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Glazing on both sides of the home and an open floor plan allows for beautiful water and forest views throughout the living space.

A couple renovated an old farmhouse in Quebec to serve as their vacation home—and didn’t stop there. They looked to the old dilapidated barn on the property, and transformed it into a sprawling 4,500-square-foot guest house for their adult children.

A view looking from the kitchen to the open family room, which is outfitted with sofas by Perez Furniture. Above, interior windows in the upstairs bedrooms look out onto the double-height dining area and a view out of the giant window wall.

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.

Floor plan of Pemberton Residence by Alterstudio Architecture

The kitchen features white oak cabinetry and an island topped with Caesarstone in Rugged Concrete. The Torii stools are from Bensen and the Compendium pendant is from Luceplan, while the oven is by Wolf and the faucet is by California Faucets. The long white wall was meant for hanging art but so far remains bare. “It feels like a gallery that was ransacked,” jokes Jim, “but we’ve grown attached to the clean expanse.”

A see-through entry hall joins the living areas with a bedroom wing.

Instead of designing a completely open plan, Berg separated the public rooms with a freestanding fireplace wall made of Mutual Materials bricks in Coal Creek. An Emmy sectional by Egg Collective for Design Within Reach faces a Lars chair from Room & Board

“Everything needed to be approachable and simple,” says Hilary. “The house reflects who we are.”

Floor Plan of Palms Residence by Olson Kundig

A freestanding tub by Mirabelle and an antique bronze tub filler by Kallista bring a spa feel to the primary bathroom. The chandelier is from Hector Finch.

Chairs from West Elm join a dining table by Roman & Williams Guild, while a corner chair/loveseat by House of Morrison occupies a corner of the living area. Antique glass insets adorn the hearth and the custom storage unit between the two spaces.

The extensive use of glass allows the residents to enjoy changing views throughout the year. In the warmer months, the 60-foot sliding glass panels of the Marvin Modern Multi-Slide Door allow for an almost covered porch feel. In cooler months, when the doors are closed, the view remains unobstructed.

The clients—a family of five with three children in college—wanted to create an “urban cabin” that embraces the tranquil forested site on the shores of Lake Minnetonka. The solution was to use vast expanses of glass to dissolve the boundaries between inside and out.