A Post&Beam Dream Come True | Yankee Barn Homeowners Newsletter


		1-800-258-9786 info@yankeebarnhomes.com www.yankeebarnhomes.com

	HOMEOWNERS NEWSLETTER	Fall 2000


		After discovering Yankee Barn in 1971, Betsy had a dream of someday living in a barn home. She and her husband, Ted, were drawn to the charm of the antique post and beam frame with a modern floor plan customized to their needs. Their dream came true almost 30 years later.
		To learn how you can design your own barn home, Order the Design Guide. The Yankee Barn Design Guide includes a three-ring binder with 175 pages of design ideas, color photographs, interviews with homeowners and custom plans.

"When you build a Yankee Barn, they want
it to have your signature on it, not theirs. We had free reign to build our own house with alot of guidance."

The dream started in 1971 when Betsy saw her first Yankee Barn in a magazine. Her husband, Ted, knew she had found the home of her dreams, "Betsy had a file on Yankee Barn that dated back almost 30 years. We both had a fascination with barns and the post and beam structure."

"I had never gotten Yankee Barn out of my mind," said Betsy. About ten houses later, her dream came true."

I always wanted to live in a barn, but didn't want to live in an old one," said Betsy. "I thought I would have to live in old houses for the charm, but would never have a walk-in closet. With Yankee Barn, I get both."

"We knew what we wanted – large windows to bring the outdoors and my gardens in and plenty of room to entertain," said Betsy who has always been involved in her community and is currently active in the Garden Club Federation. Ted, retired from 22 years with a large national foundation, serving seven years as Chairman and CEO, is involved with charitable work for a local art institute and art conservation center.

Betsy and Ted let the outside in to their Great Room with a window wall on one end and glass doors opening onto the deck along one side (cover photograph). Under the soaring cathedral ceiling, the fireplace provides a cozy focal point.

The loft overlooking the kitchen gives
the grandchildren plenty of room to
play within sight of the other generations.

After finding, by chance, the perfect building site nestled in the countryside with sweeping views of the mountains, Betsy and Ted pulled out the file on Yankee Barn Homes and sent for the latest Yankee Barn Design Guide. They browsed through the plans and were drawn to the Goodwin Yankee Barn.

"I have a love of nature. I love to garden. We wanted a house that would bring the outside in. The Goodwin plan was perfect," said Betsy. "With all the windows, we could look out at the mountains, and with the layout we could walk from the master bedroom, hallway, and living room outside onto a deck." (See The Best Laid Plans.)

Betsy and Ted added 5' to the length of the
master bedroom ell for a jacuzzi in the master
bath and the walk-in closet Betsy dreamed of.

Betsy and Ted liked the basic layout with the main living area on one floor and master bedroom suite in an attached ell. They took what they liked about the floor plan, and working with Jim Wheeler, one of the designers at Yankee Barn Homes, made it their own.

"We wanted a more accommodating house with a greater ease of living that would take advantage of our beautiful setting," said Ted, who at the time of the interview was recovering from an operation.

"Like a surgeon, we wanted a comfort level with the person designing our house," said Ted. "We had this comfort level with Yankee Barn. We were very comfortable in the hands of Jim, everyone at Yankee Barn, and our builder."

The master bedroom suite in an attached
ell gives Betsy and Ted one level living,
privacy when family and friends visit, and
access to the deck through glass doors.

Betsy lived and dreamed Yankee Barn during the design process. As Ted said, "Betsy took care of the inside, the aesthetics. My job was the site work."

"I would go to bed every night, thinking it through. I would go in through the front door, turn left to see what's there, then turn right," said Betsy.

"We wanted what I call a 'living' kitchen." Her dream kitchen needed to have plenty of room to cook, relax around the island, and sit by the fireplace.

While some homeowners add a granary or greenhouse along the side of the main Yankee Barn frame for an informal eating area, Betsy and Ted needed more width to enclose the kitchen and family room. The solution was to build a separate wing based on, and attached to, the basic Mark I frame. (See Designer Notes.)

"We're casual, active people, and we love to entertain," said Betsy who is known for casual family gatherings in the "living" kitchen and elegant dinners for 24 on the deck. "This house works."

"It's our home. Jim guided us. He let us know if what we wanted would work," said Betsy. "When you build a Yankee Barn, they want it to have your signature on it, not theirs. We had free reign to build our own house, with a lot of guidance. It was fun."

Building became a family affair when two of their sons joined the builder's crew. With the help of a Yankee Barn supervisor, Betsy and Ted's Yankee Barn was raised quickly. "The supervisor is essential and works right along with the crew. He knows how to make it all work," said Ted who helped in the building process by nailing the symbolic spruce tree to the ridge beam.

"Yankee Barn was accommodating and professional. They took our thoughts and put them together to work with the Yankee Barn designs and their first rate materials. We wouldn't do it differently," said Ted. "We are pleased with the outcome, pleased 'in spades.'"

