Houzz Tour: New Barn Home for a Simpler Life in Vermont
An architect designs a vacation house for a busy urban professional, who decides to make it her full-time home
Sometimes part-time life in the country is so great that it will make a person drop urban life and run for the hills. While this busy professional was bouncing between homes in New York City and Boston for her job, she tasked architect Joan Heaton and the builders at Silver Maple Construction with crafting a simple vacation home for her on a plot of land in Vermont with Adirondack mountain views. But soon after the home was completed, she fell in love with the easy Vermont lifestyle and decided to ditch the cities to live there full time.
On the front of the home, a large custom door pivots open, while a large sidelight lets light into the entry. The siding is rough-sawn stained Western red cedar.
The house was built with energy efficiency in mind. It has a tight envelope — it’s insulated with 4 inches of rigid foam on the exterior with rock wool in the wall cavity and has air-to-air heat pumps, so it doesn’t require the use of any fossil fuels.
The house was built with energy efficiency in mind. It has a tight envelope — it’s insulated with 4 inches of rigid foam on the exterior with rock wool in the wall cavity and has air-to-air heat pumps, so it doesn’t require the use of any fossil fuels.
Inside the front door is this entry area, with slate-like porcelain tiles on the floor for durability. The I beam stringer on the open staircase up to the sleeping loft references the I beams Heaton used in the home’s structure. A live-edge wood bench adds a rustic touch.
One Large, Open Space
From the entry, the house opens up into one big living space. The views continue across the first floor through the 12-foot-wide doors to the rolling fields and hedgerows beyond. These doors face south and let in loads of natural light.
“The structural system of the house is great — it is composed of trusses made of I beams,” Heaton says. They add modern industrial style to the agrarian-inspired building. Heaton continued the Western red cedar of the exterior onto the ceiling and the walls. The floors are oak and their variations in tone give them the aged look of reclaimed wood.
From the entry, the house opens up into one big living space. The views continue across the first floor through the 12-foot-wide doors to the rolling fields and hedgerows beyond. These doors face south and let in loads of natural light.
“The structural system of the house is great — it is composed of trusses made of I beams,” Heaton says. They add modern industrial style to the agrarian-inspired building. Heaton continued the Western red cedar of the exterior onto the ceiling and the walls. The floors are oak and their variations in tone give them the aged look of reclaimed wood.
The great room centers on a wood-burning fireplace by Stûv. The industrial-style surround is a porcelain tile with a metallic finish and the hearth is steel, with room below for wood storage. The rustic wood door conceals the TV, and the Sputnik light fixture adds another industrial touch.
Browse Sputnik chandeliers in the Houzz Shop
Browse Sputnik chandeliers in the Houzz Shop
A Kitchen Built for Parties
Large windows on the western side of the house provide expansive views of the Adirondacks.
“My client says she’s not much of a cook, so she wanted to keep the kitchen small. But she does throw the best parties ever here,” Heaton says. A large island provides a good spot to gather and to serve food and beverages. All of the cabinetry is custom, including the island with its woven wood detailing.
Porcelain backsplash tile with a metallic finish (the same one used on the fireplace surround), stainless steel appliances, concrete pendant lights and a gray-washed finish on the cabinetry mix rustic and industrial.
Range: Bertazzoni
Large windows on the western side of the house provide expansive views of the Adirondacks.
“My client says she’s not much of a cook, so she wanted to keep the kitchen small. But she does throw the best parties ever here,” Heaton says. A large island provides a good spot to gather and to serve food and beverages. All of the cabinetry is custom, including the island with its woven wood detailing.
Porcelain backsplash tile with a metallic finish (the same one used on the fireplace surround), stainless steel appliances, concrete pendant lights and a gray-washed finish on the cabinetry mix rustic and industrial.
Range: Bertazzoni
One of the homeowner’s must-haves was a clear wine cooler. Along with the doors, cabinetry and other millwork, this was custom made by the builder, Silver Maple Construction. The condenser is concealed in an adjacent closet that also houses the washer-dryer.
