spring bloomers give way to mid-summer flowers and then to late-fall’s spectacular grasses. The Rhodeses and our firm constantly update the landscape with thoughtful additions and tweak what’s there.” From inside and out, the entire professional curation is rooted in history while firmly planted in the here and now.