Guest Barn Conversion Provides Heavenly Escape in Sun Valley, Idaho

Stunning Location and Natural Beauty

You'll want to take a closer look at this guest barn home conversion located in Sun Valley, Idaho. Miller-Roodell Architects is responsible for the creation of this stunning guest barn conversion situated on two acres on the East Fork River of Sun Valley, Idaho. Surrounded by spruce and aspen trees, cottage gardens, and native wildflowers the barn conversion boasts mesmerizing vistas of the snow-capped Pioneer Mountains. The property has a large swimming pond occupied by water lilies, rushes and grasses, ducks, geese, rainbow trout, and other wildlife, making this location peaceful, private, and incredibly beautiful.

Character and Modern Craftsmanship

This 2,300 square foot barn dwelling gains its character from aged barn wood, rusted metal, and turn-of-the-century Vermont post and beam. The owner came to the architects after following their work in a variety of publications. Although a small project, they wished for this residence to have personality and charm. This guest barn is insulated using SIPS panels. Great care, time, and expense were made to buff out the barn with vintage and aged reclaimed materials showing off wonderful patinas and colors only time can produce. The building core is constructed of new, high-tech engineered framing and structural steel, super-effective blown-in insulation, and other state-of-the-art materials not visible inside or out.

Exterior Design and Rustic Charm

The barn's exterior was put together using wood cedar shingles, Harlowton moss rock, copper gutters and flashings, authentic antique vertical barn wood siding, rusted corrugated metal, worn and battered rafter tails, lookouts, fascia, and soffit boards all weathered by 150 years of wind, rain, and sun. The barn uses vernacular architectural design, highly skilled craftsmen, and gifted carpenters which created this jewel that is simple, romantic, and stunning. This guest barn conversion offers a charming place to enjoy the wonderment of nature, offering an abundance of outdoor activities. The soaring ceilings add a bright and airy feel to this rustic space, while large windows frame captivating views that will leave you feeling awestruck. The guest barn is also available as a guest house for a tranquil getaway, available for rent at Winton-Marsh.

A Historic Craftsmanship Legacy

Two hundred years ago, this barn frame was built by a master framer along with the farmer, his sons, and farmhands. They girdled and felled choice old-growth hemlock from the nearby wood lot years ahead to allow to season. These workmen formed, shaped, and hewed post and beam timbers by hand with broad ax and adze. Mortises and tenons were dressed and beveled using mallets, chisels, mauls, and mortise ax. Interlocking holes were cut by the auger, to receive hardwood pegs of maple or oak greased with beeswax. Each barn frame section, called bents was framed on the ground, using beetles to pound the beams into place. Once the bents were fashioned on the ground, neighbors for miles around came to help in the raising, using long poles called pikes to erect the bents to a standing position. Barn raising in early America became a vital tradition and as eagerly anticipated as a wedding.