This Tennessee Home Puts a Modern Spin on the Classic Farmhouse

Text by Bethany Adams

After a drive through the countryside led a young Tennessee family to stumble onto the perfect plot of land, the husband and wife’s dream of building a home for their golden years came true earlier than they had expected. Calling on the help of Megan Glenn Architecture, Pritchett Smith Builders, and Kelly Lord Designs, they began to plan a house that would be a haven for their family for decades to come.

“The initial concept was a modern take on the traditional farmhouse—mixing a Japanese or mid-century modern transparency and connection with nature with a traditional farmhouse,” says architect Megan Glenn. She notes that the black-painted wood exterior “leans toward a shou sugi ban aesthetic,” referring to the Japanese method of preserving wood by singeing it, while warm-stained wood details contribute a modern flair. “The linear porch connecting to a breezeway at the back of the house was another nod back to the traditional feel of a farmhouse,” she adds.

Positioned on 15 acres of land and surrounded by dense forest, the home’s interior design needed to take into account the one-of-a-kind views on every side. “The positioning allows views to the hillside all the way around the house, with the house being pulled back from the tree line,” says Megan, who incorporated not only plenty of windows but also a number of outdoor and screened-in areas that help blur the line between the structure and its surroundings. A color palette that’s at once rich, bold, and natural lends itself both to the classic farmhouse and elevated contemporary facets of the design, highlighting details such as the black window frames and honeyed ceiling beams.

While Megan notes there are no windows in the kitchen, she explains the surrounding spaces “allow enough transparency that it never feels as interior as it is.” An appliance garage and pantry, as well as cabinet-paneled appliances that match the cabinetry painted Sherwin-Williams’s Gossamer Veil, keep the space feeling clean and ready for dinner prep, while the wooden accents ensure there’s plenty of warmth to be found.

Nearby, a sleek fireplace contributes more warmth, having been intentionally raised to be at eye level for the family as they gather around a custom-made dining table. “The crowd favorite is the dining room, with the location being compartmentalized with a traditional feel yet modern with its openness to the kitchen and family room,” says interior designer Kelly Lord.

The screened-in porch offers another spot to appreciate the land in comfort while remaining connected to the family room, dining room, and kitchen. With enough comfortable seating to accommodate the whole family and wood finishes that blend in with, rather than distracting from, the views, there’s little reason to come inside—apart from the fact that the rest of the home is just as inviting. “The aesthetics of the interior feel calm, cozy, and collected; no space feels overbearing or loud,” Kelly says. “The entire design—exterior and interior—feels [like an] authentic reflection of the homeowners.”