Description

Nestled within the pastoral enclave of Greenwich, Connecticut, this refined rural retreat began with a singular vision: to extend the cultivated beauty of a Georgian estate's formal gardens into a fully functional working farm. The homeowners, stewards of a brick Georgian residence surrounded by meticulously manicured grounds, acquired a neighboring property with the intention of creating an organic agricultural compound that would harmonize with their existing landscape.

The newly acquired acreage included three existing structures and offered ample room for orchards, apiaries, and a formal vegetable garden, an agrarian dream grounded in both productivity and elegance. Today, this luxury farmhouse architecture project is a seamless extension of the main estate, integrating architecture, landscape, and sustainability into a singular, holistic vision.

At the heart of this transformation were two original buildings, the Cottage and the Studio, both over 80 years old. Though timeworn, their cedar-shingled facades hinted at an architectural lineage inspired by the French Farmhouse Style. To honor and elevate this design language, the team undertook extensive architectural research, culminating in a visit to Marie Antoinette’s Petit Hamlet at Versailles. The romantic rusticity of the Petit Hamlet served as both reference and muse, guiding the architectural language and material selections throughout the project.

The result is a masterful restoration and reinterpretation of historic buildings that now feel timeless, not merely preserved. Every material choice, from reclaimed wood to hand-finished surfaces, was selected to evoke patina, texture, and heritage.

While the original bones of the structures remained intact, nearly every surface was enhanced to meet contemporary standards without sacrificing historical integrity. New stone walls were built to mirror the existing boundary walls, creating a cohesive visual continuity across the property. These are complemented by hand-applied stucco, exposed half-timber framing, and artisanal adze markings, all of which reinforce the rural French narrative of the estate.

A new architect-designed greenhouse serves both form and function, allowing for near year-round cultivation while acting as a spatial buffer between the vegetable garden and the motor court. This structure stands as a sculptural element within the site plan, uniting landscape and architecture with understated elegance.

Inside, the interiors carry through the same dedication to refined rusticity. French plaster walls, flush board ceilings with exposed beams, and stone flooring on the main level create a tactile experience grounded in old-world craftsmanship. Light is thoughtfully controlled and celebrated, soft, diffused, and ever-changing with the seasons, bringing a sense of warmth and continuity with the natural world outside.

The Caretaker’s Cottage is now a multifunctional hub, housing the estate’s gardening office, storage rooms, and a garage on the ground floor. Above, a private caretaker’s apartment is discreetly nestled into the second level, offering both autonomy and proximity. The adjacent Studio building operates as a secondary site office for the homeowner, enabling close involvement with the estate’s ongoing development and agricultural stewardship.

At its core, this project reflects a thoughtful approach to French country estate design, where aesthetic integrity is balanced with modern-day sustainability and purpose. The farm today produces organic vegetables, fruits, and honey, ingredients grown steps from the kitchen yet embedded within a landscape of enduring beauty. The orchards and bee hives are not mere agricultural accessories, but essential elements of a designed ecosystem, shaped as carefully as the architecture itself.

This harmony between utility and elegance, heritage and innovation, is the hallmark of successfully restored historic cottages and luxury farm architecture. It's a testament to what’s possible when rigorous design standards are paired with a deep respect for site, context, and tradition.