Down On The Farm

Poesis principals Robert Bristow and Pilar Proffitt left a tiny house in Norfolk, Connecticut, for an 11-acre farm in nearby Lakeville—a move 13 years in the dreaming.

Edie Cohen -- Interior Design, 3/1/2012 2:00:00 AM

With two toddler daughters, plus a son on the way, Poesis principals Robert Bristow and Pilar Proffitt left a tiny house in Norfolk, Connecticut, for an 11-acre farm in nearby Lakeville-a move 13 years in the dreaming. The 1880's house on the property was, however, a structure that only the most generous could term "antique." For the first time, the couple would realize the joys and complexities of being both designer and client.
Most of all, Bristow and Proffitt built appropriately. The glossy-white painted exterior doesn't stray far from the farmhouse vernacular. Meanwhile, the 2,900-square-foot interior is absolutely contemporary. "We built our dream house with simple spaces and authentic materials, so we could live in an uncluttered way with the things we love," Proffitt explains.

The ground level, open and utilitarian, revolves around a double-sided granite fireplace. Poesis furniture, fabricated on-site for Ralph Pucci International, fills the living and dining areas on either side. But it's the Poesis round marble-topped kitchen table that the family is pretty much glued to: meals, homework assignments, you name it. Upstairs, the couple-simultaneously exploring hospitality design-gave themselves a master suite with a hotel-style open bathroom, sheltered by a cathedral ceiling. Each of the kids' rooms has a white-painted floor, a blackboard wall, and another wall in an accent color. For the tween girls, its fashionista chartreuse or pensive lilac. Their little brother, now 5, got slate blue. 

Photography by Robert Bristow.