Book Description

A look at the farmhouses of the northeastern United States and their many approaches to their renovation, restoration, and interior design. The American farmhouse represents integrity, ingenuity, capability, and our rural and agricultural heritage. Farmhouses today are survivors from another era, constantly being rediscovered, revived, and restored in different, creative ways—though all share the same timeless aesthetic. In this fresh look at the American vernacular farmhouse, photographers Steve Gross and Susan Daley set out to document twenty revived farmhouses, and their stunning photographs illustrate the many individual approaches to the renovation, restoration, and interior design of the modern farmhouse. Found in many architectural styles, from humble Cape Cods to refined Greek Revivals, the homes in this book have all been reinvented over the years to accommodate individual tastes and changing needs while maintaining the spirit of a true American farmhouse. Furnished with vintage details—wood-burning stoves, enameled kitchen sinks, chenille bedspreads—and rooted in landscapes of rolling fields and mountains, these are the homes of the multigenerational families, solitary shepherds, graphic artists, architects, and organic farmers at the forefront of the renewed interest in the farming lifestyle. The accompanying text tells the history of each house, how it has been passed down from generation to generation or rescued from abandonment and neglect, and how the inhabitants live in and use the homes today. From three-hundred-year-old Sydenham House in Newark, New Jersey, to Sylvester Manor on Shelter Island, New York, this is a look at American culture through that most celebrated and quintessential building style, the farmhouse. Praise for Farmhouse Revival “Those interested in a homey, country style of decorating or in home restoration will be inspired.” ―Library Journal “Above all, the greatest joy is just looking at the beautiful time-worn places and appreciating the way those that came before led a happy and fulfilling life of simplicity and utility within their walls. For once you have read this book, you will realize that in many ways, it is the farmhouse that helps to restore us, and not the other way around.” ―Preservation.com “Buy the book Farmhouse Revival for the photos―for inspiration . . . the authors clearly know architecture and antiques.” ―Dan’s Paper “Perusing Farmhouse Revival is a marvelous experience . . . and is sure to make readers wonder what stories the farmhouses in their towns could tell.” ―Cleveland Plain Dealer