“Another fun thing about the kitchen is the apartment-size appliances,” Heaton says. Both the range and fridge are 24 inches wide and the dishwasher is 18 inches.
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“Another fun thing about the kitchen is the apartment-size appliances,” Heaton says. Both the range and fridge are 24 inches wide and the dishwasher is 18 inches.
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Heaton tucked the kitchen beneath the bedroom loft. The lower ceiling makes it cozy and provides delineation from the great room.
Refrigerator: Liebherr
Refrigerator: Liebherr
Opening to the Landscape
The three large doors on the back of the house slide all the way open and pocket inside the walls, creating a 12-foot opening between the great room and the deck. This makes it easy for parties to spill from indoors to out.
The three large doors on the back of the house slide all the way open and pocket inside the walls, creating a 12-foot opening between the great room and the deck. This makes it easy for parties to spill from indoors to out.
There’s a simple rectangular swimming pool off the western side of the house, and past that are the Adirondack mountains. On the opposite side of the house is an outdoor shower.
The retaining wall along the pool area nods to local agrarian landscapes. “The landscape architects suggested using this local boulder stone,” Heaton says. “It was less expensive than something fancier and more fitting for a barn.”
On the deck, Loll Designs’ modern take on classic Adirondack chairs is a perfect fit for the modern home that overlooks their namesake.
Shop for Adirondack chairs on Houzz
Shop for Adirondack chairs on Houzz
Cleverly Concealed Bunks
Another must-have idea of the client’s was a bunk bed alcove for when her best friend and her kids sleep over.
Another must-have idea of the client’s was a bunk bed alcove for when her best friend and her kids sleep over.
Each bunk has its own niche and reading light, and metal ladders and railings continue the industrial feel. A set of four sliding barn doors fully cover the bunks when not in use. They slide behind each other — when the bunks are open only one door is visible on each side of the alcove.
The baby grand piano tucked in the corner gives us an idea of the great room’s large size. The proportions of the furniture, doors, fireplace surround and windows — and breaking up the wood paneling with painted drywall — create a pleasingly comfortable scale.
The baby grand piano tucked in the corner gives us an idea of the great room’s large size. The proportions of the furniture, doors, fireplace surround and windows — and breaking up the wood paneling with painted drywall — create a pleasingly comfortable scale.
Downstairs Bathroom
A simple utility sink adds an industrial touch in the full bathroom on the main level. The wall to the right is tiled in porcelain planks that look like wood.
A simple utility sink adds an industrial touch in the full bathroom on the main level. The wall to the right is tiled in porcelain planks that look like wood.
The shower is open to the rest of the bathroom to make the most of the space.
Cozy Sleeping Loft
Perched above the great room, the sleeping loft has a steel-and-glass railing that keeps the views downstairs and outdoors open.
Perched above the great room, the sleeping loft has a steel-and-glass railing that keeps the views downstairs and outdoors open.
There’s built-in storage on the far side of the bed. The doors are custom, designed in a large-scale chevron pattern.
This barn door leads to the loft bathroom.
Because her client didn’t want to break up the simple form of the roofline with dormers, Heaton used a skylight to bring natural light into the bathroom.
General contractor, plus custom cabinetry and millwork: Silver Maple Construction
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General contractor, plus custom cabinetry and millwork: Silver Maple Construction
More on Houzz
Tour more barn-like homes
Hire a design pro
Shop for your home
House at a Glance
Who lives here: This is the full-time home of a woman who originally built it as a vacation home.
Location: Weybridge, Vermont
Size: 1,250 square feet (116 square meters) plus sleeping loft; 2 bathrooms
Designers: Joan Heaton (architecture) and Raycroft/Meyer Landscape Architecture (landscape design)
“This client had a really specific idea of what she wanted,” Heaton says. “She wanted a very simple and modern form. And she didn’t want to break up the roofline with dormers.” Though the house is modern, Heaton looked to vernacular farm buildings in the area for inspiration. The house is a simple, modern, barn-like structure with pleasing proportions.
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