Renovation
Mt Bethel House Renovation
A Family Heirloom! This circa 1860 farmhouse across from the Delaware River in Upper Mount Bethel has been in the family since it was originally built. A few modifications were made in the 1950’s but as it was passed on to the most recent generation, it was time for a full facelift.
When designing the resurrection of this 1860 farmhouse and after reclaiming structural integrity, the main concern for the owners was to keep and expose the existing first and second floor ceilings which are true rough sawn timbers and hand-hewn main girders. The interior layout was changed to reflect the needs of the new occupants. The main and basement stairs were relocated to the existing laundry area. This proved to be very challenging trying to find timbers of that era to frame in the old stairwell. After a couple weeks of research, the owner’s father found perfect matches of timbers and floor boards near Philadelphia at a lumber yard that sells reclaimed material. Our craftsmen installed them in the same manner as the framers from 1860 making it impossible to identify where the old stairwell was located. Some kitchen shelving and the island overhang legs were made from reclaimed floorboards and timbers of the farmhouse. Second floor highlights include 1860 timbers in the front two bedroom ceilings, a spacious master suite with private master bath featuring a custom tile shower and access to a second floor fiberglass floored balcony.
While maintaining its farmhouse/country charm, this house is now a modern, highly efficient structure with a backup whole house generator, high efficiency casement windows, hybrid dual fuel HVAC systems, state of the art appliances, an on-demand propane hot water system and a complete maintenance free exterior.
When designing the resurrection of this 1860 farmhouse and after reclaiming structural integrity, the main concern for the owners was to keep and expose the existing first and second floor ceilings which are true rough sawn timbers and hand-hewn main girders. The interior layout was changed to reflect the needs of the new occupants. The main and basement stairs were relocated to the existing laundry area. This proved to be very challenging trying to find timbers of that era to frame in the old stairwell. After a couple weeks of research, the owner’s father found perfect matches of timbers and floor boards near Philadelphia at a lumber yard that sells reclaimed material. Our craftsmen installed them in the same manner as the framers from 1860 making it impossible to identify where the old stairwell was located. Some kitchen shelving and the island overhang legs were made from reclaimed floorboards and timbers of the farmhouse. Second floor highlights include 1860 timbers in the front two bedroom ceilings, a spacious master suite with private master bath featuring a custom tile shower and access to a second floor fiberglass floored balcony.
While maintaining its farmhouse/country charm, this house is now a modern, highly efficient structure with a backup whole house generator, high efficiency casement windows, hybrid dual fuel HVAC systems, state of the art appliances, an on-demand propane hot water system and a complete maintenance free exterior.
