Cottage-style entry to Chestnut Fields, a Chester County farmhouse with stone and siding exterior walls and cedar shake roof.

A Closer Look at Chestnut Fields in Chester County, Pennsylvania

September 5, 2024

Nestled in the rolling hillside of a bucolic 10-acre property in Chester County, Pennsylvania, Chestnut Fields is the result of a highly successful collaborative design process between client, architect and project team that delivered the forever home for a family of five and their cherished pets.

Set amongst 10 acres in Chester County, Pennsylvania, Chestnut Fields is a home designed by the architect to meet the specific needs of the client while looking completely at home in its setting and taking full advantage of the beautiful landscape. Video footage: Jeffrey Totaro.

Topping our client’s wish list was a cottage-style entry elevation with an inviting front porch. With a sweeping roof, deep shadowed porch and hipped dormers, the entry of Chestnut Fields developed by the architect is dramatic but welcoming. While fulfilling a priority for the client, the design treatment of the entry elevation provided a challenge in how to accommodate other programmatic elements in the overall design.

Entry court of cottage-style farmhouse with stone and siding exterior walls, front porch, sweeping cedar shake roof, dormers and cupola. — Beautiful detailing by the architect of Chestnut Fields creates the cottage feel the client desired and includes a sweeping roof, deep shadowed porch and hipped dormers. Photo: Jeffrey Totaro.

In response, the other elements in the architecture of the home appear as though they have been added periodically over time but with particular attention paid to massing and the resulting hierarchy of forms. A U-shaped plan evolved, with garages and the family entry flanking the main entry to create an auto court and contribute to the arrival experience of this special home in Chester County.

aerial view of Chestnut Fields in Chester County PA — The Front Elevation emphasizes the cottage-style central mass with dramatic sweeping roof and formal entry with porch. This central mass is surrounded by elements that appear as if added over time, all contributing to a hierarchy of elements. Photo: Jeffrey Totaro.

overhead view of Chestnut Fields — Seen from above, the U-shaped plan developed by the architect shows garages and the family entry flanking the main entry to create a central auto court and contribute to the arrival experience of this Chester County home. Photo: Jeffrey Totaro.

Aesthetically, while informal and presenting as a diminutive story and a half at the front, the exterior transitions to be more in the style of the architecture of a typical two-story Chester County manor at the rear elevation. Multiple large windows, French doors, and a formal terrace connect outside with inside and maximize views of the beautiful surrounding land. Common to both front and rear elevations are the massive chimneys bookending the central mass of the home. Overall, the architect designed the exterior of Chestnut Fields to provide interest from every angle.

Rear exterior of Chestnut Fields, a farmhouse with stone and siding walls and cedar shake roof. — At the rear elevation, the architect transitions the exterior, which had a more cottage-like feel at the front elevation, to appear more like the architecture of a two-story Chester County manor. Photo: Jeffrey Totaro.

The plan for the Chester County home is rational, ordered, and intentional; it is built on a strong axis with spaces logically organized around it. In the design, the architect paid focused attention to the progression through spaces; how each is experienced and what elements work to draw a person into the next. The interior of Chestnut Fields presents pared down traditional features with clean lines and intentionally monochromatic walls with black framed windows, all warmed by natural wood accents.

Family room in a contemporary farmhouse with white walls, black frame doors and windows, timber frame vaulted ceiling, and fireplace with wood mantel. — The family room embraces the overall palette, including monochromatic walls with black framed windows, all warmed by natural wood accents. Photo: Jeffrey Totaro.

The 8,000 square foot new Chester County home features:

A first level Primary Suite (Primary Bedroom, Hers/His Closets, Primary Bath, Primary Laundry and Garden Terrace) to accommodate aging in place; Living Room, Music Room, Office, Formal Dining, Family Room, Kitchen with Eat-In Dining, Pantry and Mudroom
Three Bedrooms (each with Walk-In Closet and Bath), a Play Room and Laundry on the second level
A finished lower level that includes Home Theatre, Gym, Craft Room and Storage/Mechanical
Two Garages, Formal Terrace, Outdoor Sitting Room, Pool House and Pool

Built in breakfast nook in a contemporary farmhouse with white walls, black frame windows and timber frame vaulted ceiling. — Further illustrating the interior palette of monochromatic walls with black framed windows and warm natural wood accents, this custom banquette provides another seating option in the bright and airy kitchen. Photo: Jeffrey Totaro.

Setting out to design the residence, the team quickly learned that a conservation easement dictated the amount of area that could be developed and limited the buildable area to the middle of the lot. Siting the house on the highest point of the property—a common strategy— was prohibited. Turning a limitation into an opportunity, the architect sited the house as required but in such a way as to appear tucked into the hillside, creating privacy while still capitalizing on the incredible Chester County vistas.

Rear elevation — The architect sited the home thoughtfully so that it appears tucked into hillside but still enjoys amazing views of the surrounding Chester County landscape. Photo: Jeffrey Totaro.

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