When a young New York family moved upstate into a modernist glass house built in 1969, they wanted to turn the home’s sister structure—a converted barn with foundations dating from the 1700s—into a flexible live/work studio for visitors and at-home working. Brooklyn-based firm General Assembly embraced the 800-square-foot building’s layered history, creating a cozy, inward-focused space to contrast the airy transparency of the main home.

The main house was designed by architect Robert Fitzpatrick, and the original owners called it “their Philip Johnson home” when it was completed in 1969. Just steps from the glass house, the historic single-story barn had been updated by the previous owners, who added a second story and converted it into an art studio. “It was a working studio space, with remnants of the original owner’s art practice all around,” says designer Sarah Zames, who completed the renovation with her General Assembly partner Colin Stief.

“We wanted to keep the original character and its worn-in, relaxed feeling, but also make it more comfortable,” says Zames. The space needed to function as a standalone guesthouse for friends and visitors, but also work as a flexible office for the owners. “We decided to keep the structure mostly intact,” explain the homeowners, one of whom is a graphic designer. “Given the openness of the main glass house, we wanted a more cozy, on-property escape—something that felt very different, and less restrained.”

Because the studio was structurally in good shape, the design became an inside job. Zames and Stief embraced the contrast to the airy glass house, creating an interior palette of dark stone and wood that pops against bright white cabinets and shelves in the kitchenette. “We wanted to make sure the studio felt like a solid object, whereas the glass house is a more skeletal, open piece,” says Zames.

The one exception is the glazing on the main level, which the designers expanded to gather more light into the lower level. “The entry area downstairs has an atrium feeling that gives an unexpected effect,” say the homeowners. “The exterior doesn’t give many clues as to the experience inside, so coming into a double-height space has quite a dramatic effect.”

The firm replaced a spiral staircase leading to the upper floor with corner staircase with a geometric steel railing. Throughout, the design juxtaposes industrial, steel-and-glass elements with more Scandinavian-inspired midcentury notes, where warm woods and rounded corners are key. “We definitely had a time period in mind, but used colors and finishes to take it out of that typical midcentury feeling,” explains Stief.

Downstairs, peach-colored draperies help diffuse the direct sunlight that pummels the space during the day. “The shade of the drapes gives a nice warm light in the space,” says Zames. Relocating the kitchenette to the lower level opened up more volume upstairs for sleeping and working areas. “The tiled countertop draws from midcentury design, but we wanted it to feel more current,” says Stief. For Zames, the tile is a nod to the kitchens of her youth. “Doing a tiled countertop reminded me of the houses I grew up in, and it works here because it’s a guesthouse and not getting daily wear and tear.”

While the downstairs is cozy and warm, the upstairs is bright and light-filled. The designers retained existing skylights the previous owners had installed—likely to maximize natural light for their working art studio—and added a freestanding dividing wall to delineate a sleeping area with bunkbeds from the living room. Throughout, the owners’ vibrant, contemporary art collection injects another layer of color and texture to the space. “They have a great eye for art, and their collection is very bold,” says Zames, who worked with the owners to select pieces that would work in the various rooms.

A sliding glass door upstairs can be accessed from the main house, allowing the area to function as a workspace without disturbing guests who might be lodging downstairs. The close physical connection between the two structures speaks to the designers’ overarching goal to treat them as two parts of a whole, rather than separate entities. “One is super modern, and the other is more traditional,” say the homeowners. “But each structure is more special because of the other.”

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Project Credits:

Interior Architect: General Assembly / @gen_assembly

Photography: Chris Mottalini / @chrismottalini