Bluestone Barn is a vintage-barn lover’s dream

CALLICOON, NY — Living upstate as we do, we’re surrounded by barns of all shapes and sizes. The Bluestone Barn is a magnificent renovation of a c.1948 dairy barn into a three-bedroom residence that’s a masterpiece.

Comprising 4,311 square feet, the barn home is expansive without being overwhelming or cavernous. The exterior is a cheery blue, with barn-red accents around the new Anderson windows and on the doors. The covered front porch has a bluestone floor and stoop; they lead to an impressive red framework surrounding a beautifully weathered front door. Of course, there’s an old-fashioned wooden screen door that no doubt has that satisfying slam of old-time summers.

Through that door is an entry/mudroom. Scrubbed rafters gleam above a terracotta tile floor, and a bevy of closets stash outerwear, shoes and umbrellas out of sight. 

A set of French doors allows a pause before encountering the home’s pièce de résistance: A great room rising 29 feet, grounded by a bluestone Rumford fireplace that runs from floor to ceiling. The fireplace was built with stone recycled from a former building onsite.

Radiant-heated hemlock wood floors complement hand-hewn beams, all lit with sunlight streaming from the large southern-exposure windows as well as from skylights in the ceiling. 

Sliding glass doors from the living-room section of the great room open to an outdoor deck. In a rear corner is a secluded reading nook—its generous closets and blocky dimensions could make an easy transition into a bedroom with the addition of a fourth wall.

The dining area is well-lit with a bank of windows leading to the kitchen, which is another work of art. Knotty pine cabinets are lightly washed with sage paint and topped with butcher-block counters. Stainless-steel appliances include a gas range, dishwasher and fridge. A door next to the fridge opens to a walk-in pantry with a second refrigerator. A center island has a breakfast bar that seats three; beyond the island is a show-stopping, antique Elmira stove (in case one stove isn’t enough).

A corridor leads to two bedrooms. Barnwood forms an imposing accent wall in the primary bedroom, which also features glass sliders out to a private deck. 

The primary ensuite bath has blue tile on the floor and wood accents underneath casement windows and on the dual-sink vanity. A blue clawfoot tub takes advantage of the views from the casement windows. If a shower is desired, this bathroom delivers, with a walk-in shower intricately tiled in a mosaic “under the sea” motif. 

The second bedroom is less showy, but still impressive with lots of rustic wood accents along its creamy walls.

Back in the great room, sturdy stairs climb to a wide catwalk that connects two lofts at either end of the home. At one end, a wall of bookcases makes for a most comfortable library. The current owner added a bed to this room, too.

The other loft has a bed as well, along with plenty of room for a sectional sofa and easy chairs. A ladder from here climbs to a third loft: Another bed tucks itself under a peaked ceiling, with a chandelier and a boho macrame chair dangling from a heavy, ancient beam.

There’s even more space in the basement, which runs the full length of the house and includes a heated, 1,000-square-foot former pottery studio. A utility room down here helps control the electricity provided by a solar array on the roof too. 

All this beauty sits on 42 acres of beautiful meadows, woods and streams. A 10-foot-deep, spring-fed pond sprawls across nearly an acre. A concrete patio near the basement door has a distinctive round shape—it was created from the base of an old silo.

If this remastered barn looks like your future home sweet home, contact Country House Realty to make it a reality.