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Houzz Tour: A Barn House Welcomes Weekenders
With lovely lounging areas and a kitchen that can handle a crowd, this retreat in the hills of New York is made for entertaining
This upstate New York barn house isn't a radical design by any means, which is why architect Nina Gotlieb is always a little surprised when neighbors stop by to fawn over the property. "I think a lot of people need to actually see modern architecture and design in person in order to understand that a home can be warm and intimate and everything they want it to be, regardless of any prescribed style," says Gotlieb.
Despite the challenge of securing approval for a new build site, Gotlieb persisted and was finally able to build her dream barn house on stunning terrain that's dotted with hills and rocky outcroppings — features that endear the house to Gotlieb even more.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A weekend home for a Brooklyn, New York, couple who love to entertain
Location: Clinton Corners, Dutchess County, New York
Size: 2,700 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, den
Despite the challenge of securing approval for a new build site, Gotlieb persisted and was finally able to build her dream barn house on stunning terrain that's dotted with hills and rocky outcroppings — features that endear the house to Gotlieb even more.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A weekend home for a Brooklyn, New York, couple who love to entertain
Location: Clinton Corners, Dutchess County, New York
Size: 2,700 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, den
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When your driveway is half a mile long and none of your neighbors are within plain sight, the idea of a front or back door can safely go out the window. "When guests pull up the driveway, they usually use the door at the top of the stairs as the main entrance," says Gotlieb.
"The barn house fits in with its surroundings more than most of the other homes in the area, which are mostly cookie cutter houses," says Gotlieb.
"The barn house fits in with its surroundings more than most of the other homes in the area, which are mostly cookie cutter houses," says Gotlieb.
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| A fire pit visible from the interior and the pool area makes summertime night gatherings an outdoor affair. |
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Floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding the dining area, the living room and the kitchen make the land part of the experience, even without anyone's stepping foot outdoors.
"I love the open floor plan and the simplicity of the home's design," says Gotlieb. "Nothing was overthought or overstyled."
"I love the open floor plan and the simplicity of the home's design," says Gotlieb. "Nothing was overthought or overstyled."
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| Gotlieb's favorite part of the weekend home is the kitchen. She sized the island with wider dimensions to accommodate a number of cooks and handlers working at the same time. |
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| The house sees its fair share of weekend and summer guests, so Gotlieb maximized the availability and functionality of public spaces. The most coveted lounging area in the house is the covered porch on the second floor, a lovely spot for watching the rain fall. |
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The entryway is both practical and minimalist: Ceramic hex tiles protect the hardwood floors while custom cabinetry houses coats, shoes and other loose items.
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Eye-level windows in the master bedroom frame the forest views. Bud vases from CB2 filled with copper BB pellets form the raindrop-like installation above the bed. His-and-her face pillows add a whimsical touch.
Bed frame: custom, Jay Brennan Fine Woodworking; face pillows: K Studio
Bed frame: custom, Jay Brennan Fine Woodworking; face pillows: K Studio
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Although the home speaks the architectural vernacular of other barns nearby, there is a whisper of Japanese influence inside: cranes wallpaper by Florence Broadhurst, minimalist furnishings, simple lines and unobstructed vistas.
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Although Gotlieb built the house for weekenders, the house could easily convert into a full-time home. "Right now, the bedrooms are made for crashing, so we made them smaller and the gathering spaces larger," says Gotlieb.
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Gotlieb uses wooden crates as bookshelves in the guest room and added suitcase racks for easy access to weekend bags.
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| The windows have a great Underwriters Laboratories (UL) rating and are made just over the border in Canada by Loewen, which employs green practices, including recycling scrap wood. Gotlieb also used a natural spray-foam insulation in conjunction with a fresh-air return system to keep the house tight yet breathable; mold is never a problem. The labor and materials that went into the house were local. "We looked into doing solar panels but ditched the idea after finding out we'd have to clear about 3 acres of trees — a lesson learned there," says Gotlieb. "Sometimes what seems green might not actually be the most responsible decision." More: Modern Farmhouse in the Hamptons New York Farmhouse With a Western Feel |
Ideabook published on Aug. 14, 2012.
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I come very close once to undertaking a Barn Conversion but failed to secure the financing at the time - it broke my heart and yet a friend of mine was the one who did acquire the property and convert it to a stunning home.
Most people often look at barns and think it's too much work but from my research the results are often very well worth the effort.
If anyone is interested I wrote an article recently on Barn Conversions which gives a few examples of the 'Before' and 'After' - here's the link - http://hometipster.com/visions-barn-conversions/
Thanks again Cathy... great post.
Gorgeous!
I can see why this was done in the kitchen so that the windows on the side of the house all matched.
Great house, great ideabook!
http://www.lumens.com/artemis-ceiling-fan-with-light-by-minka-aire/paaaaagonaajpkck/product
This house whispers its beauty. Kudos to Nina and her team! And — if this is her weekend house, we'd like to see her full-time residence...
There appears to be a free-standing wall with an entertainment system in the living area beyond the dining table. I'd love to know more about it---what's behind it and how close is the wall to the windows?
Love the porch.
If I had the kind of money to create a house... this would NOT be it. High ceilings are too difficult to clean & waste tons of electricity! Since heat rises- you have to keep the ceiling fans running to force the heat down & the power drain to cool that monsterous waste of space... WHOO!
I hate, hate, hate attached garages.. they kill! Even if you have a separate duct system for it- carbon monoxide is a sneaky little demon & can seep into the smallest crevasses in your house. Also- some cars have malfuntioned & although they'd been off for hours; caught on fire & guess what?
The only HOUSES that burned were the ones with ATTACHED garages. Also burglars LOVE entering houses through attached garages. Personally I prefer 3-4 season screened & glass/plexiglas porches since I'm not a big fan of bugs. The porch should've been directly above the garage- that way, IF carbon monoxide WERE to leech through the walls... at least it would get blown away by the wind.
I'm an "A place for everything (but have extra storage available for more) & everything in it's place" kind of gal. I have a pool but I don't have someone to clean it for me, so instead of an open covered porch... I would've covered the pool. I hate wasted space & there's a TON of it here.
I like the look of exposed beams but NOT if they waste potential storage space! I'd put painted or stained floor panels on top of those exposed beams so winter linens, clothes & decor for the rooms can be stored IN the rooms.
"Suitcase racks for weekend bags"... could you possibly make it any more obvious that you've created a place to entertain but not "keep" company?
I'd at least put a small chest of drawers w/mirror in between the suitcase racks... this design is so industrial, too commercial.... downright cold.
And finally... who put the fire pit that close to trees? Then surrounded it with flammable (& tasty to termites/ carpenter ants) trunk chairs which are then surrounded with even more flammable firewood? I don't see a garden hose or water pump & bucket within reach? This is a first- if I added anything from this to my ideabook it would simply be to remind me of what NOT to do.
As for the person from the earlier post attempting to spread her own unhappiness outward to others . I'll say a prayer for her because it's always true....mean people need our prayers the most.