Status: Completed May 2005

The barn at the Milk House in Thetford underwent its third great transformation with the start of this project. Originally, the Barn served as a classic dairy barn for the property for many years. Transfer of ownership and use of the property served to convert the barn to a small production facility for the Big Hed T-shirt company. The current owners hired Smith & Vansant to help renovate the building to serve as a guest house.

The program consisted of three bedrooms, one full bathroom, a small entry-way/mudroom, a dining area with a small kitchenette, and a large living room. The client wanted to preserve and accentuate the timber-frame construction and barn features as much as possible, and have a warm and cozy, energy efficient, and cost-conscious guest house.

The barn was extensively renovated early in 2004. Some of the funky irregularities were rationalized and greatly improved upon. The exterior retains the classic barn appearance it has always had, albeit with several more windows. The focus of the interior was to provide a warm, colorful and inviting guest space with an open plan for the more communal functions and comfortable guest rooms. For the young and adventurous, a sleeping loft was eroded from a small section of the upper barn. This not only helps to meet the programmatic needs of a third bedroom, but helps to enlarge the feeling of the tall living room.

General Contractor: Chip Odell, Thetford, Vermont. Interiors: DPF Design, White River Junction, Vermont.