Blue Moon Farms, The Great Room
I loved our old house- where we made cherished family memories, and hosted fabulous parties for our friends. Everyone thought we were crazy to move and build a new house! However, we wanted horses and an organic garden-and to stay in our school district- so we needed a property with at least two acres. After an exhaustive search and an offer on a farm that fell through, we happened upon a “for sale” sign just over a mile from our house- on two acres with woods and the Chicago River on one side, and plenty of room for our horses to roam.
Finding an architect/builder was a no brainer- my husbands best friend from high school Timm Martin is one of the best! I poured over Pinterest, instagram, and design magazines like Country Living for inspiration- we knew we wanted to build a modern farmhouse and the style we ended up with could best be described as “Napa Farmhouse.” So- why did we sell the house we thought we would live in forever, and wait almost four years to move into our dream house? Well… see below!
Welcome to Blue Moon Farms. We loved to entertain but at our old house, a classic colonial, but people would be spread out, in different rooms. Now we all gather here in the Great Room, whether it is for a family holiday, casual game night, or a themed event. In this space and the adjoining courtyard, we are all together.
The dining table was made by a woodworker in Michigan using old barn wood set on a steel X base, and can seat 14 (if we pull the chairs from the game table by the windows to each end.) Our farm is bordered on the East by the Chicago River, and history shows us that Potawatomi tribe once lived on this land in the late 1600’s. We tried to honor their spirit with touches of Native American artwork and inspired accessories throughout the house. We purchased that property as well simply to maintain our farms woodsy glory.
A few essential items on our must have list for the architect- high ceilings, a huge fireplace, and lots of windows! We found the stone at a quarry that brought it in from Montana- many of the pieces have stalagmites, which sold us on this stone for sure. The floors are reclaimed barn wood- complete with scratches, stains, and holes it’s like it came right from the Little House on the Prairie. We had this fabulous horse photograph by Ron Seymour above the mantle at our old house. The only wall it fit on was going up the stairs to the second floor so it was hardly ever noticed. We made sure it has a place of honor at the farm. The gun mounted below is vintage… my dad traded a piece of gum for it around 1934!
The driftwood and iron chandeliers are custom made by The Brothers of Industry in California. Our friend and designer Keek Bielby saw something similar at a restaurant in Santa Barbara and tracked down the designer. They are 9 feet in diameter! One of them arrived broken so the artisan flew here and sat on the floor fixing it for two days! Someone commented once it’s like sitting under a fire pit, which makes me love them even more!
The kitchen is where everyone always gathers- especially in our house! My husband Jim bakes bread everyday, and is our resident chef for family meals as well as group gatherings like Friday Pizza Parties! We incorporated vintage elements throughout to lend a bit of farmhouse authenticity to the modern aesthetic. The brick backsplash is salvaged “Chicago Brick” which has a unique look due to our geographical location. The kitchen was designed by O’brien Harris. Our designer Laura O’brien had some great ideas like staining the cabinets black instead of painting, which allows the wood grain to show through.
Can you guess the meaning of the painting high above the hood? We found it on our first trip together, in New Orleans at Martin Lawrence Gallery. The artist Robert Deyber paints with “visual imaginings that reside in the realm between reality and fantasy.” The painting is called “Angel Hair” so it fits perfect in kitchen. The diptych above the windows is called Playlist we found it at Fredman Design gallery in Union Pier. It is a song list of many greats from several generations which you can listen to, and sing along with, here on Spotify.
The kitchen island is twelve feet long, which allowed for a large five foot sink. We continuously use both faucets whether for dinner prep or party time. For events requiring more counter space, there is a custom walnut piece that fits over the sink so it can be used for bar/buffet when needed. In the background is Jim’s dough table, where all the magic happens! He bakes sourdough bread every day in his Challenger Bread Pan, up to twelve loaves which we give away to friends and neighbors in our community. The steel windows on the dough table open up to the heated screened porch which we use ALL the time! You can see the barn in the backyard, there’s nothing like horses wandering past while you’re having diner al fresco!
“The Grand Hallway” is referred to as such perhaps because of the 27’ high ceilings! The reclaimed barn wood floors extend throughout the first floor (with the exception of the Bar/Conservatory.) The artwork I found at Home Goods! They are archival pigment prints on birchwood with oil paint and resin created by the artist Courtney J. Garrett.
I couldn’t believe my luck when I walked into Home Goods (two years before we actually moved in) and saw one, then two, then a third piece! I grabbed the tags and scooped them up- we had to get a storage space (which filled up quickly) for them because of the large size- the tree with cows is 5 feet by 5 feet! I am coveting one of her Equine pieces but we have run out of wall space!
Our friend Keek Bielby of Blais Design who guided us through the design process, also sourced some key pieces of artwork for our house. She found a vintage hitching post at an antiques fair, which our metalsmith then cleaned, re-painted, and re-purposed into a newel post!
Most of art we have found on our travels, but occasionally closer to home. The feather face masks by Gwen Bennett we happened upon at the Lake Forest Art Fair several years ago and they just fit so perfectly here at the farm! Our friend Keek found this incredible horse sculpture made out of found driftwood, at an estate sale in Saugutuck, Michigan at the artists home. The horse sits prominently in the center of the Great Room, and is visible from the street through our glass door!
The metal prints we found while walking to dinner in Bar Harbor, Maine many years ago. It was a Friday evening and there was a gallery having an opening for the artist, Lisa Lebofsky. We drank champagne, fell in love with the gallery owner Diedre, and bought this series (and a hummingbird sculpture.) The gallery is now located in Northeast Harbor. We visited them last summer and found the most incredible evening garden painting.
Our son Billy spent some time a few summers ago with the famed wildlife photographer Thomas Manglesen. We purchased the photograph, of two moose with the Tetons in the background, from his gallery during a fundraiser for Saving the Wild. It was taken in his home town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming- one of our most favorite cities!
We are so happy we built our dream home- especially now that we have spent 27 solid days here (aside from a few hurried grocery and pharmacy visits.) This is such a strange and scary time for everyone. Our days are full of bread baking (Jim), e-learning (Henry & Taylor), and endless house projects (me!) Yet we are still going a bit stir crazy- we miss the rest of the kids- adults who don’t live with us, and our friends that gathered at our farm every Friday night for pizza parties! It is also a time for reflection- what/who is important, and how will this world be changed when we come out on the other side. I try to remain positive and believe we will find a safer, healthier way of life and this too shall pass. Plus, my teenage son is forced to watch TV and play backgammon with me- bonus! We are looking forward to our organic garden being planted this Spring, as being home has made me realize that… I like being home. I am ready to tend the vegetables and harvest the herbs and grow a pumpkin patch. I want to get my hands dirty and spend time in the sun. At home. Please stay home, and stay safe, we are all alone but in this together!