Inspired by visions of a traditional Scottish manor, Les Ensembliers transformed a dated 18th-century farmhouse into a family retreat with rustic and modern touches.

At one point or another, every urban dweller dreams of escaping the concrete jungle and getting back to the land, but few have embraced that idea quite like one Canadian family. Instead of buying a compact tract and dabbling in husbandry on a small scale, they went all in, purchasing a 160-acre parcel in Hemmingford, on the Quebec border of New York State. Turning it into a fully functioning experiment in permaculture, they created a sustainable commercial agricultural development that supplies fresh meat and produce to high-end restaurants in the area without degrading the earth.

The challenge became finding ways to update the home without comprimising its character. Rather than construct a contemporary ideal of farmstead life, Les Ensembliers sought to capture something more soulful.

The ethos was so inspiring that Richard and Maxime invested in their own 80-acre weekend property in Canada’s Eastern Townships, with a vegetable garden and plans for a sheep pasture and chicken coop.