Modern Farmhouse look in your home
How to achieve the popular Modern Farmhouse look in your home
- A Louisville couple renovated their 1990s ranch home into a modern, open-concept space.
- The renovation included a kitchen expansion, a screened-in porch, and a primary bedroom with a unique ceiling treatment.
- The home is one of 11 featured on the 2025 Tour of Remodeled Homes.
- The couple worked with Bailey Design + Build and interior designer Katrina Humes Moffet on the project.
Mary Carol and Andrew Parker were living in Portland, Oregon, when they purchased their Louisville home sight unseen.
“Last July was the first time I was actually in the house and saw it (in person),” Mary Carol said, adding that they chose their Wolf Creek abode knowing full well that a total renovation was in order.
Keeping aging parents in mind — and the fact that this is their forever home — the Parkers quickly enlisted the help of Bailey Design + Build, a local collective of interior designers and builders.
“Demolition started in September,” Mary Carol recalled, “and the house came down to studs. We moved walls and everything. There wasn’t an area of this house that was not touched.”
About six months later, the Parker family — including Bernedoodle Ben, the household boss; and Toby, the energetic and goofy chocolate Labrador — moved into their new home.
“Both (dogs) were consulted and approved all remodeling projects,” Mary Carol added playfully.
Form and function
Mary Carol is a seasoned home chef who was adamant about creating a kitchen that boasts form and function.
“I also wanted someplace (where) people could come sit down and be relaxed, (but) I didn’t want a separate family room/living room, because I think it’s wasted space,” she said.
Removing a wall that separated the original kitchen from the dining room created one open area for cooking, dining, and gathering. Mary Carol uses her GE Monogram appliances — including a gas range and a double electric oven — to whip up meals for large parties.
“(I’ve done) Christmas dinner for 46 people,” she said, “(so) having different things set at different temps is … important.”
Once the meals are ready, guests can dine at the solid walnut dining table that the Parkers custom-made at Family Furniture in New Albany. It was designed specifically to fit in its designated space and crafted with both Andrew and Mary Carol in mind.
“The wood was sourced from Michigan, where my husband is from; and Indiana, where my family was originally from,” she explained.
Guests can also huddle around the spacious island, which features stools that face the lotus-patterned tile backsplash.
“That’s the tile that kind of started the inspiration for this,” Mary Carol said, explaining that the sage green hue of the tile matches that of the cabinetry.
Cool colors
The entire home evokes a sense of warmth and coziness, with cool shades of blue and green throughout.
In the entryway, mauve, brass gold, and heavy woodwork have been replaced with white walls, a subtle light fixture, and a whimsical wall treatment featuring four-leaf clovers, as a tribute to Mary Carol’s Irish mother. Another unexpected pop of green appears in the primary bath’s water closet, which features another leafy wall treatment as well as a green ceiling.
“Katrina (Humes), who was the interior designer who worked with us on this, was trying to get me to do color drenching, where you paint the walls and the ceiling the same color,” Mary Carol recalled. “I was kind of having a hard time with it, so I decided to try this in the toilet room, (and) I really think it makes that space.”
In the primary bedroom, shades of blue pull the room together. The built-in storage and shelves in the niches behind the bed all share the same hue, as does the Asian Flower wallpaper on the ceiling.
“It’s made up of lines and looks like clouds,” Mary Carol said. “When you lay down in bed at night, it looks like they’re moving. It’s like laying down outside and watching the clouds float overhead. It’s a very peaceful thing to fall asleep to.”
A tranquil turnaround
Another tranquil space of the Parker home is the screened-in porch, an area that escaped demolition.
“We were either going to take the deck down completely and do nothing, or we would rebuild it better as it was,” Mary Carol said.
Then a third option came into play: restore the deck and convert the space into a screened-in porch. The Parkers struggled with the decision, questioning whether the space was necessary. Ultimately, they moved forward with the project — and are so glad they did.
“Now it is probably the focal point of the house,” Mary Carol exclaimed. “We love to eat dinner out there and just sit around and relax.”
She credits the Bailey Design + Build team, especially on-site project manager Alex Niehaus, with the successful renovation that brought about this comfy, peaceful home.
“She saw my vision, made thoughtful suggestions, (and) appreciated my ability to make timely decisions, and always with a smile,” Mary Carol recalled. “(She is) the best and (she) made Andy and my house a home.”
The home of Andrew and Mary Carol Parker is one of 11 houses featured in the 2025 Tour of Remodeled Homes, which takes place Aug. 9-10. It is listed as House No. 9.
Know a house that would make a great Home of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza at [email protected] or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at [email protected].
nuts & bolts
Owners: Andrew and Mary Carol Parker. Andrew is an analyst for the Oregon Health Authority, and Mary Carol is looking for her next adventure helping people. Also in the home is Bernedoodle Toby, and chocolate Labrador Ben.
Home: This is a three-bedroom, three-bathroom, 3,647-square-foot ranch home with a downstairs guest suite. It was built in Louisville’s Wolf Creek neighborhood in 1990.
Distinctive elements: Stacked stone fireplace with vaulted beamed ceiling in great room; screened in-porch; walk-in wet room tub and shower in primary bath; cook’s kitchen with gas range, oven, and double electric oven; quartz countertops throughout; eat-in kitchen that opens to great room, dining room and outdoor screened-in dining area; chef’s pantry and two full-size dishwashers; tankless water heater; six-car garage; downstairs fireplace made from river rock; large lot that overlooks wooded area and wildlife.
Applause! Applause! The homeowners would like to thank Katharine Hatcher, David Fischer, Brandon Bailey, and the rest of the Bailey Design + Build team for their care, design, understanding and execution in creating an oasis beyond their vision; designer Katrina Humes Moffet for her help in mixing textures, metals, warm tones and scale to create a relaxing space; West Elm and Pottery Barn at Paddock Shops for their assistance with blending old with new in a cohesive and thoughtful manner; Bennett’s Refurbishing and Refinishing for bringing life back to a mahogany bedroom set that tells four generations of family history; Scott Eubanks Hardwood Flooring for creating a masterpiece that is lovely, cohesive and dog-friendly; and on-site project manager Alex Niehaus, who was there every day, talking through issues and finding solutions.
WHAT: The Building Industry Association of Greater Louisville’s 2025 Tour of Remodeled Homes features various remodeling projects in homes throughout Louisville, including kitchens, baths, basements, and more. This year’s tour is presented by Bonnycastle.
WHEN: Aug. 9-10, noon to 6 p.m. daily
WHERE: The tour will cover 11 houses throughout Louisville. Addresses are listed online.
TICKETS: Pre-sale general admission tickets are $15 per person; day-of tickets are $20 per person. Tickets can be used both days. Military admission is $6 with a valid ID. Admission is free for children ages six and younger. All children younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
MORE INFORMATION: Visit tourofremodeledhomes.net for more information and to purchase tickets.
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