This Federation-era farmhouse had suffered from the usual ad-hoc additions and the clients wanted to make it function better for modern life as well as fit with their sharp sense of design. The main living space was reworked and extended, with large east-facing windows, a massive stone fireplace, and a stunning marble-topped island in the open-kitchen. Through a glazed screen to the side is a generous back-kitchen where the serious cooking is done. An office, laundry and bathroom open from a new back hall, with an access path direct from the garage. The 1950s laundry block was craned into a new location for guest accommodation. To complete the transformation we added a new formal entry, located where the alignments of the original front hall and the modern vine-covered pergola intersect.