A Farmhouse House Plan from 1903
I have the perfect farmhouse house plan for you.
Are looking for a house that feels like a true, all-American farmhouse?
One that feels modern, yet has all the charm you would expect from an old house?
In this post, I share a house design I love from “The Radford Ideal Homes” which was a catalog published in 1903 by the Radford Architectural Company. It featured 100 house and barn designs – many originally designed before indoor plumbing – and it is my go-to plan book for inspiration for really authentic farmhouse designs.
This plan is labeled Design No. 1 and back in 1903 the estimated cost to build this house was,
wait for it
$1200.
That’s the cost of one appliance these days folks.
The Most Charming Folk Victorian
I consider this house style “Folk Victorian.”
It’s a modestly sized house with a simple footprint and basic construction (no elaborate bay windows, turrets, etc), but is embellished with decorative brackets, fancy gable trim, leaded glass windows, and elaborate casing.
Here are some examples of the Folk Victorian style:
Miyuki Yamaguchi Design Studio
Most of the “Modern Farmhouses” that you see being built these days do not have all the exterior detailing seen here. I just love the Victorian doors and the window details, and if I were to build a Farmhouse, I’d model it after these early 20th century designs but give it a modern color palette, hardware, and fixtures.
The 1903 Farmhouse House Plan
The original Radford floor plan had a parlor, sitting room, dining room, 2 bedrooms, and a kitchen.
It did not have a bathroom.
That would not work for me. Obviously.
The bedrooms were small and of course the kitchen was pushed to the back of the house.
I do love the pocket doors to the dining room.
But that’s about all I love.
The house is so cute on the outside but that interior layout definitely needs some work.
With this floor plan, this darling house will never get built again.
Giving these designs a new lease on life gives me life.
If you want to see what adjustments I’d make to the floor plan, read on.
You can also click here to download a free dimensioned, scaled floor plan of this house design.
The 2020 Farmhouse House Plan
After playing around with the interior layout a bit, here’s the floor plan solution I came up with.
Features of the new and improved farmhouse house plan:
- Kitchen. Goodbye parlor! Hello pretty kitchen with big windows, vaulted ceiling and center island. Ah. So much better.
- Dining Room. I relocated the dining room to where one of the bedrooms used to be and added a charming fireplace. The original design didn’t have a fireplace, and that feature is a must for me. I also added a door to go to a side deck or screened porch.
- Living Room. No need for both a parlor and a sitting room. I’ve combined both these spaces into one. If you know how these spaces were used back then, comment below – I’m curious about the functions that would have occurred in the parlor. I’m assuming the sitting room was for conversing with guests, etc.
- Bathroom. Yup, I added a bathroom because I’m not an outhouse kindofa gal. I don’t usually like to have the toilet visible from the door, but in this plan it made the most sense and gives the most vanity space.
- Bedrooms. I made one large, sunny bedroom in the back of the house, and located the second bedroom where the dining room used to be. Both have decent closets and are off of a private hallway. The original house did not have a hallway so the bedrooms were directly off of the dining room and sitting room.
Some other posts you might like:
- See How This 1915 Summer Bungalow Just Got Even Better
- A New Take On An Old House Plan For Today’s Lifestyle: A Floor Plan From A Leila Ross Wilburn Pattern Book
- 12 Steps to a Cute Vintage Farmhouse Kitchen
Let me know your thoughts on this reimagined floor plan. Comment below!
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