Browsing through the renderings and floor plans of actual Yankee Barns included in the Design Guide provides the inspiration for many Yankee Barns homeowners. For Betsy and Ted, the Goodwin Yankee Barn caught their eye with its 49' Mark I frame enclosing an airy, open living area and an attached ell for a private master bedroom wing. They also found appealing the idea of walking out from the Great Room and the master bedroom suite onto a deck.

With this plan as a starting point, Betsy and Ted worked with Jim Wheeler, one of the designers at Yankee Barn Homes, to customize the floor plan to their needs. For the "living" kitchen Betsy wanted, a 16' wing was added (see Designer Notes). To accommodate a walk-in closet and master bath, they added 5' to the length of the attached ell. During construction and after much discussion, the dining room was "moved" from the Great Room to a room off the kitchen wing that Ted initially envisioned as his office. The upstairs balcony gave him the office space he needed with the added advantage of the view.

"We didn't think we could build from scratch," said Betsy. "It was a wonderful process because Yankee Barn has the basic designs to work from."

Look for Renée and Michael's Yankee Barn highlighted in the August/ September 2000 issue of Country Accents. This Yankee Barn was also featured in the 1996 Design and Decor issue of Timber Frame Homes and in the Spring 1996 issue of the Yankee Barn Homeowners newsletter. A copy of the newsletter, "One with the Landscape," is available by calling the office at 1-800-258-9786.

Tegan Towle Kimball and Kristine Palmer, both of Grantham, New Hampshire, have been awarded Yankee Barn scholarships, announced Tony Hanslin, Chief Executive Officer of Yankee Barn Homes. The scholarships were established in memory of Tony's father and the founder of Yankee Barn Homes, Emil Hanslin. Scholarships of $1,000 each are made available to Grantham students heading to college or technical school.

Because everyone likes to hang around in the kitchen, many Yankee Barn homeowners need a design to accommodate the cook plus plenty of extras. While some want a sunny space to enjoy breakfast or informal dining, others like Betsy and Ted want a large country kitchen with plenty of room to sit at the island or relax around the fireplace. Here are a few design ideas Yankee Barn has to easily create a kitchen that lives.

Put a little extra on the side with a granary or greenhouse.

A granary extends the roofline of a Yankee Barn to add space for a breakfast bar on an island or an informal dining area in the kitchen.

To let the sun in, skylights can be used in the granary or a greenhouse can be added. The Yankee Barn Show Home incorporates both into the kitchen design. The granary extends the kitchen work area and allows for a large island without compromising the dining room. The greenhouse provides an attached eating area that opens to the outside and the Great Room through French doors.

For a full course, add an ell or wing.

An ell adds more space for a country kitchen with room to mill around plus a dining or sitting area. In a recent design, the homeowners added a carriage ell to their Yankee Barn to provide enough depth for the kitchen to open into a family room with a fireplace. Betsy and Ted wanted more width in their "living" kitchen than a granary but didn't need the added length of a traditional ell. The solution: add a wing based on the Mark I frame.

With the flexibility of Yankee Barn frames and the experience of building many kitchens under their belt, Yankee Barn has the recipe to help homeowners build their dream kitchens. To discuss your kitchen needs, call the Yankee Barn office at 1-800-258-9786.

Photographs: Suki Coughlin, Stylist: Paula McFarland
©2000 Yankee Barn Homes, Tony Hanslin, Chariman and CEO

	"When you build a Yankee Barn, they want it to have your signature on it, not theirs. We had free reign to build our own house with alot of guidance."	The dream started in 1971 when Betsy saw her first Yankee Barn in a magazine. Her husband, Ted, knew she had found the home of her dreams, "Betsy had a file on Yankee Barn that dated back almost 30 years. We both had a fascination with barns and the post and beam structure." "I had never gotten Yankee Barn out of my mind," said Betsy. About ten houses later, her dream came true."
	I always wanted to live in a barn, but didn't want to live in an old one," said Betsy. "I thought I would have to live in old houses for the charm, but would never have a walk-in closet. With Yankee Barn, I get both." "We knew what we wanted – large windows to bring the outdoors and my gardens in and plenty of room to entertain," said Betsy who has always been involved in her community and is currently active in the Garden Club Federation. Ted, retired from 22 years with a large national foundation, serving seven years as Chairman and CEO, is involved with charitable work for a local art institute and art conservation center.	Betsy and Ted let the outside in to their Great Room with a window wall on one end and glass doors opening onto the deck along one side (cover photograph). Under the soaring cathedral ceiling, the fireplace provides a cozy focal point.
	The loft overlooking the kitchen gives the grandchildren plenty of room to play within sight of the other generations. After finding, by chance, the perfect building site nestled in the countryside with sweeping views of the mountains, Betsy and Ted pulled out the file on Yankee Barn Homes and sent for the latest Yankee Barn Design Guide. They browsed through the plans and were drawn to the Goodwin Yankee Barn. "I have a love of nature. I love to garden. We wanted a house that would bring the outside in. The Goodwin plan was perfect," said Betsy. "With all the windows, we could look out at the mountains, and with the layout we could walk from the master bedroom, hallway, and living room outside onto a deck." (See The Best Laid Plans.)

