Tour a Restored 19th Century Farmhouse

With its original heart-pine siding stripped and repainted, along with new landscaping, designer Jamie McPherson and Tra Raines’ mid-19th-century home, Vinewood, is set to face a new millennium.

• Read the story behind Vinewood's restoration

Jamie McPherson created an inviting entry in his central stair hall with a burled-mahogany, bow-front chest and faux- bois patterned rug.

Beautifully framed by the underside of the entry stairs, the cased opening to the dining room reveals a glimpse of the homeowners’ period antiques.

The sun-filled dining room doubles as Jamie’s design office. Leo, the family pug, is never far from the action.

The Empire sideboard is a focal point in Jamie and Tra’s dining room. Its large size makes it an ideal spot to display art and china.

In case you haven’t noticed, Jamie is a big fan of pheasant and bird motifs. Appropriately, the pine hutch in the breakfast room is full of plates with this theme. “I tell my clients the same advice I follow: Find a pattern and stick to it,” explains the interior designer. “It becomes a fun pastime to hunt down a specific piece, like a compote or soup tureen, that matches your other dishes.”

The kitchen, added in the 1940s, once served as an outdoor hitching station. Jamie updated the room with whitewashed cabinetry, marble countertops, and a generous island.

Jamie designed a mantel-like whitewashed hood to top the commanding stainless steel range. A favorite work of art, displayed on its ledge, adds warmth to the space.

Jamie paired soothing gray-green walls with stained, original woodwork (like the eye-catching mantel) to set the stage in the living room.

The living room’s 1 of 2 re-upholstered wingback chairs, along with separate pillows created from an antique tapestry, demonstrate Jamie’s mix of old and new fabrics for a cohesive look.

The glass cocktail table and somewhat abstract parrot print create interesting counterpoints to the antebellum, rosewood-veneered piano in the living room.

Jamie and Tra not only admire the beauty and craftsmanship displayed with Empire furniture, but also take a flexible approach when it comes to picking the right piece for a room. A prime example can be seen in their master bedroom, where a graceful bed side table is actually something else. “It’s a card table,” Jamie admits. “It worked better upstairs than in our dining or living room, so that’s where we put it.”

Softening the walls and ceiling with calming off-white, Jamie turned the master bedroom into a true retreat.

Created from unused attic space, the master bath glistens with white subway and reproduction hexagonal tile.

• Get Jamie's Renovation Tips