Grandchildren are great motivators.

Doug and Darlene Holland lived in their home in Pennfield, N.B., for almost 40 years. But when their son and daughter, both in Fredericton, started their families, the couple decided it was time to move to the capital.

Son Steve Holland and wife Jenna own a design and building business (Holland Homes). When scouting for his parents, Steve had a pretty good idea what would suit.

“Knowing the space they had with the old house where we grew up, I knew they wouldn’t be happy with a small lot,” says Steve. “They wanted a place with some space around it, room for a pool, and a detached garage. But they also felt  it was important to be in the city.”

When a large parcel of land came up for sale on Fredericton’s north side next to the Saint John/Wolastoq River, Steve felt he’d found the ideal location. The development includes River’s Edge Estates, a 3.3-hectare riverfront property. Doug and Darlene’s land, the largest in the subdivision, is tucked at the back of the court. A cemetery and the river border the property.

Their new energy efficient farmhouse-style home boasts almost 3,000 square feet of main floor living space, a walk-out basement, and an attached double garage with a bonus room above. A second detached double garage gives Doug ample room to indulge his passion for antique cars.

The home’s exterior, with its white board and batten siding, black window trim and awnings, and covered porches, exemplifies the farmhouse style.

The interior design allows the Hollands to comfortably age in place with universal design elements such as an open floor plan with few obstructions and wide hallways and doorways.

Large windows, many with a view of the river, bring in lots of natural light. White-painted walls and high ceilings, some up to 5.5 metres, throughout the main level create a bright, open feeling.

Beams and shiplap on the ceilings provide farmhouse character, while oak flooring in dark honey tones adds warmth and contrast.

“We used Pure White by Sherwin-Williams in a pearl finish on the walls,” says Jenna. “It’s a true white with no yellow or grey undertones.” To define the windows and frame the view, Jenna painted the window trims black.

But not everything is black and white. “Darlene loves colour,” says Jenna. “So, I’ve incorporated colour in the rugs, textiles and cabinetry.”

A formal dining room, one of Darlene’s must-haves, is at the front of the house, with the main staircase separating it from the kitchen. A hallway with a butler’s pantry runs behind the stairs from the kitchen to the dining room. This layout makes serving easy and allows guests to enjoy dining without the view of a messy kitchen.

The staircase leading from the front hall to the second floor’s two bedrooms has a clean, crisp design.

“The stairway components have all been custom built,” says Steve, pointing out the double thick oak treads stained to match the oak flooring and the precise layout of the shiplap on the walls around the staircase.

Doug’s home office is across the hall from the stairs. Here, Jenna has deviated from white, choosing a deep blue for the office walls, ceiling, trim, and cabinetry.

“I wanted to set the office apart from the home, so when you walk in, it feels like a different space, which is motivating when you work from home,” Jenna explains. “And if you paint everything dark, even the ceiling, it feels more cohesive.”

Light-coloured accent furnishings, large windows and a gold Sputnik-style chandelier keep the dark colour from feeling overpowering. A rustic beam, reclaimed from the old farmhouse that previously stood on the lot, spans the vaulted ceiling, breaking up the expanse of dark.

The open-concept living room and kitchen are at the back of the house. Bifold, retractable glass doors across the living room wall frame a view of the back lawn sloping down to the river under a canopy of mature oaks. Step onto the covered deck and you can see across the water to the hills beyond. The Hollands sometimes see deer stepping down to the shore to drink or an osprey diving for its dinner.

Jenna arranged the living room seating around the room’s stone fireplace. The fireplace’s rustic mantel has been made from the same reclaimed beam used in the office. Deep seats built under the tall windows flanking the fireplace provide storage for the grandchildren’s toys.

The adjacent kitchen — with its 48-inch gas range, double oven, separate walk-in pantry, and large quartz-topped island — has room for multiple cooks (and cook’s helpers). Taking inspiration from the river, Jenna painted the island woodwork and the cabinets in the pantry a dark greenish blue.

“When I incorporate colour, I like it to be earthy tones or something from nature,” says Jenna. “I like to bring the outside in.”

In keeping with the farmhouse theme, a white apron-fronted double bowl sink has been built into the island. The sink, like others in the home, is from an English company known for its high-quality handcrafted fireclay sinks.

A short hall off the kitchen leads to the master bedroom, a luxurious ensuite bathroom, and large walk-in closet.

“This room has the best view in the house,” says Jenna as she gazes through the expansive bedroom windows to the river, which glitters in the afternoon sun. “Who wouldn’t love to wake up to that every day?”