Tour this barn-inspired South Carolina farmhouse with tranquil pond views

Dark board-and-batten farmhouse with stone chimneys and glowing windows at dusk, with two gabled wings joined by a timber-framed breezeway

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This beautiful farmhouse family retreat in Chester, South Carolina, was designed by Pursley Dixon Architecture in collaboration with Whitlock Builders. Its design draws inspiration from traditional American barns, early churches and a 1920s icehouse, keeping a sense of rural simplicity while offering distinctive, comfortable living spaces for the whole family.

The home sits on a peaceful property of rolling pastures and ponds. Expansive windows throughout frame these picturesque views, while a warm mix of glass, stone and wood siding gives the exterior a welcoming, timeless character. Designed as a weekend getaway for a family from nearby Charlotte, North Carolina, the home offers about 3,000 square feet of living space, with two bedrooms, a bunk room and three and a half bathrooms. Remarkably, not a single sheet of drywall was used anywhere in the house. Here, the family rides horses, enjoys the pond, camps and hosts friends and holiday gatherings, with African safari tents pitched near the pond for overflow guests.

DESIGN DETAILS

ARCHITECT Pursley Dixon Architecture
BUILDER Whitlock Builders / Tim Schaftner
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Page Landscape
PHOTOGRAPHER Chris Edwards Photography

A Barn-Inspired Retreat Among Ponds and Pastures

Gray gabled farmhouse wing with a stone base and metal roof beneath a large tree, with a misty pond in the distance at sunrise

Above: The farmhouse is nestled into a tranquil setting, surrounded by mature trees, lush landscaping and a beautiful pond.

What We Love About This Home

This stunning farmhouse retreat feels like it was made for slowing down. The exterior blend of glass, stone and wood is warm and inviting, and inside, an open and spacious layout encourages the homeowners and their guests to relax and enjoy their time away together. Overall, it is a beautifully designed home that feels both classic and timeless. As the architect puts it, the house was designed to be all about comfort, “much like wearing a pair of blue jeans.”

Tell Us: What do you think of the design of this home? Would this be your ideal family vacation retreat? Please share your thoughts in the Comments!

Note: Be sure to check out a couple of other fabulous home tours that we have highlighted here on One Kindesign in the state of South Carolina: A modern hillside retreat nestled in an idyllic forested South Carolina landscape and This stunning South Carolina home has epic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Board-and-batten farmhouse with a timber-bracketed overhang above a wood deck with lounge chairs, overlooking a misty pond at sunrise

Above: A sheltered wood deck lined with lounge chairs is the perfect spot to watch the sun rise over the pond.

Light-Filled Living Room With Pond Views

Living room with a long linen sofa, two skirted armchairs, and upholstered ottomans in front of a large grid window overlooking the pond

Above: In the living room, a large and inviting sofa is perfect for relaxing. It sits in front of a generous picture window that perfectly frames views of the pond and surrounding landscape. Wooden flooring runs throughout the main living spaces, adding warmth to the home. Rather than building around a grand entry meant to impress, the architect designed the house around the spaces the family actually uses every day, like this light-filled reading nook.

Open living and dining area with a white-beamed ceiling, a sofa table stacked with books, a trestle dining table, and an open staircase with rope railings

Open-Plan Dining That Opens to the Outdoors

Dining area with a rustic trestle table, metal bistro chairs, a rope-hung fabric pendant, and built-in shelves of antiques and hats

Above: In the open-plan living and dining area, a floor-to-ceiling wall of glass slides open like a barn door, turning the space into an open-air room on pleasant days. On cooler evenings, the family can dine beside a crackling fire. A metal, linen and rope pendant from South of Market hangs above the farm table, which is surrounded by industrial café chairs.

A Rustic Kitchen With Found-Object Lighting

Kitchen island with a whitewashed wood top, metal stools, and wire catfish-trap pendant lights

Above: The oversized wire pendant lights above the kitchen island were crafted by the architect from old catfish traps the homeowners discovered in the woods on their property. A long whitewashed wood island lined with metal stools offers plenty of room for gathering in this rustic kitchen.

Concrete farmhouse sink beneath a tall window, with gray cabinets and open white shelves

Above: A five-foot-long concrete sink sits in front of a tall window that extends below the countertop, letting natural light pour in both above and beneath it. Open shelves take the place of upper cabinets, keeping the kitchen feeling light and airy.

Home Office and Rustic Bedrooms

Home office with a desk and wicker chair beneath a double-height window with linen curtains, flanked by reclaimed barn wood doors

Above: A double-height window floods this farmhouse home office with natural light, framing views of the pond beyond.

