A Maine Farmhouse Built With Salvaged Materials

Caleb Johnson Studio combined materials recovered from a vintage farmstead, as well as a midcentury modern teardown, to create the ultimate modern farmhouse.

A Kennebunk family needed their forever home, and the old farmhouse and barn that stood on their property wasn't going to cut it. The architects at Caleb Johnson Studio started the process by salvaging everything they could from the old buildings, including the timber roof structure, interior wood cladding, and interior doors. Additionally, the architects also claimed cabinetry and fixtures from a midcentury home that was being torn down in Weston, Massachusetts. By incorporating such materials into the new home's design, they were able to create a modern farmhouse with soul. 

A Maine Farmhouse Built With Salvaged Materials - Photo 1 of 10 -
A Maine Farmhouse Built With Salvaged Materials - Photo 2 of 10 -
A Maine Farmhouse Built With Salvaged Materials - Photo 3 of 10 -
A Maine Farmhouse Built With Salvaged Materials - Photo 4 of 10 -

This is apparent with regards to the home's framework. The architects write on their website: "The structural system is a hybrid of a stick-framed shell over an amalgam of new and antique timbers, fortified with structural steel, all used without obscuring their identity or function." Large Marvin windows and an unpainted galvalume-coated steel roof complete the exterior.

A Maine Farmhouse Built With Salvaged Materials - Photo 5 of 10 -
A Maine Farmhouse Built With Salvaged Materials - Photo 6 of 10 -
A Maine Farmhouse Built With Salvaged Materials - Photo 7 of 10 -
A Maine Farmhouse Built With Salvaged Materials - Photo 8 of 10 -

Now, granite blocks pulled from the old farmhouse foundation dot the yard. Repurposed doors received bright new paint colors. And inside, "exposed structural elements were left unfinished" to evoke their origins, all the better to blend old and new.

A Maine Farmhouse Built With Salvaged Materials - Photo 9 of 10 -
A Maine Farmhouse Built With Salvaged Materials - Photo 10 of 10 -
Melissa Dalton
Dwell Contributor
Melissa Dalton is a freelance writer in Portland, Oregon, who has been writing for Dwell since 2017. Read more of her work about design and architecture at melissadalton.net.

Published

Last Updated

Get the Renovations Newsletter

From warehouse conversions to rehabbed midcentury gems, to expert advice and budget breakdowns, the renovation newsletter serves up the inspiration you need to tackle your next project.