Followers of Velvet and Linen may have been a bit surprised when Brooke Giannetti shared the creative dream would trade Ojai’s Patina Farm for a meadow in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee. (What a move with a caravan of beloved farm animals!) Tennessee is breathtakingly beautiful, and since I have been visiting Franklin for decades, I understood completely! Lets revisit the charm of one of the most uniquely beautiful mountain properties dreamed into existence.
Photos; Design: Brooke Giannetti; Architect: Steve Giannetti
Patina Farm: Timeless & Tranquil Interiors
Simply following Brooke and Steve’s Patina Farm journey was an education in timeless tranquility for thousands of European country fans.
And forget the designs…photos of their precious farm creatures could be considered contemplative daily practice!
House Tour of Patina Farm
My favorite thing about this project? The way natural materials were honored and elevated.
All of that gorgeous stone inside and out!
And what about the sunlight – all that gorgeous California sunshine to bathe in.
You’ll definitely want to own all of the Giannettis’ books. If you have read them, you know this couple’s highest calling is to nurture family, creativity, and dreams.
Modern European Country Kitchen
Which details in Patina Farm’s kitchen were your favorite?
The way the space is oriented with this tree is pretty hard to beat!
But all of that limestone and the Lacanche range…
How many times was this hearthside moment copied across the planet?
It’s so good!
The Giannettis Truly Are Farmers
I was fortunate enough to speak with Brooke and Steve on one of their morning walks when their PATINA FARM book was launching.
I remember asking about their experience working from home where darling pygmy goats gathered on the porch near the office window.
Can you even imagine? Ha!
As they described their deepening relationship and daily connection with the animals on the farm, it became clear how their hearts were centered in it all.
Remaining centered feels more important than ever these days.
If we’re not intentional about checking in with our souls (noticing where we long to feel more anchored, where we long to feel more free), things can quickly shift into imbalance.
And finding balance in the 2020s is quite an undertaking if you ask me.
Good thing nothing much has changed since this little farm came to be in 2013! Hahahaha.
Just think of how much has changed in the last decade!
The Beauty of Growth Inside and Out
I can only imagine the joy of planting so many seed at Patina Farm and watching them mature and bear fruit!
The thing about a devotion for the timeless and the tranquil is how time and rest are so deeply honored.
(You gotta love family photos near the place you dream.) 🙂
You know a home is special when halls are not just halls but rather become an orangery…
A follower on my FB page recently commented, “everyone should have an orangery.”
And I don’t if they meant it like wow, must be nice to have an orangery to decorate…
or if they were being sincere because they themselves have an orangery.
But I choose to believe it was sincere with a compassion, and even though I myself don’t have one, I agree.
A place with abundant light for citrus or plants to thrive is such a dreamy prospect.
I’m reminded that home is so much more than a place to rest at the end of the day and on weekends.
They truly are places to grow and dream.
When a home is thoughtfully designed with clear connections to nature like Patina Farm, that harmony is bound to be a recipe for personal and spiritual growth.
Inspiration for Adding More Organic Elements at Home
In fact, as I study these interiors and notice how many natural materials are in the mix, I find myself looking around my own home with an eye toward the organic.
I think it’s easy to accumulate a quantity of objects, furniture, and fixtures that are made of synthetic or toxic materials.
And I don’t think it’s an easy fix. But what we can do is take baby steps and replace or upgrade when it’s possible.
Patina & Texture at Patina Farm
Have you noticed how most of the color story in these rooms is quieter and understated yet nothing feels one note or flat?
That’s the beauty of rich texture.
And when the texture is from patina which has developed over centuries from time, use, and the elements?
It doesn’t get much better than that!
Are you crushing on all of the natural white oak flooring?
In our former home, white oak was a priority, and it was an investment that added so much to the everyday.
As I make improvements here at the Georgian where the existing carpet had been freshly installed, I have realized that while comfortable and functional, it limits a room.
While it absorbs sound and provides softness, I find it tricky when you’re after a timeless look.
A Lightened Up Look for Old World Style
The absence of baseboard molding and all window and door trim is another factor that adds an ageless quality to Patina Farm.
Old World style almost always involves lots of wood and paneling. But here, there’s a lightened up, breezy feel. Even the windows have a pared down look, but they don’t look new. They feel quite old and European.
What Inspires You About the Mix of Old & New?
I’d love to hear what inspires you most about this property.
Is the way the owners favorite things were combined in a unique mix within a magical setting?
Is it the pared down elegant simplicity?
Or is it the relationship of the indoors and outdoors?
I have loved watching the creative journey of this family as they create more design harmony in Tennessee.
In fact, the last time I visited Leiper’s, I shopped at Patina Home & Garden and had the chance to chat with both Brooke and Steve.
Their hearts are so invested in giving back to the community there and sharing their passions including gardening, collecting antiques, and making home a place of comfort.
A Few Ideas for Home
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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More, more more! What about this property inspires me? Its truth. Its subtle abundance, alive and uncontrived. A realization that we and the rest of nature are meant to be in community, not kept separate. It loooks like a colorful life well lived with layer upon layer of cherished memories that are valued and have been collected over a lifetime. It’s an example of what can happen when we come from a place of self knowledge and enough strength to reveal ourselves, to be intentionally honest. It’s nothing we can copy. It’s a teaching tool. I think our eye for design will come, if we’re interested in learning, but the foundation, and the difficult part, is to recognize who we are, cultivate it and be willing to share who we are with others. (Can you tell that I love, love, love this place???) Thank you for this special dose of inspiration, Michele!
Author
Nothing more to add to that gorgeous response. xox