Geoff and Mary William Veale are self-proclaimed farmhouse-renovation junkies. The couple has transformed several houses in the Delaware Valley over the past 15 years. Newly built in 1969 as a farmhouse re-creation, Hickory Hill Farm is nestled in a secluded 32.5-acre meadow and tree-ringed valley in Chester County.
The couple worked with Michael Christopher of Bancroft Homes and architect Wayne Simpson on the project. “Creating pleasing spaces for life and family is a creative and satisfying endeavor,” the design team says.
An example is the glass kitchen, which ticks off everything on their wish list. Part of an open floor plan, it’s accented by concrete counters and a vaulted ceiling with a massive pointed skylight at its apex.
Concrete artist Bill Kulish understood the integrity of the Veales’ vision to create a “nothing-above-the-counter kitchen design.” He complemented the results with simple wooden dining tables and metal accents.
The living spaces have been thoughtfully imagined with a nod to outdoorsy naturalness, offering rustic elements such as exposed beams, barn doors, two gigantic fireplaces, and wide-plank wood floors. There’s also plenty of the modern styling and conveniences desired by the owners— like a privately accessed nanny suite. Examples of the Veales’ signature style: a wood floor painted red in the master bathroom,
and colorful hues throughout the home. They also wanted the house to be energy efficient, so they incorporated geothermal heating and cooling.
French doors lead to a sunny porch and out onto the stone patio, with its impressive kitchen. There’s also an in-ground pool, a tennis court, a stocked pond, a meandering creek, bank barn stables, an authentic log-cabin workshop, a heated kennel, and an over-sized storage barn. It doesn’t end there: The farm is a fishing, hunting and riding enthusiast’s dream. “Hickory Hill Farm is a hybrid of what a home means to us,” says Geoff Veale.