Pastures of Plenty

Two members of the Shady Oaks Farm barn family. This rambling, Sharpsburg, Georgia, property also specializes in eventing and offers full-service boarding and training.

A series of outbuildings—such as the pool house and garage/guesthouse—captures the multigenerational feel of an older farmhouse.

The home’s front and back doors align, creating an effective form of air circulation on warmer days so breezes—and the family’s dogs—can run through.

The custom Italian bench is from Bennett Galleries.

The young family of six was drawn to Shady Oaks Farm for its bucolic nature.

Chaz, an English springer spaniel, keeps watch from the front porch.

Undoubtedly the heart of the home, the combination kitchen and breakfast room was designed for a sea of activity—from mealtime to homework and game nights.

The window treatments feature a Cowtan & Tout fabric and the backsplash is Walker Zanger.

Durable brick pavers in the multipurpose laundry room are equal parts charming and functional.

The young family enjoys spending time in the music room, which is anchored by a rug from Moattar.

Channeling Bill’s passion for hunting and the outdoors, his office is wrapped in a grey-washed pecky cypress wood.

A plaid fabric by Schumacher inspired the family room’s traditional color scheme. The equine painting above the fireplace is by Susan Easton Burns, represented by dk Gallery.

A private seating area in the master suite features a limestone fireplace by Francois & Co. and offers Cheryl a quiet place to read or knit.

The master suite’s cheerful yellow palette was inspired by the wife’s request for a “bright and happy” room.

The sunny hue continues into the master bath, where a geometric textile by Stroheim adds a pop of pattern.

The poolhouse is set further back on the homesite for privacy.

Its outdoor seating area features a pale blue ceiling for a dose of whimsy.

Located right off the kitchen, the sunroom plays up the home’s farmhouse aesthetic with traditional brick pavers and wood planking. The chairs are by Stanford Furniture and feature a Pearson Textiles fabric.

Cheryl and Bill Drury had fallen in love with Shady Oaks Farm long before they ever called it home. Situated on 45 bucolic acres in Coweta County, their two daughters spent most afternoons taking riding lessons at the horse farm. So when an opportunity arose to purchase the property, the couple didn’t hesitate.

“The land is so calming and lovely; it’s easy to see why they’re so drawn to it,” says interior designer Janie Hirsch, who along with residential builder John Bynum designed a classic farmhouse for the young family of six amid the property’s canopy of oak trees. 

Rather than renovate the existing home, the couple opted to tear it down and start from scratch. Presented with a blank slate, Cheryl looked to Hirsch to turn her ideas of a dream home into a reality. “Cheryl didn’t come to the board with a list of specifics, but more so with a vision. She pictured a farmhouse that had been there for generations; a place that would serve as the backbone for her family’s daily lives, whether that’s sharing meals in the kitchen, an impromptu concert in the music room or tending to the chicken coop,” says Hirsch. “And they certainly didn’t want to be worried about scratches on the floors,” she adds in reference to the family dogs, Biscuit and Chaz, who are allowed free reign throughout the home.

This concept of “easy living” guided much of the home’s design process, as did imbuing its newly built shell with an old-soul aesthetic. Hirsch accomplished this with authentic farmhouse details, incorporating old pine floors and wood planking throughout, and selecting textiles in colors and patterns made to look like family heirlooms. She suggested the use of brick pavers in the laundry room, as not only a nod to old Southern homes but also as a practical side entry for muddy paws and riding boots.

Given the home’s constant buzz of activity, Hirsch encouraged the application of modern luxuries—such as quartzite counters—to endure the family’s busy lifestyle. “They’re a wonderfully welcoming family, so you’ll always find the children’s friends hanging around, and the dogs are likely running back and forth in the background,” says the designer. “There’s a great interconnectedness between the rooms on the first floor, which makes it a really ideal space for gathering.”

Keeping in mind what initially attracted the Drury family to Shady Oaks Farm, a deep front porch overlooking the horse pastures and riding arena serves as the home’s most prized feature. “It was the best feeling when Cheryl thanked John [Bynum] and I for building her dream home,” says Hirsch. “We ended up giving her exactly what she wanted. They can sit on the porch of their forever home and watch their girls ride. It’s really an idyllic scene.”

INTERIOR DESIGN Janie Hirsch, J. Hirsch Interior Design, (404) 395-3711; jhirschinteriors.com
BUILDER John Bynum, John Bynum Custom Homes, (678) 725-2848; bynumhomes.com