COUNTRY HOME: BARN RAISING

OLD BARN TIMBERS AND A WORLDLY MIX OF COLLECTIONS GIVE A NEW CONNECTICUT COLONIAL HOME A UNIQUE STORY.

Where most property hunters saw only the dated 1970s ranch house and algae-filled frog pond, Scott and Pam Bowman saw the opportunity to build the house of their dreams: a classic two-story Colonial with a rich history, one that had evolved over generations. Or at least looked and lived as if it had. So the New York couple bought the Litchfield County ranch, then razed it. “It was always the property, not the house, we responded to,” Pam says. “It was amazing, and we knew someday we would be able to build when the time was right.”

Six years later, they met a barn builder who took on the task of erecting a garage and pool house into a hill on the land, using materials from a reclaimed barn. The Bowmans were so happy with the finished product they asked the builder to bring a barn aesthetic to their home. “We thought the beams and rough timbers would warm up a Colonial and give it some history,” Pam says. “It’s very comforting to be surrounded by the wood. It makes us feel good.”

During the construction, the couple spent weekends with friends in the neighborhood and borrowed many home design ideas. “Whenever we saw a layout or finish idea that we liked, we thought about how we could apply the idea to our home,” Pam says. “We all share creative design solutions with each other.”