Sonoma Style Farmhouse. Before and After.

Before and After

May 28

While some designers are steering away from the farmhouse aesthetic many of us won’t ever grow tired of the traditional farmhouses that weave through the scenery of our rural towns and open lands of our country. While the modern farmhouse might have seen a resurgence in recent years from the Fixer Upper franchise, more traditional farmhouses have been constructed since settlers started to inhabit areas just outside city’s grasps.

Last year we updated a Victorian farmhouse that was constructed right in the middle of the Serrano Golf Course community in El Dorado Hills, CA. While none of the neighboring homes were farmhouses, the original owners who constructed the home had moved from the Northwest for a job change and wanted to replicate their beloved home they were forced to leave. The home was constructed using high quality cedar beams and green metal window casings. The roof was tile as was required in new homes of its time since fire risk in the area is high and it blended with the western vision of the area’s developer.

We wanted to update the home’s exterior without drastically changing it. We liked the Victorian embellishments and overall aesthetic we just thought the dark color of the wood siding on a heavily wooded lot needed to get lightened up to be more inviting and family friendly.

Since the home was located in a custom golf course community with a strict HOA we knew that the crisp clean whites we often associated with farmhouses we liked wouldn’t get approved. We chose a warm muslin white from Dunne Edwards Paint Company that gave the home a more updated look while honoring the developers requirement that the paint color stayed in a more golden tone. The home looks pure white, it’s only after careful observation in certain lighting that the warm tones are more visible. We kept the window casings green since the expense of repainting them was overwhelming and probably wouldn’t be long lasting since factory applied paint is always stronger than what’s applied later.

We updated the lighting which was gold, to a more subdued black iron and paired some modern farmhouse looks with traditional barn lighting to keep with the character of the home and also blend more seamlessly with the more modern builds in the neighborhood.

Since the roof was a lifetime tile roof we didn’t explore the expense of redoing it rather we had it pressure washed and cleaned by a professional moss removal company to give it new life.

All deck railings were also painted with the warm muslin white to allow them to not stand out as focal points.

We had a new front door custom designed and painted in a graphite black. We added window glass panels to the door and sidelights to allow for more natural light to enter the home since the trees blocked much of it and caused the entry to appear dark before the transformation.

We also added new graphite black pots and olive trees next to the front entrance to blend with the green window trim and give the home a Sonoma look that could be easily updated or changed if needed. We also added a bench and adirondack chairs in black wood to offer front porch seating for warm evenings with a glass of wine or storm watching which can be exhilarating in this part of California.

On the first day of the painting process we were stopped in the middle of the road by a oncoming neighbor in her car. She burst into tears thanking us for bringing the home back to life and turning what some considered a dated eyesore to become a favorite home again by many. We were so honored to be a part of this remodel and get messages and emails from neighbors and visitors to the area who compliment the makeover we completed.

Shop the Look