An Historic Home
Georgia-based designer, author and lifestyle expert James Farmer leapt at the opportunity to update this home, one of the last working farms in the eastern Alabama community of Oak Bowery. The stately home and outbuildings retained many of the architectural features original to their 19th century construction, which offered Farmer the opportunity to peel back centuries of ill-advised cosmetic changes and reveal the property's authentic beauty.
Farmer was also eager to customize the home to suit its new owners — Brandy and Mitchell Martin (who happen to be his college friends) and their two children. He had his work cut out for him: now-necessary features like a garage, modern bathrooms and a functional kitchen and pantry weren't part of the original 1845 home's plan. In partnership with architect Norman Askins (a fellow Georgian), Farmer planned a contemporary comeback for this historic home.
