True to the Country

Rendering of the 2004 Progressive Farmer Idea House

Look for our new Idea House and Farmstead. It will be stocked full of ideas for comfortable living.

A new home—honest and true to country traditions—rises on 8 acres outside Murfreesboro, Tenn. We've named it Stones River Farms. The name is taken from the nearby national Civil War battlefield. It is the site of a clash among 80,000 soldiers over the days on both sides of New Year's Day, 1863.

Stones River Farms is the 2004 Idea House and Farmstead. It represents the second installment in the Progressive Farmer country living homes series—a celebration of modern yet comfortable and traditional country life.

"This home fits into a rural setting," says architect Carson Looney of Looney Ricks Kiss Architects in Memphis. LRK designed this home.

But what makes the Progressive Farmer Idea House and Farmstead unique is the farmstead—that is, everything outside of the home.

This year's farmstead will feature a single barn. This multipurpose building will house modern horse stables, a working office, a large workshop area and a tack room.

We'll be displaying tools, an innovative firearms care center, and lawn and farm equipment. We're hoping you pick up some ideas while walking through the barn.

The property will boast a large pasture planted for horses. That area also will include a large wildlife food plot. The pasture will be surrounded by an innovative fencing system.

Also, this farmstead will include an orchard, garden, garden shed, potting bench and—we're keeping our fingers crossed—a pond.

The home itself is built for 360° viewing. Every side offers architectural points of interest. Tall windows offer a soothing alternative to air conditioning and heating—the country breeze.

Reaching back to traditional architectural form, Stones River Farms boasts 1,200 square feet of porch in several settings. These are spaces that extend inside living spaces to the outside. For example, the second-floor media room opens to a nearly 300-square-foot sleeping porch.

"The house lives larger than what it is," Looney says.

Exterior elements of the home are simply crafted. Decorative detailing is added to the roof eaves. Lap siding with a narrow 5-inch overlap and shingles finish the home. Its main porch wraps around from the front to one side of the home. Timber posts and brick piers support the roof and porch deck.

Above a detached, three-car garage is a blow-out 19- x 37-foot trophy room for the avid outdoorsman. The space is designed and sponsored by Field & Stream and Outdoor Life magazines, sister publications to Progressive Farmer.

The Progressive Farmer Idea House is a 5,000-square-foot, four-bedroom home steering clear of the suburban big box look.

Rural homes were traditionally built for expansion. In times past, the initial home construction was followed in flush years by new wings that housed new needs.

Stones River Farms follows that building style. The central portion of the house features a main living area at its center. The kitchen, breakfast area and family room fill this large space. Beams and three side-by-side French doors lead from this area to a large, screened outdoor room. In mild weather, this porch increases the usable space of the kitchen and family room.

One wing of the home—a structure harkening back to the tradition of adding onto the house—holds the master suite.

The house showcases a mudroom. laundry room and home office. The three are located together in an efficient space. This area gives the family organized spaces to shed various items on their way to the kitchen, instead of dumping it all on the table.

A special mudroom feature is the canine care center. This space includes dog-food storage, a fresh water tap, and a shower outfitted for both human and canine use.

The 200-square-foot kitchen is the home's hub, with an open view of the family room. The kitchen and dining room are connected by a true butler's pantry.

Opposite the dining room is versatile space for a library or formal living room.

You can reach the upstairs using the stairs that rise off of the kitchen. Rather than ceremonial stairs in the foyer, this stairway is located for utility, says David Kenoyer, project manager and architect for Stones River Farms.

"We want to put the stairs where they function well," Kenoyer explains. "But function isn't being achieved at the expense of beauty."

Upstairs are three bedrooms, a pair connected by a common bathroom.

A fourth room, the media room, opens to guests through double doors. Designed to view movies, play video games or air music, this room will be wired for cutting-edge video and audio technology.

The home and farmstead will be open to the public from June through August. Watch for weekly construction updates on this web site