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Some homes demand to be renovated. Others beg to be understood. When designer Mika Frechette embarked on the restoration of a sprawling 19th-century farmhouse in Waterbury Center, Vermont, she recognized both its extraordinary potential and its formidable challenges.
Nestled just outside Stowe and overlooking the Green Mountains, the 4,500-square-foot structure displayed the kind of quality craftsmanship, timeworn materials, and honest patina that can’t be replicated. But beneath its historic charm lay a dated floor plan unsuitable for modern family living, especially for her clients—a young family of five relocating to the area from the Sunshine State. “It’s everything that their former house in Florida was not,” says Frechette, lead designer and founder of Stoneledge Studio. “Both are beautiful but incredibly different from the outside in.”
The living room is neither frilly nor fussy. Custom bookcases flank an antique French limestone mantel. Sofas and chairs are streamlined, and windows are dressed in a mix of soft curtains and relaxed Roman shades. A Julian Chichester chair and ottoman anchor a cozy corner.
Willam Waldron
Original art by Malene Birger hangs above a salvaged Indonesian bench in the spacious entry paved with seventeenth-century Belgian bluestone. Frechette purchased the artwork for her clients during a visit to Mallorca.
William Waldron
A moody wallpaper mural from Thibaut wraps the powder room walls, framing an arched vanity niche clad in antiqued mirrored tiles from Made Goods. The sink and faucet are vintage finds from Olive Atelier.
William WaldronSet back from a two-lane country road, the structure once served as the centerpiece of a 40-acre dairy farm, where uninterrupted views stretch across rolling fields to the Green Mountains. Although the setting was idyllic, the house presented a series of architectural obstacles. Low eight-foot ceilings, dark interiors, and a maze of compartmentalized rooms created spaces that felt heavy and disconnected. Rather than imposing a contemporary aesthetic onto the historic farmhouse, Frechette collaborated with architect Adam Davis of Goldsmith & Davis to thoughtfully reinterpret its footprint in a way that would preserve its past and prepare it for 21st-century living.
To capitalize on the views and modernize the workflow, the kitchen ceiling and walls were bumped out. The custom range hood mimics the antique mantel in the living room and complements the reclaimed flooring from a centuries-old French estate. Custom cabinetry painted in Benjamin Moore Sandy Hook Gray. Visual Comfort lighting.
William Waldron
A walk-in pantry was designed to function as an “active kitchen” for entertaining, with counter space for food prep, a deep farm sink and dishwasher, and plenty of storage. The versatile space can also function as a wine bar in the evening and coffee bar in the morning.
William Waldron
Inspired by traditional Delft tiles, the homeowners commissioned KV Tiles to produce handpainted backsplash tiles in the pantry. Each tile depicts a special place or memory, like the street where they met and their favorite bottle of wine.
William WaldronThe dark, damp basement was fully excavated and reimagined as a sunlit European-style potting shed with plaster-clad walls, reclaimed limestone flooring, custom steel-and-glass doors, and wood-paneled ceilings. Two floors up, the attic underwent an equally dramatic transformation. What had once been little more than storage space now accommodates visiting family and friends with three guest bedrooms, a bunk room that sleeps six, and four bathrooms.
The basement was reborn into a garden room bound by a wood-clad ceiling and Dalle d’Aquitaine French limestone floors. A 19th-century French farm table pairs well with a vintage stool from the homeowner’s grandfather. The custom cabinetry was color-matched to the True Caliber refrigerator.
William WaldronThe renovation’s greatest feat, however, unfolded on the main level. To alleviate the home’s compressed proportions, Patterson & Smith Construction undertook the painstaking process of lifting the attic floor joists with steel supports, raising the ceiling height from eight feet tall to slightly over nine feet. The extensive structural work required created an opportunity to rethink the home’s circulation. As a result, smaller, enclosed rooms gave way to expansive living and dining spaces filled with natural light, while the kitchen was enlarged and repositioned to optimize flow and functionality. “The kitchen has the best views from inside the house,” notes Frechette. “The Green Mountains stretch as far left and as far right as you can see, completely unobstructed.”
To balance this bedroom’s tall ceilings and low windows, Frechette designed the headboard to tuck beneath the sill. Richly textured window and wallcoverings imbue the lofty space with warmth. Oly Studio chandelier; Knot & Co. rug.
William Waldron
An arched alcove in a bedroom offers a cozy spot for an afternoon nap or extra sleeping space for houseguests. The paint color was custom-mixed to meld seamlessly with the Romo mattress cover.
William Waldron
The bunk room was designed with growing children in mind. Custom beds feature built-in drawers for books and toys and rounded corners to help avoid bumps and bruises.
William WaldronThroughout the renovation, preserving authenticity remained paramount. Rather than relying exclusively on reproduction materials, Frechette sought elements with histories of their own. She sourced reclaimed white oak flooring through a Boston-based dealer who hand-selected centuries-old boards from châteaux and manor houses throughout France. Belgian bluestone and vintage oak cabinetry introduce warmth and permanence, while a 17th-century stone fireplace anchors the interiors with subtle grandeur. To complement their patina, Frechette chose a warm, natural palette including umber, sage, and aubergine. She also wove in rich textures like grasscloth, wool, linen, and rattan.
The screened porch is comfortably furnished with scalloped wicker seating. Frechette’s goal was for the outdoor spaces to be as well-appointed as the interiors. Ashley Stark outdoor rug; Hudson Valley light fixture.
William WaldronThanks to these carefully curated layers, the farmhouse expresses the spirit and soulfulness of a home that has endured—where history is not merely preserved but celebrated through design.
