We recently visited Patina Meadow and it’s amazing to see how much progress has already been made. Even after thirty years of designing, it still amazes us to see our dreams and visions unfold in reality through human energy and intention.
Just as Steve and I turned our hopes and dreams into Patina Farm over the past ten years, we’re doing the same thing now with Patina Meadow. We love to start our days with an early morning walk, discussing our ideas and plans for the new property.
Our process always involves talking, dreaming, sketching, gathering information…then more talking, more dreaming, and more sketching. Steve’s incredible drawings help us bring our visions to life in the early stages.
In every design we do, we always look to the history of an area. The Patina Meadow property is just outside a small town called Leiper’s Fork, twenty minutes from Franklin, TN. My dear friend, Kerri, gave me a book called Letters from Leiper’s Fork and it’s been so fun to read and absorb the local knowledge. We also drove around the area to look at other cabins to get a feel for the local design and aesthetic.
Speaking of the cabin, the remodel is well on the way, as that’s where Steve and I will live while our new home is being built.
Since we wanted to preserve and honor its history, we will be keeping the log walls from the original cabin, and replacing the newer wood siding with reclaimed barn wood.
We will also be using reclaimed barn wood for the beams in the front. We love how they look like could have been a part of the original construction.
If you have been following us for a while, you will know how much we value natural light, so we have added some more windows.
On the inside of the house, we are also preserving the original logs, as well as the stone fireplace. We will be drywalling the other walls to brighten up the space.
After a lot of discussion and meetings with contractors, we decided to take the original barn down for safety reasons. The barn was originally built in 1860 and though we adored its character and treasured its history, the structure itself was no longer stable. It had been added onto and changed so much over the years, that we were advised it would be best to take it down.
We’re using all the wood from the barn throughout the rest of the property. The best wood will be used for the cabin floors, doors, and counters. We plan to use the rest of the wood when we begin building other structures at Patina Meadow. We love that we are able to incorporate a part of the property’s history into our own family story.
The pasture for the animals (who will definitely be moving with us!) will be right behind the cabin, so we can look outside and see them every morning. We’re planning a small cutting garden in front of the cabin, to create a comfortable and beautiful entry to the home. We love designing gardens that change through the seasons.
It’s important to both of us to set a welcoming, relaxed tone when someone comes to our home. We’ve planned a rustic gate built next to a charming stone gatehouse when entering Patina Meadow. It will be framed by green trees and surrounded by clipped boxwood to create an enchanting arrival to the farmstead.
Our new home will be built on the hill overlooking the cabin and barn area.
We’ve set ambitious goals for Patina Meadow, but we can’t wait for this new adventure. It’s truly amazing to see your own dreams come true and I’m so grateful you’ve joined me here to follow along. To stay in the loop, be sure you’re following Patina Meadow on Instagram.
Keep dreaming,
xo
Brooke