Bedroom with a vaulted shiplap ceiling and wood beams, a ceiling fan, and glass doors opening to a covered porch and pasture

Bedroom with a stone fireplace below a rooster painting, a white quilted bed with a faux fur throw, painted floors, and a galvanized ceiling fan

Above: This rustic bedroom features a stone-clad fireplace. The wood on the flooring, walls and ceiling has been painted, adding to the relaxed farmhouse feel.

Farmhouse Bathrooms

Bathroom with a curved gray vanity, white basin, mirror and sconce, white hexagon tile floor, and a sliding barn wood door

Shower with green mosaic tile and a linen curtain beside a reclaimed barn wood sliding door, with a wire chair and white towel

A Bunk Room Made for Sleepovers

Bunk room with curtained built-in beds and black swing-arm sconces on both sides, clerestory windows, and a game table on a jute rug

Above: On the third floor, six built-in beds provide cozy alcoves for sleeping, and curtains can be drawn to close off each bed for privacy. Clerestory windows tucked into the home’s distinctive double-decker roof flood the bunk room with natural light. The architect borrowed this stacked roof form from a 1920s icehouse, which used it for ventilation; here, it adds extra ceiling height without raising the overall roofline.

Bathroom with two white vessel sinks on a live-edge wood counter, black wall-mounted faucets, framed green farm animal prints, and a wire chair

Above: The layout lets two couples settle into the second-floor bedrooms and baths while the kids pile into the bunk room, which shares this roomy third-floor bathroom with its pair of vessel sinks.

Staircase and Family Room

Open white wood staircase with thick rope railings, between the dining area and a living room with a stone wall

Above: The open, ladder-like staircase keeps the main living space feeling airy rather than visually divided. Thick rope railings carry that open feel through; the architect felt wire would have been too modern for the home’s simple farmhouse character.

Family room with two slipcovered sofas facing a stone fireplace, a reclaimed wood coffee table, white ceiling beams, and stacked firewood

Outdoor Spaces for Relaxing by the Pond

Stone-walled porch with a timber-bracketed roof, Adirondack chairs, and potted grasses overlooking a lawn and tall cedar tree

Tall fieldstone chimney between board-and-batten walls, with a metal roof, clerestory windows, and timber pergola beams

Above: Like a true barn, the home is built from durable materials: wood siding, a stone chimney and a crimped metal roof. Most visitors assume it is a century-old converted barn, and the house was carefully sited to make the most of the pond views.

Gray barn-inspired farmhouse with a three-story main wing, a stone-chimney guest wing, and a timber breezeway on a green lawn

Timber-framed covered outdoor living room with a stone fireplace beside a gray gabled wing with a metal roof and tall windows, with a silo in the distance

Above: A timber-framed covered porch with an outdoor fireplace creates a cozy spot to gather in any season.

Farmhouse with board-and-batten wings and stone chimneys beneath a sprawling tree at sunset, with two silos on the hillside

Above: The property’s concrete grain silos may one day be converted into usable space, with sweeping views from the top.

Gray farmhouse with a tall fieldstone chimney and a separate gabled wing on a grassy hilltop, framed by mature trees under a clear blue sky

Farmhouse on a rise beyond a green pasture, reflected in a still pond lined with tall grasses

6 Comments

Jess C.

19 minutes ago

I wish they had explained the double roof over the main house. Is this an energy-feature or just cosmetic?

Author

8 hours ago

Reply to Jess C.

Great question! The double-decker roof was inspired by a 1920s icehouse, which used the stacked form for ventilation. Here, it lets the architect add extra ceiling height without raising the overall roofline, and clerestory windows tucked between the two roof layers fill the third-floor bunk room with natural light. So it’s functional, though more for headroom and daylight than energy savings. We’ve added these details to the post!

Melissa D Fetterolf

2 hours ago

what is the square footage of this beautiful home!

Reply to Melissa D Fetterolf

Thanks for asking! The home is about 3,000 square feet, with two bedrooms, a bunk room and three and a half bathrooms. We’ve updated the post with these details.

Pam

I thought this was an absolutely beautiful home. The lay out and finishings were beautiful. Only negative was the rope on the stairway. I thought it looked out of place and nautical. Congratulations on a beautiful project.

7 hours ago

Reply to Pam

Thank you, Pam! Interestingly, the rope was a deliberate choice. The architect wanted the railings to feel as open as the ladder-like stairs, and felt wire would have been too modern for this simple farmhouse. It definitely adds a unique touch!