Traveling Time & Space

A historic farmhouse finds new life in the 21st century.

WORDS ABBY L. JOHNSON PHOTOS COURTESY OF MOONTOWER

For those who dream of living in the fine craftsmanship of a storied structure but also crave urban life, it can be tough to find the ideal home. Yet, in 2016, a young couple found the best of both worlds.

Arelocated 1900s farmhouse was given a new lease on life when Claire and Justin Tapscott enlisted the help of the Moontower Design build team to bring their home into a modern era while holding true to the classic details they love about their home.

The pair purchased the house in 2016 and inherited with it a rich well of stories. The sturdy 1918 structure was relocated from the UT campus area to the East 53rd neighborhood in the early 1960s by Lois and Wiley Brady, its homeowners at the time. Today, the original house remains intact with a tasteful addition that honors its vintage character of a bygone era. “Some people take the approach of,

‘Hey, for the addition, we're going uber modern, and we're highlighting that there's an addition onto this old structure.’” However, Claire and Justin wanted the addition “to feel like it was part of the original house,” explains lead designer Jessica Smith. Jessica worked with her team to design both the structure and the interior of the addition, creating harmony between structure and style, while also maintaining a seamless transition between old and new.

To achieve consistency throughout the entire home, Jessica selected finishes that created a natural flow between the two spaces. She notes, “[The owners] fought to make sure we kept the wood floors and the old original interior doors.” She worked to find hardwood flooring that matched the original for the newly-built primary suite. The team also made architectural choices that served as a natural response to the shape of the over a hundred-year-old design. For example, a new archway in the kitchen echoes an existing arch, producing continuity throughout the home while classic moulding and custom millwork fit well within its time capsule.

Jessica points out that, though the addition “isn’t huge” in square footage, it is impactful, taking the modest two bed, one bath house to a roomier four bed, two bath home that better fits its growing family. The impactful expan- sion of this turn of the century home has allowed it to continue to serve as a haven for years to come.

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