Back in 2000, the crafty geniuses at Shed spent some time on Whidbey Island getting to know the lay of the land, the original barn and how the light moves across the floor as the sun passes through the day. In that time, they were able to capitalize on a number of opportunities and incorporate more ideas into the project. Certainly not all architecture firms can live on site to learn all the nuances of a place, but the technique certainly pays off in this beautiful adaptive reuse project.
The existing barn was split up into a main kitchen and living space, a bunkroom off to the side and then an apartment upstairs. The bunkroom has its own bathroom which can easily be accessed from outside. The second story opens up to a large living space with a ladder leading up to a lofted bedroom. Everything is contained within the original confines of the barn and each space was reworked to soak in natural light and oriented to the surrounding landscape. Skylights, dormers and bay windows were added to further connect the interior with the exterior.
The interior was finished with a minimal palette of colors and materials including significant reuse of existing barn materials. Original barn siding was reused inside as paneling, and salvaged floor joists were re-milled and used in the stairs, trim and counter tops. To top it all off, a new cedar board and batten skin was wrapped around the exterior.
Images © Jenny Elia Pfeiffer
