Re-purposing a dairy barn
A family that spends weekends and summers on a large country estate in central New Jersey decided to convert an old dairy barn into a rustic but elegant private house. We inserted a new entrance between a pair of silos and added two rooms to the L-shaped plan: a breakfast room and a reading room off the master bedroom. The additions, articulated as independent pavilions, complement the additive, eclectic nature of the original building.

Interiors with a rustic character

The interiors continue the rustic character of the barn. New fireplaces are made of the type of stone found in the building’s base. Custom-designed railings with a bovine motif refer to the barn’s original use and bronze chandeliers are reminiscent of lit candles. A four-poster bed recalls the timber framing of the old barn. Other furnishings were specified by the owner’s interior designer Mario Buatta.

Robert Blaser, AIA
Principal, Design Practice Leader
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