For fans of authentically rustic appearances, it is hard to beat the classic wood-and-plastic of the traditional farmhouse. If you can’t beat them, as they say, join them.

This remodel sought to preserve each piece of the historic building possible, while adding elements that were identifiably new and different but still consistent. The result is enchanting.

Newly-added staircases repeat these classic materials but in more modern and abstract ways, one with a floating-tread system and the other with an ornate carved-wood look. The artful integration of these new elements does not tell the full story – much restoration and preservation had to be done to Park Farm in Cornwall before anything new could be added.

Exposed wood beams and rough steel straps remain, tracing horizontal and vertical lines within a landscape of textured plaster walls and ceilings. Some of the original rotting wood had to be replaced; the entire building was thus lifted and retrofitted with additional local timber to match the size, color and texture of existing columns and beams.

New wooden furniture, fixtures and built-ins likewise stand out clearly as contemporary interventions, yet seem well-suited to each space – and unlikely to look dated in the future. Moreover, they are primarily constructed semi-separately from the core structure, and one could imagine it would be relatively easy for a future owner to dispense with these additions should tastes indeed change over time.

All in all, this is a great example of balancing between an authentic rural property with a great deal of traditional appeal, while adding the necessities for modern living (without compromising the original aesthetic).

What was a nearly-defunct and essentially unsafe building with sagging roofs has become an comfortably inhabitable semi-modern home.