“The best designs aren’t always born from what’s new or next but are often built on ideas we borrow from history.” In the era of modern and minimal, that’s an enlightening sentiment, particularly when it comes from a 30-something interior designer. In recent years, small-town boy James Farmer has made a big name for himself in the design world thanks to his fresh perspective on the traditional Southern aesthetic. So when his college friends Brandy and Mitchell Martin purchased a tired antebellum house for their young family of four, they knew exactly who to call on to revive it.
Photo by Emily Followill
Layers of luxe fabrics soften the paneled walls and millwork and the brick fireplace surround in the study.
Built in 1845, McCurdy Plantation is among the last few working farms in the sleepy town of Oak Bowery, Alabama. Although its stately façade showcases many of the hallmarks of Greek Revival architecture, early records indicate that it was originally designed in the Federal style with a two-column portico and Juliet balcony.
Farmer believes that the addition of the deep porch and colonnade may be due to the influence of John Wind, a renowned British architect who traveled extensively throughout the South around that time, leaving his mark on the area. Later, at the turn of the century, the interior of the home was remodeled to meet the styles and standards of the day but remained untouched until the Mitchells took ownership in 2017.
Photo by Emily Followill
The shiplap-wrapped range hood ties together the home’s original and updated spaces. The subway tile backsplash, copper lantern, and furniturelike cabinetry imbue the contemporary kitchen with a classic feel.
“The condition was both a blessing and a curse,” Farmer says. “A blessing because so many of the authentic architectural elements were still intact, just begging to be revealed and restored. A curse because it lacked a functional kitchen and pantry, garage, modern bathrooms, and other amenities that we expect today.”
Working with Atlanta-based architect Norman Askins, Farmer unearthed design surprises throughout the house and righted more than two centuries’ worth of wrongs. Dated paint colors and dingy wallcoverings were peeled back to expose layers of plaster and shiplap that stretched up to 12 feet above the wide-plank heart pine floors.
“A museum is a nice place to visit but certainly no place to live—especially for a family with young kids. So while we worked diligently to honor the home’s rich past with a historically accurate design, we made comfort a priority, along with color and pattern.”—James Farmer
Photo by Emily Followill
The foyer is flooded with natural light from the transom and sidelights that encase the original double doors.
Photo by Emily Followill
“Every time I see Gone with the Wind, I fall in love all over again with the climbing hydrangea wallpaper in Scarlett and Rhett Butler’s house,” says Farmer. “For the upstairs foyer, we used Quadrille’s version.”
“Brandy was a dream to work with because she was fearless when it came to using bold colors and big prints,” he said. “She trusted me and recognized that our choices—as daring as they might have seemed to some—were classically rooted and would therefore stand the test of time.”
The color story began in the dining room. Walls swathed in warm apricot, a go-to hue for English dining rooms for centuries, gave way to the rust-colored grass cloth walls in the study and the natural-finish heart pine shiplap in the family room. Initially, Farmer had selected an animal-print wallpaper for the space but changed course after stumbling upon the exquisite woodwork when opening up a wall.
Photo by Emily Followill
“This dining room is like an eccentric great-aunt,” says Farmer. “Beautiful but a little bit off.” The designer created a harmonious hodgepodge by mixing linen curtains, a sisal rug, and a cane-and-bamboo sideboard with Chinese Chippendale chairs, a double pedestal table, a gilded mirror, and a crystal chandelier.
“Heart pine was everywhere in this house, from floor to ceiling,” Farmer says. “Back when the house was built, it was a very accessible material. It wasn’t considered a splurge or relegated to the floors, so when we found it on the walls, there was no way we could justify covering it back up. We used a whitewash in the foyer and linseed oil in the family room. The subtlety of these finishes allowed all those perfect imperfections to peek through for more depth and dimension.”
Photo by Emily Followill
From the artwork to the upholstery, a broad spectrum of cool blues tempers the warmth of the heart pine shiplap walls.
The simplicity of the woodwork also balances the mélange of motifs presented on the rugs, window treatments, upholstery, and wallcoverings. Floral, plaid, and chinoiserie prints—once considered traditional—read as anything but old-school because of their invigorated colorways and exaggerated scale.
“People often think of antebellum homes and envision serious, stodgy interiors,” Farmer says. “While we Southerners do love our antiques, heirlooms, and other fineries, a little lightheartedness sure goes a long way.”
Photo by Emily Followill
The 800-square-foot addition was seamlessly integrated thanks to architect Norman Askins.
Photo by Emily Followill
“It’s like Southern style meets Hamptons style,” says Farmer of the pool house that was converted from a barn.
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Photo by Emily Followill
“I always joke that my favorite color is plaid and my second favorite color is trellis,” says Farmer, who chose Schumacher’s Zanzibar Trellis wallpaper for the breakfast room.
Photo by Emily Followill
Hand-painted chests reminiscent of Chinese export porcelain were the starting point for the master bedroom’s blue-and-white palette. The Matouk custom scallop-edge linens are a crisp counterpoint to the knotty wood pencil-post bed and oversized inlaid mirror.
Photo by Emily Followill
The master sitting room is well suited for resting and re-energizing.
Photo by Emily Followill
The bath marries modern luxury and old-fashioned charm.
Photo by Emily Followill
The botanical-print wallpaper and shades echo the woodland views from the master bath.
Photo by Emily Followill
The wood-framed mirror above the sideboard was part of the original owners’ estate.
Photo by Emily Followill
The screened porch epitomizes Southern style with a bed swing made in South Carolina and chairs from Georgia.
Photo by Emily Followill
The fretwork design of the antique English secretary blends Edwardian, Queen Anne, and post-Victorian elements, making it a “stylistic mutt” that complements other pieces of varying provenances.
Photo by Emily Followill
A custom transom recalls the relaxed elegance of caning.
By Margaret Zainey Roux | Photography by Emily Followill
This story originally appeared in Flower magazine’s May/June 2019 issue. See more interiors by James Farmer.
