Design team, homeowner collaboration produces farmhouse dream home on Rushing Wind Lane

A recent collaboration between a Lexington homeowner and a fervent design team has transformed a home just off Iron Works Pike into a farmhouse luxury in horse country.

The house, owned by Visse Wedell, was built in the early 1980s on about 30 acres on Rushing Wind Lane. The home had never been updated, so Wedell teamed up with Lexington-based Crawford Builders on a complete transformation of the home.

The house’s stucco exterior presented significant problems to its structure. The stucco, a popular building material in its time, was like Styrofoam, and water was infiltrating into the home. It was rotting it from the inside out.

The design team with Crawford Builders, including contractor Chip Crawford, interior designer Terri Crawford and in-house architect Nate Owning, and Wedell began the home’s transformation last November. The exterior was stripped and replaced with Hardie siding and trim, the house was completely re-insulated, new windows and doors were installed, the foundation was faced with a natural limestone and the patios a bluestone. The house’s sunroom was opened and it was given operable shutters and a mahogany-stained front door, all contributing to its farmhouse appeal.

The inside was given a contemporary touch with modern working fireplaces and a completely re-vamped kitchen with custom cabinets and appliances, a walk-in pantry and Caesarstone countertops. The home was originally built with two bedrooms and 3  ½ baths, but when the project was completed in about nine months, the home had five bedrooms, each with their own bathroom and dressing area.

The design team completely reconfigured a new master suite on the first floor with a large walk-in closet and custom shower. The upstairs area was reworked with a sitting area and four en-suite bedrooms, all with custom maple floors with an onyx stain.

Wedell has developed the property, remodeled a barn, built a new barn and installed 11 paddocks and other equipment for equestrian events and boarding and leasing operations. She originally planned to renovate the house and use it for short-term leasing during hunter jumper events, but has decided to reside there. There are two houses on the property, and Wedell is collaborating with Crawford Builders to transform the other house with its French country design in mind.

The newly-remodeled home now has a classic black and white exterior, and the inside has a warm feel with lots of natural light. Accent walls throughout the home provide a touch of retro motif. The walls are painted with lots of greys and blues, and many of the rooms were redesigned with light floors and cabinets. The master suite’s walk-in closet has eight built-in shelves just for shoes and a vanity. The accent details, like the kitchen and living area light fixtures and sliding barn doors, give the home a truly unique design.

The design team spends a tremendous amount of time with its clients to take the homeowners’ personal tastes and design ideas to help them to find the right pieces and elements to go into their homes. They focus on function while staying within their financial budgets, and the team is proud of the finished product on Rushing Wind Lane.

This story was originally published November 27, 2016 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Design team, homeowner collaboration produces farmhouse dream home on Rushing Wind Lane."