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The girls rinse off in the partially enclosed shower outside the master bathroom. “The kids really love the ups and downs and ins and outs of the house,” says Daniela.

The family cat, Rey, steps in front of the concrete fireplace in the living room. Floor-to-ceiling windows enhance the indoor-outdoor connection.

A wood bridge leads to the second-floor entry of the converted barn, which now offers 4,500-square feet of clean, modern interior space. The cladding is local hemlock spruce, the same local wood that was originally used to build the barn.

A grand space greets visitors when they first enter the home. The living room and kitchen are tucked on either side of a central dining area, which features a 35-foot-high wall of glass.

Timber beams are evident throughout. “The original post-and-beam structure was taken down, numbered, and reused within the new shell,” says Béliveau.

Inside, rustic elements (like wood beams and whitewashed wood) nod to the structure’s former life, while walls of glass, black metal accents, and sleek furnishings give it a fresh, new look. After the renovation, the couple loved the guesthouse so much they decided to make it their full-time dwelling.

To date, the pair and their pals have built a compound complete with sheds, tree decks, a pavilion, a wood-fired hot tub, an outhouse, an outdoor shower, and, now, a redwood cabin where an ever widening network of friends gather for skill-sharing workshops and events.