A Charming Carriage House

Roughly 15 years ago, our clients purchased a barn / carriage house compound which had been previously converted to a residence. They loved the history and character of the home right down to the gnaw marks from the horses on the window trim in the barn. What they were not so enamored with was the confusing flow, dark spaces, and general disjointed feeling of the property.

For the garage, our clients were looking for something that was less historically informed and more whimsical. They wanted to make a nod to the design character of the rest of the compound, but do something a little unexpected. The second floor consists of a large open, cathedral space capped with a large window that bathes the interior with soft natural light. The timber frame detailing is fairly traditional, but instead of filling the entire interior with wood finishes the space is softly sculpted in plaster forms that are constantly shifting slightly with the everchanging light from above. The entire space is then subtly polychromed to further create an ever-morphing palette as the light changes. The expansive quality   of the room combined with the softly changing colors and forms creates a universally appealing space. A young teen in the family headed for the room to immerse himself in the world of X-box games and was quoted as saying, “you know I REALLY like being in this space”.

Even though the detailing is pared down in this “away space” when compared to the main house, the owners could not resist having fun with the TV cabinet and pool cue rack. This piece is conceived as a double-sided TV cabinet, sound system, pool ball storage, cue rack, room divider… all in one! There is no element in the design that does nit serve a particular function (or several functions)/ It is designed so that even the details of the pool balls and cues are an integral decorative (and functional) element.

Design: Poore & Co
Photography: Kim Meyer

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