In modern Cottage farmhouses, locally harvested or salvaged stone and brick is used for facades, fireplaces, floors, cornices, and quoin (large cornerstones classic in stone homes). Wood. With trees aplenty, farmers once cut lumber from their property and hand hewed beams to provide structure to their homes.Wooden boards and beams reclaimed from old barns make regular appearances in the homes Period builds in the form of furniture, millwork, cabinetry, siding, floors, roofing, and more. Iron is used most often for hardware—think strap and latch hinges, box locks, and shutter hardware—as well as lighting. There are still many companies and artisans that hand-forge their ironware using the time-tested methods of days past.