Farmhouse

A glass-lined shower with a Hudson Reed showerhead adds a modern touch to the second-floor bathroom. A pane of privacy glass lets natural light enter the room.

In the existing house, the wood beams were hidden under sheetrock and wallpaper. "I exposed them all, but I didn't let that dictate where the new walls would go," Givone says. "I let the beams fall where they may."

Lower level floor plan.

Upper level floor plan.

Four distinct structures make up the house. Their design echoes the shape of an older, gabled-roof building already on site. “We considered the neighboring construction quite interesting in terms of scale and layout,” de Carvalho says. “Due to the proximity, we felt the necessity to integrate it in the design.”

The architect chose granite for the house’s base, zinc for its roof, and Scandinavian pinewood for cladding—all materials that complement the nearby gray stone building.

The main entrance is on the house’s south side. It leads to a central hall from which all sections of the home are accessible.

PROD Architecture + Design created a farmhouse in Penafiel, Portugal to fuse the aesthetic of traditional homes in the region with contemporary, floor-to-ceiling windows that respond to the environment. Made up of four distinct structures, the home takes on the shape of an existing gabled-roof structure on the site. To complement the stone building, the home incorporates a series of muted materials including granite for the base, zinc for the roof, and Scandinavian pinewood for cladding.

The bedrooms are located on the more sheltered east side. They function as private, closed boxes, as opposed to the more open living room and dining areas.

The updated kitchen is outfitted with stainless steel appliances, including a Bosch range, a Fisher & Paykel refrigerator, and a Frigidaire range hood. The faucet is Hudson Reed.

All of the beds in the house are playful custom one-off designs by Crasset, including the marionette-themed master bed, which a local carpenter fabricated from oak felled in the surrounding forest. The stone fireplace is original.

The designer took his inspiration for the minimal staircase from traditional Polish “duck stairs.” Since they’re narrow, they’re ideal for smaller spaces. The couch was purchased from BoConcept.

The second-floor office is housed inside a rounded rectangle of concrete that the architect inserted on top of the old farmhouse.

A door leads out from the romantic courtyard, lush with plants. “Although we live in a big city, it doesn’t feel like it,” Kolasiński says. “The neighborhood and the nature are very relaxing and quiet.”

In this kitchen, an exposed brick wall stands out against the milky smoothness of the marble tile floors.

The house’s new lime plaster walls, seen here in the courtyard, contrast with the old brick wall that divides the house from Kolasiński’s adjoining carpentry shop. Though the house itself is small, the outdoor spaces and furniture studio bring its total square footage to nearly 11,000 square feet.

Because of the mirrored interior, the VELUX Group placed the roof windows towards the northeast in an effort to minimize any direct light, and hence uncomfortable heat, within the studio.

Even the family’s old magazines are turned inward on the shelf to preserve the house’s monochrome palette. Playful details, like this little monkey, add visual surprise.

A bright corner in the kitchen houses an Electra coffee maker and a quirky pendant lamp by Lightyears.