The owners of this run-down 1800’s-era farmhouse wanted to remove a relatively recent, but substandard, rear addition and to renovate the home to suit their family.  The structure is a simple 2-over-2 house, a center hall with a room on each side, three stories tall total including a partially-subterranean basement.  The primary idea is to merge the new and the old.  The clients wanted to replace the rear addition – halfway between the basement and the main levels of the house - with a new addition incorporating a modern great room – a room that includes a kitchen, dining and family area – and to bring the rest of the house up to date for the family of today.  In keeping with the idea that the project is an antique brought up to modern standards, the addition will combine new and the old details and materials, with sleek, contemporary touches such as a steel and cable stairs, exposed ductwork, and elegant fixtures.  These will contrast with the renovated exterior, which would maintain the details typical of the house’s original time period.  The existing rear brick façade of the house will be maintained in the great room, contrasting with the more modern details.  The original rear windows of the house will open up to and look down onto the great room.  In addition, the rear basement windows will provide a connection from the basement spaces – which include an office and a wine cellar - to the new space, further linking the new and the old.  In order to bring more modern conveniences to the house, an addition will be built onto one side, incorporating a luxurious master bath and a laundry room below.  In order to minimize the impact on the very simple mass of the house, this addition to the side of the house is designed to appear as a side porch that was enclosed some time ago.  The openings from the “porch” allow for multiple windows in the new master bath.  The upstairs of the house is comprised of the two original bedrooms, along with a replacement newer bedroom over the addition, and adds a bathroom and walk-in closet to each.