Country Living

Columbus Monthly Homes July 2005
Written by Sherry Beck Paprocki | Photography by Jeffrey A Rycus

Homeowners choose historic post and beam construction for their perfect country barn home

This Plain Township home displays town and country living at its best. Constructed in Post and Beam barn style, the comfortable dwelling sits on a five acre lot, providing a country place within 20 minutes of downtown Columbus. The couple who built the barn home were Bexley residents who headed out to New Albany early in that community's development; after seven years of a traditional neighborhood, their yearning more a more eccentric lifestyle took over. "We had a vision of living in the country," says the man of the house.

They owned a small Maine cabin constructed with log and timber framing, and the more they considered it, the more they became convinced that this ancient art of post and beam building also would suit their needs for their permanent residence. "This style of building is thousands of years old," says the homeowner. "They've lasted for centuries."

Part of their task though, was to convince the New Albany Company, with its strict architectural guidelines, to sell them land where they could build their barn home. "Was there an alternative to brick, Georgian structure?" they wondered. As it turned out, when they were ready to build, there were three lots available on the perimeter of company owned property. The couple selected a site that sloped down to a wooded area with a view of wildflowers and Back lick Creek flowing beyond. "I love it here." Says the woman of the house.

Over a few years, the couple visited post and beam builders in Michigan, Vermont, and New Hampshire. They elected to work with Columbus architect Joe Weithman and a builder in Michigan; where part of the structure was assembled and then moved to Central Ohio.
"The whole theme of the house was to have lots of natural light and to bring the outdoors inside," says the husband. In addition, the couple were becoming empty nesters during the building process, and wanted a first floor master suite but additional bedrooms on the lower level.

The design that resulted was a large, open space on the main floor that accommodates a spacious kitchen, three comfortable sitting areas and two fireplaces. A brick hearth centers a cozy sitting space near the kitchen, and a stacked, limestone fireplace rises to the ceiling, providing intriguing detail, lots of texture and a focal point from throughout the house. To the back of the space, a circular stairway spirals to a large loft, used as an office by the wife.

In the early stages of the project, designer Dennis McAvena was brought on board. "We had a lot of furniture that we liked," explains the woman. Many of the homeowners treasured pieces are family heirlooms that they weren't ready to part with. In addition, the homeowners had some distinct ideas about what they wanted. For example, the woman knew that she wanted a red kitchen, but the open spaces in the home were a bit overwhelming. "You can see everything from one place," she says. "The whole thing had to work."

Changing color from room to room was not an option, and yellow was used throughout nearly the entire first floor and loft area. Considerable experimentation went into the selection of the color of the kitchen cabinets, which were done by Miller Cabinet Company of Plain City. Finally, the exact color of barn red was achieved.

The homeowners took care to integrate rustic elements in their design-there is no high gloss paint in the house, for example. The honed granite used for the kitchen countertops has a pattern that features swirling green colors, with a matte finish. Stainless appliances complete the d"cor in the kitchen.

Designing a kitchen with few walls was a challenge says the woman. There are two, which are both outside walls accommodating windows to bring in plenty of light. On the third side of the room, the stacked stone fireplace rises, and the fourth side opens with the sitting area with the smaller, brick fireplace. Yet she and her designers made it work.

A microwave is situated under the kitchen island; a large pantry cupboard, featuring rollout drawers, was installed adjacent to the refrigerator, and additional storage was built in low-rise cabinets that divide the kitchen and its sitting area from the main space. These cabinets are topped in yellow southern white pine, which matches the South Carolina heart pine flooring used throughout much of the house.

The couples existing sofas and chairs were added to the design, or re-covered to mesh with their new colors. The woman credits McAvena for working diligently to tie together the designs, providing choices of fabrics where draperies were necessary, and fabrics for the reupholstering projects. "We worked off the red and yellow," explains McAvena.

The woman appreciates the comfortable arrangement of furniture, providing small areas for intimate groups within the larger context of space. "I have never had enough seating for people," she says. "Its a great party house."

The two larger sitting areas feature striped-hand woven rugs from England, created to integrate the color choices made for the home. Other rugs protect the floor, and add warmth to its soaring space. A large, vintage, tree of life tapestry inherited from a great aunt hangs in the larger sitting area. Columbus artist Rosalind Mercier did paintings of the couples two horses-one hangs on the stone fireplace, the other in the master suite. The woman's own bronze sculpture of a fox sits on a coffee table, and some of her other, smaller works are placed throughout the home. Columbus sculptor Renate Burgyan mentors her in her pursuit.

One of the tricks of this homes interior design was working with the different timbers-the pine floors, the detailed framing made of Douglas Fir from Oregon, and the ceiling made of spruce. Oak was selected for the trim. Here, too, McAvena took care with selection of stains for these varied woods to coordinate their coloring and to bring out their natural grains.

The office for the man is located at the entrance of the master suite, done in heart pine paneling and featuring pocket doors to divide it from the main living space. "There were certain common areas that we had to agree on," explains the woman of the house, but each made the choices in designing their own office spaces.

The woman chose to add plenty of bookshelves in her loft office. An antique table at one end of the space is used as a desk, and a small sitting area is at the opposite end. Leaning over the lofts wrought iron railing provides a wide view of the living space below. She also enjoys the view through the large windows in the common part of her home overlooking the back yard, and a smaller window in the loft area.

The only white walls in the home are in the master suite, with its sloping ceiling and sweeping views of a very private rear lawn. "I really wanted white" says the woman. "I thought that white is such a nice color." The couple finished this space with a handmade bed they purchased years ago in Martha Vineyard and an existing highboy.

In a broad hallway between bedroom and bath, a large closet was added, and additional drawer space was built in. Blue slate tiles were selected for the master bath floor, and used additionally on the countertop and trim in the bathtub area. Cabinetry is Hickory. All cabinet fixtures on the first floor of the house are in wrought iron, for a more rustic look.
The couple chose brick to be used for the foyer, and in the process, nearly enough brick was salvaged for the family room floor of the lower level. A wine cellar on this level features the same brick, done in a herringbone pattern.

Beige walls and painted green woodwork provide an interesting contrast for the lower floor. Three bedrooms-one for each of the couples two twenty something children and a spare-are situated there. The family room is done in the same colors used on the main floor above-contrasting tones of yellow, red, green and more. McAvena recommended a striped pattern for some furnishings and the draperies here, a design that reminded him of a horse blanket. (the homeowners are horse-backing riding enthusiasts) The stone fireplace extends to this area and can burn either wood or gas.

Outdoors a series of decks and a wide stone patio overlook the wildflower meadows and the woods beyond this comfortable dwelling. Even though passersby may do a double take at the front of the house, the large glass doors are a giveaway that this is a private residence rather than a shiny new barn.

The homeowners are happy with their unique country place. Says the woman, "I feel so at home."