Raising an EYEBROW WINDOW

This subtle yet eloquent New England farmhouse features a little-known architectural element.

Nestled in the Hudson Valley in upstate New York, this stately New England farmhouse is an architectural wonder. James Dixon of James Dixon Architect PC admits that this was his first farmhouse, but it certainly won’t be his last. “I love the freedom that these farmhouses have; these additions can just ramble on all over the place,” he says. The end result? “It’s quite a large house, but it has a nice scale to it, and it feels very cozy and of its time,” James says.

As for the timeless staples of farmhouse design, James points to the three windows perched above the French doors. They’re tiny, almost unnoticeable. But they’re the true test of a classic New England farmhouse, called eyebrow windows. “Very often in the Hudson Valley, you’ll find what we call an eyebrow colonial house,” he says. They were part of the tiny second floor the original farmhouse builders slept in when they were building their larger main house. The secret to eyebrow windows? Put a bed next to them. “You can be sitting in bed, and you can look right out the eyebrow windows,” James says. Their low-to-the-floor nature makes them the perfect companion to a few cozy pillows and a breezy autumn day.