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.
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.
