New York farmhouse combines rustic and contemporary design

Rustic elements are given a design-led twist by multidisciplinary design studio Arthur’s, which draws on natural materials for a New York farmhouse.

The residence in Stuyvesant, New York, is the latest project from Nick Spain’s design studio, who worked with Chad Williams Contracting to encapsulate his fascination with art movements including the Hudson River School and the Barbizon in an understated design. Quirks of the original farmhouse inspire the aesthetic throughout: the first owner, who paid the masons he employed in the 19th century by handing paper bags of cash out the window, inspired the emphasis on humble materials. A fireplace in the dining room is centred around a wood-burning stove, replacing one which had to be removed.

The wide, green planks of the original floor make a natural foil for the muted colour palette throughout, from the green soapstone countertops and smoked oak cabinets to a bathroom encompassing a concrete wall and mosaic tiles. 

Two custom pine daybeds in the living room inspired by Donald Judd and Alexander Girard bring warmth to a space complemented by burlap-clad walls. Simple pieces – raffia sconces that line the walls, Berber rugs in the bedroom, and Santa & Cole’s ‘Tekio’ pendant – riff on the Hudson River School’s philosophy of welcoming nature into all areas of life.  

The stairwell leading upstairs marks a change of mood and of tone, from the earthy ground floors to the light-filled top of the house. The main bedroom, cast in Farrow & Ball’s Peignoir, recalls the late sunsets of summer. White broken joint tiles from Artistic Tiles and a concrete sink in the bathroom stay faithful to the offbeat minimalism, with custom curtains adorned with Alexander Girard’s sun designs in the guest bedroom. 

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