Every now and then, the charming details of a historic house completely consume me. This jaw dropping farmhouse in Greene County is charming beyond what I’ve ever seen before and I can’t stop staring at the pictures I took. I want to go back and soak in every square inch.
Guildford Farm was originally built by the Early Family (yes, same family of Earlysville, Virginia for all you locals reading this). It is a really, really big farmhouse now but like the best farmhouses, it started off a fraction of its current size and slowly grew to occupy its current square footage.
Walking into it today, the first impression Guildford Farm gives is a timeless Virginia farmhouse. Upon closer inspection, you start to realize that the house is anything but ordinary. So many details about it are unique and give it so much beautiful character. For example, every fireplace is spectacularly crafted. I’ve never seen so many cool fireplaces in one house (and I’ve seen a lot)!
This house gives the vibe that it’s been owned by the same family and passed down for generations and generations. I think the beautiful heirloom furniture throughout each room give it a feeling of respect.
Rodney and Jeanne Kibler bought this house a few years ago when it was on the market after being the office space for an international company. (Can you imagine desks and file cabinets in these rooms?) They were both originally from the Shenandoah Valley– high school sweethearts, as a matter of fact– and the house reminded Jeanne of her family’s old homestead. They spent three years renovating every little part of Guildford Farm and restoring it to the showstopper it is today.
The biggest issue when they bought the house was the foundation. Apparently there was a huge mess down in the basement and the bizarre way the rocks were laid out made the floorboards of the entire house sag by over 6 inches in some parts. You would never know that looking at the level floors today!
These restored antique floors are utter perfection.
Vibrant Dining Room
Jeanne has a fondness for antique furniture and decorated this whole place herself. I think her taste is spot on: she’s cultivated a timeless look but played up all the details that make Guildford Farm so fun. I love the trimwork, doors and wainscoting in the dining room:
The paint colors are vibrant and feel historically accurate, but they don’t overshadow the real showstopper, which is the woodwork throughout.
I should also add the ceilings are approximately 2,000 feet tall. As are the windows, which make the rooms feel so bright.
Isn’t this an unusual fireplace mantle? I’ve never seen one with these double rainbow arches and I adore how simple yet complex it is.
Gathering in the Kitchen
The rooms are well suited for large gatherings, which you can just feel have happened a lot in this house. There is a cheerful feeling no matter where you go and it’s easy to imagine families and friends throughout the years gathered in every room. I love the warm kitchen and the inviting fireplace hearth. Check out those exposed wood beams in the ceiling, or the antique sampler hanging up on the back wall. It’s so simple and so perfect for a farmhouse kitchen.
One of my favorite “old farmhouse things” is the few-steps-up-to-a-door that then leads the way to the rest of a staircase. Guildford Farm did not disappoint. (Also, how cute are those silhouettes of Jeanne and Rodney’s four boys?! Such a sweet place to display them.)
I appreciate Jeanne’s choice to leave the natural antique wood here ( as opposed to painting over it). It just shines.
I wish I had counted what this house had more of, by the way: fireplaces or staircases? There are at least 6 staircases and 6 fireplaces… just a reason to go see it for yourself I guess!
The thing about having such an enormous house is… well, it’s an enormous house. Although this house was an obvious labor of love for the Kiblers to restore, the boys all grew up and moved out. (To be honest– if this were my childhood home, I’m pretty sure I would have gone all Peter Pan and just refused to grow up and move out.) Jeanne and Rodney made the decision a few years ago to downsize. They decided to make Guildford Farm a place they can share with other families via short-term rentals or (if you’re reading this and you’re engaged, you’re welcome): weddings!! Their four boys all grew up and now live within a few minutes’ drive from Guildford Farm, so the family often gathers here for their own get-togethers. I admire how they decided to share their beautiful space with others!
Serene Bedrooms Upstairs
There are lots of sweet bedrooms to choose from once upstairs. This yellow bedroom is in the back of the house. It is charming and the focal point of that gorgeous mantle just makes me pause. I can’t get over the beautiful carpentry work in each room of this house, y’all! 
I love this delicate pink room in the front of the house. You can just picture being a little girl’s room at some point in its history with that delicate chandelier. Apparently brides frequently get ready in this room now.
Look at the molding above the window. Wow, such cool detail.
Here’s another charming bedroom that just exudes peace and rest:
The white bedspreads in the rooms add so much calm to me. The rest of the room can have color and be busy, but the part that matters most is a calm bed and the classic white achieves that.
(Looks like there are definitely more fireplaces than staircases. There are tons of fireplaces now that I’m really thinking about it.) Below is another bedroom with wood paneling and a sweet wood crib too. Love each of these vintage mantles so much!
It’s hard now to imagine the state of the house when Rodney and Jeanne purchased it. It’s been renovated so tastefully that I can’t even fathom what it was like having such sagging floors throughout.
The master bedroom is enormous and spans the width of the front section of the house. Also, check out the beautiful casing around the doorways upstairs… so pretty!
Swoon.
No, that’s not a mirror in the photo above. There is a matching fireplace in the master bathroom adjacent to the fireplace in the master bedroom. The walls are painted a very similar shade of periwinkle. I like the off-white, creamy paint color for the trim in these rooms. It makes it feel a little less formal and adds to the tranquil feeling.
Front Balcony
Those upstairs balcony cross railings are hard to beat when it comes to adding detail and charm.
But in my opinion, what takes the cake are those tiny little windows at the top of the house. They win the detail and charm competition of probably any farmhouse I’ve ever seen. I mean they’re just sweet and somehow grand at the same time!
At the end of the day, Guildford Farm is simply an exquisite property inside and out. The rolling hills surrounding the farmhouse are peaceful. The pond to the side is peaceful. The Blue Ridge Mountains to the other side are peaceful. The house itself gives such a timeless vibe that it makes the rest of the crazy world out there seem more bearable. (I didn’t even share the event space that was recently constructed at the top of the hill but that’s worth checking out of if you’re looking for a place to host an event– it was really well done in my opinion.)
Huge kudos to people like Rodney and Jeanne for taking the time to renovate a farmhouse of this stature and to do it right. The attention to detail shows, and this beautiful property will be shining for years to come thanks to all the love that’s been poured into it. And it really is awesome walking on those even floors that don’t sag 6 inches anymore! To see more of our tours click here >>