From a basic barn reimagined as a swank paneled library to a storybook stone cottage where suppers are held by candlelight, a rural Illinois estate brims with diminutive delights, thanks to Annie Brahler-Smith.
ANNIE BRAHLER-SMITH: Would you believe by accident? It happened while I was designing a series of outbuildings on the 40-acre property, which was purchased by a former professional base ball player and his wife. While they were mulling over how to redo the main house, I started designing some amazing auxiliary structures—a collector’s garage for his cars, a garden house, and a poolhouse with twin pergolas. The look was very rustic-luxe. The house came with a barn that was horrible— ugly white-and-green aluminum—but they needed it for their horses. So I decided to overhaul it, inside and out. The husband told me, “We will let you do your own thing, and we’ll stay out of your way.” Now the barn looks like it has history—as if it evolved over time and generations.
KATHLEEN RENDA: How do you add character to a prefab?
This story is from the June 2017 edition of House Beautiful.
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This story is from the June 2017 edition of House Beautiful.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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