Our Friends Bought the Farm!
This past weekend, we spent 24 blissful hours with friends on their farm in the country. We either strolled around and laughed together, or drank wine and read, or ate fresh veggies, or played with the kids in the magnificent milk house/playhouse, or caught toads.
Yes. Toads
Grace is crooning to it in a soft voice, "Hi buddy...do you want to play?" The toad? Freaking out.
Don't get me wrong. I LOVE living in the city with its hustle and bustle and public transportation and abundance of things to do. And yet. Country living is so serene. So calming.
Kurt and Jenna bought the farm from his family after they moved back from Hong Kong. Kurt plunged right into renovating and updating the century old house and some of the buildings around it. It is cozy and stylish and the perfect place for entertaining city-weary friends.
Kurt is a landscape artist and master gardener. Jenna and I are trying to talk him into starting "Weekends at the Farm" where weary city folk can escape and learn about organic gardening on small plots, or planting container gardens, or how to hardscape your yard, or how to design playspaces for kids outside. He could also teach gardening for kids as he is fantastic with kids and infinitely patient.
Guests could catch the train from the city into Woodstock and stay at a B&B if they like. Wouldn't that be cool?
Then we would all drink tasty wine and eat fantastic meals from the garden. Here, Jadyn is demonstrating how she makes the tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella salad.
Aaron and Kurt are hanging out on the veranda, watching the Sandhill Cranes. Well, Kurt is watching the cranes. Aaron is watching Wired Magazine.
Kurt incorporated very old salvage that he found in the house and the barn into the design of the new house. Like antique sliding barn door hardware. And old windows with wavy glass between the office and the dining room.
He kept some elements (original pine floors, beadboard ceilings, wooden beams) while updating others (new kitchen cabinets and countertops, new light fixtures). The house is the perfect blend of Jenna and Kurt, giving a nod to Kurt's midwestern heritage while pulling in pieces of Jenna's Korean ancestry. Old farmhouse meets new globetrotting adventure seekers.
Even their garage is lovingly appointed!
And here is the view from the balcony...it's a beautiful life. They are wonderful friends for sharing it with us.
For more about the special playhouse that Kurt designed for Jadyn, see here and here.
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Comments
Jealous. Very jealous.
Posted by: Sarah | August 25, 2008 11:18 AM
No worries, Sarah. We want to get you and TK out there soon!
Posted by: jm | August 25, 2008 9:25 PM
how fun it was to be with you and your family tonight and to get to see your beautiful house in progress in person. wow! perhaps we'll see you on the 1st....thank you for the invite. lisa
Posted by: Lisa | August 25, 2008 10:46 PM
Can Nora and Chris and I come along to the country, too? Plus, I must show Chris that stone patio! That is EXACTLY what I have in mind for our little house! Get out of my head, Kurt and Jenna! Ah, some year.
Posted by: Lisa in Oak Park | August 26, 2008 7:28 AM
Looks fantastic. I'd love the perfect combination of country and city living. Is there such a thing? (sigh)
Posted by: Amy | August 26, 2008 11:03 AM
I love the idea of a farm in the country. Made not for full time living yet, but most definitely for getting away on long weekends. Only problem with my dream scenario is that I need to find a caretaker for the farm during the week, I have to get it figured out soon, I'm dying to get more rural!
Posted by: New York Fence | August 27, 2008 1:55 AM