	Betsy and Ted added 5' to the length of the master bedroom ell for a jacuzzi in the master bath and the walk-in closet Betsy dreamed of. Betsy and Ted liked the basic layout with the main living area on one floor and master bedroom suite in an attached ell. They took what they liked about the floor plan, and working with Jim Wheeler, one of the designers at Yankee Barn Homes, made it their own. "We wanted a more accommodating house with a greater ease of living that would take advantage of our beautiful setting," said Ted, who at the time of the interview was recovering from an operation. "Like a surgeon, we wanted a comfort level with the person designing our house," said Ted. "We had this comfort level with Yankee Barn. We were very comfortable in the hands of Jim, everyone at Yankee Barn, and our builder." The master bedroom suite in an attached ell gives Betsy and Ted one level living, privacy when family and friends visit, and access to the deck through glass doors. Betsy lived and dreamed Yankee Barn during the design process. As Ted said, "Betsy took care of the inside, the aesthetics. My job was the site work." "I would go to bed every night, thinking it through. I would go in through the front door, turn left to see what's there, then turn right," said Betsy. "We wanted what I call a 'living' kitchen." Her dream kitchen needed to have plenty of room to cook, relax around the island, and sit by the fireplace. While some homeowners add a granary or greenhouse along the side of the main Yankee Barn frame for an informal eating area, Betsy and Ted needed more width to enclose the kitchen and family room. The solution was to build a separate wing based on, and attached to, the basic Mark I frame. (See Designer Notes.) "We're casual, active people, and we love to entertain," said Betsy who is known for casual family gatherings in the "living" kitchen and elegant dinners for 24 on the deck. "This house works." "It's our home. Jim guided us. He let us know if what we wanted would work," said Betsy. "When you build a Yankee Barn, they want it to have your signature on it, not theirs. We had free reign to build our own house, with a lot of guidance. It was fun." Building became a family affair when two of their sons joined the builder's crew. With the help of a Yankee Barn supervisor, Betsy and Ted's Yankee Barn was raised quickly. "The supervisor is essential and works right along with the crew. He knows how to make it all work," said Ted who helped in the building process by nailing the symbolic spruce tree to the ridge beam. "Yankee Barn was accommodating and professional. They took our thoughts and put them together to work with the Yankee Barn designs and their first rate materials. We wouldn't do it differently," said Ted. "We are pleased with the outcome, pleased 'in spades.'" Browsing through the renderings and floor plans of actual Yankee Barns included in the Design Guide provides the inspiration for many Yankee Barns homeowners. For Betsy and Ted, the Goodwin Yankee Barn caught their eye with its 49' Mark I frame enclosing an airy, open living area and an attached ell for a private master bedroom wing. They also found appealing the idea of walking out from the Great Room and the master bedroom suite onto a deck. With this plan as a starting point, Betsy and Ted worked with Jim Wheeler, one of the designers at Yankee Barn Homes, to customize the floor plan to their needs. For the "living" kitchen Betsy wanted, a 16' wing was added (see Designer Notes). To accommodate a walk-in closet and master bath, they added 5' to the length of the attached ell. During construction and after much discussion, the dining room was "moved" from the Great Room to a room off the kitchen wing that Ted initially envisioned as his office. The upstairs balcony gave him the office space he needed with the added advantage of the view. "We didn't think we could build from scratch," said Betsy. "It was a wonderful process because Yankee Barn has the basic designs to work from."



	Because everyone likes to hang around in the kitchen, many Yankee Barn homeowners need a design to accommodate the cook plus plenty of extras. While some want a sunny space to enjoy breakfast or informal dining, others like Betsy and Ted want a large country kitchen with plenty of room to sit at the island or relax around the fireplace. Here are a few design ideas Yankee Barn has to easily create a kitchen that lives. Put a little extra on the side with a granary or greenhouse. A granary extends the roofline of a Yankee Barn to add space for a breakfast bar on an island or an informal dining area in the kitchen. To let the sun in, skylights can be used in the granary or a greenhouse can be added. The Yankee Barn Show Home incorporates both into the kitchen design. The granary extends the kitchen work area and allows for a large island without compromising the dining room. The greenhouse provides an attached eating area that opens to the outside and the Great Room through French doors. For a full course, add an ell or wing. An ell adds more space for a country kitchen with room to mill around plus a dining or sitting area. In a recent design, the homeowners added a carriage ell to their Yankee Barn to provide enough depth for the kitchen to open into a family room with a fireplace. Betsy and Ted wanted more width in their "living" kitchen than a granary but didn't need the added length of a traditional ell. The solution: add a wing based on the Mark I frame. With the flexibility of Yankee Barn frames and the experience of building many kitchens under their belt, Yankee Barn has the recipe to help homeowners build their dream kitchens. To discuss your kitchen needs, call the Yankee Barn office at 1-800-258-9786.

	Photographs: Suki Coughlin, Stylist: Paula McFarland ©2000 Yankee Barn Homes, Tony Hanslin, Chariman and CEO