A Family Used Its Quirky Collection of Found Objects to Transform a Historic Farmhouse
The renovation features upcycled materials and custom furniture crafted by local craftspeople.
The renovation features upcycled materials and custom furniture crafted by local craftspeople.
When architect Michael Poris was approached to renovate a historic farmhouse in Birmingham, Michigan, he took inspiration from the client’s large collection of found industrial objects. "When we first went into the house, it was filled with industrial objects," recalls Poris, co-founder of McIntosh Poris Associates. "It definitely wasn’t child friendly! It was all sharp, rusty, industrial stuff… but it was really interesting and we wanted to incorporate these objects along with the classic Modernist pieces he had. It’s very eclectic."
"There are some great houses in Birmingham," says Poris. "This one had had been split into two homes during the Depression and there were still remnants of that—two stairs, some of the rooms were chopped up… Many houses like this would be knocked down and replaced, but the client wanted to bring it back to life."
Brett Mountain
The brief to Poris was to make the home more liveable for the client and his young son and to reflect the client’s personal style, without spending a lot of money. As a result, Poris chose to make small changes to the home that would have a big impact, and focus on introducing character to the interior with found materials and custom furniture made by local makers.
The old farmhouse before the renovation. "The home used to be something you would just drive by or walk by and not even notice," says architect Michael Poris. "Now, it stands out as something really beautiful. It just took a change in material and some paint."
Brett Mountain
"The house had been chopped up over time—as it was divided into two homes during the Depression—and didn’t have a functional layout," says Poris. "It had small spaces and an odd flow. We had to put it back together."
The exterior of the home takes inspiration from the old farmhouses and agricultural buildings of the Midwest, but with a more simple, contemporary finish in dark grey.
Brett Mountain
See the full story on Dwell.com: A Family Used Its Quirky Collection of Found Objects to Transform a Historic Farmhouse
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