Kristine Remedios and John Silva had a shared vision. “We always wanted a modern house with a country feel,” says Kristine. Both Kristine and John work and live in Toronto—she’s an inclusion and diversity officer, and John teaches photography and digital media to high schoolers—but a few years ago, the couple became enchanted with the rural community in Ontario’s Prince Edward County, a three-hour drive from the city.

In the historically agricultural area, previously settled by British loyalists during the American Revolution, they came across a six-acre farm with a dilapidated farmhouse and barn dating back to the 1830s. “There was something about it,” says John. “It had woods and fields and a rolling landscape—it was a very pleasant spot. We thought we were going to save the house.”

Shop the Small Touches

After the couple consulted with architect Nova Tayona, who had been a patron of a cafe Kristine and John used to operate in Toronto, it became clear that the farmhouse was unsalvageable and that they would have to start from scratch. From Tayona’s perspective, it was all the better. “In Ontario, you often see farmhouses with something modest in the back, which is the original structure, and something taller in the front, which is the fancy part that came later,” she says.

The all-new family retreat features 2,500 square feet inside of an L-shaped layout. In a tall three-story volume are the kitchen, dining room, bedrooms, and a loft, and a connected one-story volume contains the living room and screened porch. “I also wanted to create privacy from the road and have an open view towards the field and the barn,” adds Tayona.

Having previously renovated four other properties, including their 1800s-era home in Toronto, Kristine and John were excited to do much of the construction themselves. They took on some of the framing, along with the wiring, the siding, the concrete floors, and the interior finishes. “We like to do the work—and we wouldn't have had the budget to hand it off,” says Kristine. Says Tayona of her clients, “They’re both very handy and precise, and have an understanding of how things come together.”

The couple purposely requested that the house have no closets or built-ins. “We wanted it to be a really simple place,” says Kristine. “It’s so peaceful here. We walk right into a field in the morning.”

Related Reading:

Before & After: a Hudson Valley Farmhouse Masterfully Blends Vintage and Modern

This Modern Farmhouse in Quebec Will Make You Do a Double Take

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Nova Tayona Architects / @novatayona

Builder: Matt Morey

Interior Designer: John Silva and Kristine Remedios/@countyfarmhouse

Structural Engineer: ER Trought Design

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A DIY Couple Build a Farm-Fresh Retreat in the Canadian Countryside