From the western Maine mountains to the rocky shores of Matinicus Island, you can find numerous timber-framed homes and barns designed and built by Houses and Barns by John Libby over the past half century. Combining New England vernacular with its 50-year timber frame history, Houses and Barns by John Libby has created a series of small, energy-efficient timber frame home designs.

The firm’s design team selected its “Harraseeket” frame as the basis for this series. The 18 by 24foot frame provides a pleasant amount of living space at a modest scale, while the open timber frame design enhances the interior with its exposed handcrafted structure and high-lofted space. Around the open core are supporting closed and private spaces such as bedrooms, bath, and storage. From the exterior, these spaces include covered porches and attached sheds with lower rooflines.

Overall, the building form is quintessential New England. A choice of traditional or contemporary trim provides the opportunity to adjust the exterior character to suit an owner’s preference. There are three variations that scale up in size. The first is “Retreat.” It begins with the iconic gabled form and adds a shed to provide 800 square feet of living space with an open loft. The second is “Hideaway.”
It features a first-floor bedroom and additional storage space with 1,000 square feet of living space. The largest is the “Haven,” which provides two bedrooms and 1,200 square feet of living space.

The traditional hand-cut timber frame is combined with a modern, well-insulated air-sealed building envelope. Some of the elements of the home include energy-efficient windows and doors, metal roofing, shingle siding, exterior trim, kitchen\bath\mudroom cabinetry, countertops, appliances, hardware, bath accessories, plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, and interior finishes. Simple in form and efficient in material usage, the approach provides an offering with high quality and craftsmanship designed for a wide range of uses and terrain, be it a mountain getaway, a lakeside retreat, or a complementary dwelling to an existing home.  

Architect: Peter Anderson, Houses & Barns by John Libby 
Design Team: Peter Anderson, Jerry Wasmer & Henry Oliva
Builder: Houses & Barns by John Libby