Shenandoah Farm is a family farmhouse retreat for the principal architect and owner of Pfeffer Torode Architecture, nestled on a sprawling 250-acre property along the Buffalo River in Summertown, Tennessee. This property serves as a countryside escape for gathering with three generations of family and visiting friends. It features a 1,650-square-foot cabin and a 3,635-square-foot lake house.
The architect’s primary family residence is in Nashville, but he desired a place where his four kids could connect with nature. This property has a lot to offer, from fishing in a pond to picking blackberries, kayaking in the Buffalo River, and zip-lining from a tree house. When the architect purchased this family property back in 2014, it came with a pair of dilapidated 1860s structures composed of American chestnut logs.
DESIGN DETAILS: ARCHITECT Pfeffer Torode Architecture INTERIOR DESIGN Pfeffer Torode Architecture LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Daigh Rick Landscape Architects
Above: This bright and airy house sits along the shore of a seven-acre man-made lake. The house and lake were designed just beyond the historic log cabin’s view. The facade features large windows and an open floor plan.
The house centers on a custom-fabricated staircase by a blacksmith that floats around a fireplace composed of Tennessee fieldstone. There are three bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and a large bunk room. Throughout, you will find contemporary Tennessee artwork by artists such as Nikia Crumby and Addie Chapin. The goal was to make this home feel timeless and collected.
Above: The family room of the lake features a pair of Danish modern hunting chairs in oak and leather, designed by Kurt Ostervig for KP Møbler in the 1960s.
What We Love About This Home
This family farm property was beautifully restored with charming details throughout, from the beautiful lake house to the renovated cabin. We love everything about this dreamy escape, from the red hay barn that greets you as you drive onto the property to the preservation of the cabin’s chestnut log chinking to the screened porch for summer evenings. One of our favorite features is the overwater pavilion, with its dual-sided fireplace and Uruguayan open-fire grill, such a fabulous concept!
Tell Us: Would this be your idea of the perfect multi-generational family retreat? Let us know why or why not in the Comments below!
Note: Check out a couple of other fascinating home tours that we have featured here on One Kindesign in the state of Tennessee: Charming historic farmhouse in Tennessee with a peaceful forest backdrop and Dream Home Tour: A charming home created for entertaining in Nashville.
Above: The dining room features Wishbone Chairs by Hans Wegner and a circa-1920, 13-foot white oak table imported from France.
Above: This historic cabin features two adjoined 1860s structures composed of American chestnut. The architect completed a full gut renovation of the cabins while carefully preserving the logs and chinking. The cabins were connected, and the chinked walls were left exposed on both the interior and exterior. Planked walls were incorporated to add volume. The interior includes a kitchen, a family room centered around a fireplace, a screened porch with delightful views of the river, a pair of bedroom suites, and a bunk bedroom that is accessible by ladder.
Above: A cozy and inviting sleeping loft in the cabin.
Above: The cabin features a screened porch perfect for family gatherings and enjoying fresh breezes without bugs.
Above: A close-up detail of the chestnut log chinking. This wood is now virtually extinct, so it was important for the architect to preserve it.
Above: A lakeside pavilion offers a place where cherished family memories are made.
Above: Out back, a boardwalk takes you over the water to a pavilion. The structure is grounded by a dual-sided fireplace. On the side facing the shore and the sandy beach, the fireplace features a Uruguayan open-fire grill.
Above: On the other side, the fireplace opens into a vaulted, screened-in porch. This offers the ultimate gathering place for the family to enjoy the lake and the surrounding landscape.
Above: The kids playing on the Buffalo River.
Above: This red hay barn becomes visible just as one turns onto the property, welcoming you to this countryside escape. The architect named the farm as a nod to his Boy Scout days, when they held events in the Shenandoah Valley in West Virginia. Those fond memories make him associate the place with escape and the idea of better things to come.
PHOTOGRAPHER Ali Harper
0 comments