Enter a modern Connecticut farmhouse that’s secretly 300 years old

Like so many modern relations, the New Canaan, Connecticut-based architecture firm Brooks & Falotico and their future client, Tyler Mitchell, met via social media. Mitchell, partner and co-owner of Mitchell, his family’s retail business for generations, and his wife stumbled across an ultra-contemporary project from Brooks & Falotico on Pinterest. Weeks later, Mitchell invited founding manager Vince Falotico and one of the company’s partners, Chuck Willette, to visit their former eight-acre dairy farm in Greenwich, Connecticut.

“My wife and I found the 18th century property and thought, ‘Why not restore the existing structures and then build something similar to the [Brooks & Falotico–designed] house we’ve seen and loved on Pinterest? ‘ Mitchell says of his modern farm. “The idea was to connect the joints between the very old and original structures of the farmhouse and the new contemporary structures that the architects were going to add.

The property, complete with a two-level barn built in 1730, an intact original silo and a rustic guesthouse, posed a unique challenge to the architects: “We had to figure out how to build a house. very contemporary main building that sits on the same property as a 300 year old barn, ”says Willette. Moreover, the only way to access what would become the ultra-modern house is through the quite bucolic antique barn, so that “the transition had to be cohesive and fluid,” Falotico adds.

Even though Mitchell and his wife wanted the house to be unique and original for their family, they liked two specific features of the Pinterest project – a country house in New Canaan – so much that they wanted them to be integrated into their new home. . The first was the one-sided metal roof, which “was such a beautiful color in every light that we really had to have it. It was not negotiable, ”admits Mitchell. In fact, he was so obsessed with the shiny charcoal gray hue that he and the architects took roof samples to the New Canaan home for comparison to check for accuracy. The second feature was Marvin’s sprawling windows. “We have customized the windows to look a lot like the ones we saw on this [New Canaan] project because we really liked the look of the house from the outside, ”continues Mitchell. Plus, both features bridge the gap between the property’s age-old elements and super contemporary elements; problem solved.

The architects’ second challenge was more creative than logistical: The Mitchell’s, who had lived in San Francisco for 10 years, wanted the interior design of their Connecticut home to mimic the expansive, open spaces of Napa, California. “Napa was such a special place for us. It has become our sanctuary over the decade we have been in the Bay Area, ”notes Mitchell. The architects’ response? The main part of the house: the great room, a large wallless space that houses two living spaces, an open concept kitchen, a dining area and a wine cellar. Inspiration came from classic Napa wineries. “You’re only really alone when you’re in your room,” Willette jokes. Of course, that’s how the Mitchell’s wanted their modern farm.