When Anna and Michael RiCharde bought 42 acres of farmland in Leicester just outside of Asheville, North Carolina, they knew they were in for a wild ride. “We got the land in 2019, and there was nothing on it except for some barbed wire fences on the perimeter,” says Michael. The first order of business: building a functional yet cozy home that could withstand the wear-and-tear of a farmer’s life, yet still attend to the family’s creature comforts. The couple turned to Anna’s brother, Zach George of Montana-based Workaday Design, who was eager to give form to Anna and Michael’s hard-won farming lifestyle with a high-craft home.

Hailing from different ends of the country, Anna and Michael met in the middle when they attended the same college near Chicago. “After we graduated, we decided to go work together on a livestock farm outside of Asheville,” says Anna. “We found a great community here for farmers and small farms, and never left.”

By the time they took the leap to create a farm of their own, the couple had earned their stripes. “These two put in the time living on a farm, working on a farm, and really getting to know the industry and the market before they took on this project,” says architect Zach George. “Our visions for the home aligned in that we wanted to create something that was sensitive and respectful to the local farm vernacular, but also modern.”

While modern in comparison to local working farmhouses, the resulting 1,053-square-foot home offers a more rustic, functional take on the trendy modern farmhouse style popular in new construction today. “I wanted something where if an old-timer drove up—which they often do—they would say, ‘Cool house!’,” laughs Michael. “We wanted it to look like it had been here a long time.”

Learning from the local agricultural design language, which emphasizes functionality and durability, George incorporated Cyprus siding, poured concrete floors, and a galvanized metal gable roof. Inside, yellow pine ceilings soften the space, and scissor trusses allow for a tall pitch and spacious interior volume. “We used elements that you would see on a typical farm,” explains George. “But it was important that we not make it overly industrial. It still needed to feel like a warm home.”

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The home’s rational, rectangular plan centralizes common living areas at the core, with two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a laundry room encircling the perimeter. A simple sliding glass door opens to a covered concrete slab, extending the livable space outdoors.

“It was important to make the indoor/outdoor connection so Michael and Anna could really live in the landscape,” says George. “It'’ very fluid,” agrees Michael. “There’s a continuation from the home to the porch, and our fields beyond. I feel free to open the door and just walk out to my next task on the farm.”

Since settling into the home earlier this year, Michael and Anna have been busy raising two young children while they get their farm—named Good Wheel—off the ground. “We had built up a lot of energy over the years, so we’ve blurted out some projects—but we still have a lot to do,” says Michael. So far, the couple have planted an acre of hazelnut trees, developed a riparian area along the property’s flood zone, laid the groundwork for a natural wine vineyard, and welcomed a flock of Katahdin sheep. “We’ve learned you have to earn your way into being a farmer,” says Michael. With their farmhouse, it’s clear Anna and Michael have brought to life a home that’s as hardworking and down-to-earth as they are.

More from Workaday Design:

Twin Gable Roofs Form the Ultimate Surf Shack—On a Lake in Montana

Before & After: A Design Duo Give Themselves Free Rein to Experiment With Their Portland Bungalow

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Workaday Design / @workadaydesign

General Contractor: J & A CM Custom Home Builder

Cabinetry Design & Installation: Killeen Old House / @kileenoldhouse

Farm: Good Wheel Farm / @goodwheelfarm

Photography: Sadie Culberson / @sadieculb

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A Working Farm in North Carolina Is Capped by a Cozy Modern Farmhouse