A Modern California Farmhouse

The remodeled exterior of the Farmhouse is warm and welcoming with white board and batten walls, a standing seam black metal roof, wooden ornamental trim including oversized exterior corbels and pillars and a gorgeous stained Dutch door.

Photography by Darlene Halaby Photography

Discover how this home became the perfect farmhouse.

A farmhouse doesn’t have to be centuries old! New farmhouses are everywhere, like this modern California farmhouse that had portions of the original home demolished and rebuilt. This was not only to refresh the older abode but to ensure that the resulting home met California land regulations. After a year of construction and with the help of Olga Dean, principal designer and owner at Olga Dean Interior Design, the final house went from a dated residence to a modern and functional California farmhouse.

The original house was built in the 1970s and had no heating or AC. But it had beautiful tall ceilings, and it was in a lovely region of Southern California called ‘Trabuco Canyon.’ However, the house also came with what amounted to “a super funky exterior,” says Olga. At first, it seemed like demolishing the home in total was the best solution to construct a dream home.

A covered deck has wraparound views of the Trabuco Canyon surroundings. — The open deck allows lounging outside to enjoy the California climate, day or night. The home’s largest dining table is actually on this deck.

With its open beam ceiling and tiled floor, the deck offers an interesting farmhouse perspective that looks out on green trees in the canyon. — Olga decorated this space with warmth in mind. “We used a large woven weave rug, an existing traditional dining table with new rattan end chairs, an antique, white-washed bench with large oversized pillows, and accents consistent with a farmhouse setting,” she says.

Remodeling Rules

But the homeowners, Mike and Norma Flood, opted instead to remodel the existing residence. That’s because demolishing the home and building from the ground up would have required making significant concessions with their land, says Olga. “However, remodeling was by no means a simplified process,” she says. The team, which included builder Jason Adams, President of Streamline Construction Company, took portions of the home down to the studs.

Also Read: How to Create a Remodel Budget

A gray counch sits under a beam ceiling made of dark wood. White shiplap covers some of the walls and the wood floor appears aged to make a warm farmhouse setting. — “The kitchen is visible upon entry to the home and showcases so many of the features which make the residence special by conveying a fresh, new feel while retaining vintage charm,” says Olga.

The project took several years to get off the ground. They had to deal with land use regulations from the city, as well as the local Orange County fire authorities. Doing this ensured every aspect of the residence met with fire protections. “The home required complete demolition where allowed,” Olga says. During construction, they demolished the third floor and rebuilt it with high ceilings and new energy efficient, large picture windows. They also took the second floor and basement down to the studs, reconfigured and updated everything, while still maintaining the required 8’ ceilings.

A view of the kitchen with shaker style painted green with blue and white terracotta tile under a wood range hood. — In the kitchen, traditional shaker style is painted green in Black Forest by Dunn Edwards. The countertops are Taj Mahal leathered quartzite, while the island and the range hood are constructed of reclaimed oak wood.

Also Read: DIY Kitchen Remodel Tips

Modern Farmhouse

To make this modern California farmhouse, Olga and the construction team also redid the exterior. “The exterior of the home was given a completely new look, erasing any remnants of the previously existing odd-looking architecture,” she says. Now, the new exterior design feels much more modern farmhouse.

A stone wall acts as an accent wall behind the bed. Reclaimed vintage oak floors and little custom extras like the bedside shelf tables come together to give this space an open and airy feeling yet one which is warm and welcoming. — “The most salient feature of the bedroom is the massive stone wall at the headboard end of the bed,” says Olga. Here, large windows and reclaimed vintage oak floors add a further rustic touch.

Inside the home, its farmhouse style feels cohesive and welcoming. “The goal was to blend the best of vintage-inspired farmhouse with fresh, timeless contemporary flair,” Olga says. The team added in “many large and tall windows to take advantage of the rolling hills view,” she says. They also added vintage reclaimed oak flooring, rustic shiplap, bare bulb lighting through the main floor and other areas, and a black and white palette with color accents like green.

Embracing History in a 1920s Bungalow

A star tiled floor works as the bathroom eye candy and pairs well with the large white tiled walls. — “Each of the secondary bathrooms has its own unique design inspired by whomever was the intended user. However, there are consistent design elements that run through all of them,” says Olga.

Also Read: Modern Farmhouse California Retreat

Another angle of the bathrooms shows that the tub sits in an enclosed space like a wetroom. — Large star tiled floors offer a stunning contrast to the paired down bathroom interiors.

All of this points to a modern California farmhouse look that the owners realized they loved. “While farmhouse style was not necessarily the Floods’ initial home design goal, the final interior and exterior design outcomes undeniably spelled out ‘farmhouse style,’ which they quickly embraced and now wouldn’t trade for anything.”

Ready to see more dream farmhouses? Check out this Georgia dream home! Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for your daily dose of farmhouse inspiration!