“When I first saw the house, I knew I could transform the space into a warm gathering place to create lasting memories with family and friends. One of the first things I noticed was that the third floor had gable-end dormers that could be blown out, and I instantly had this vision of making the space as open and cathedral-like as possible. I knew that we had roughly 800 square feet to play with, so I wanted to open the space up as much as I could. I quickly got to work with my seven person team at Ethos Carpentry to make my vision a reality. We turned the 8-foot ceilings into 13-foot ceilings by opening up the dormers and the remainder of the ceiling.

“I wanted the space to feel rustic, so I used barn board, which I don’t usually work with. I sourced it from a friend, Ryan Deane of Down and Back Wood Salvage, and the material is like it’s taken right from a barn and installed without doing anything to it. It came out great, and there’s nothing that I would have done differently. We also added modern elements with the selection of the fireplace, furniture, and kitchen fixtures. The hardest part was finding the correct species of the barn board and matching the rod colors. I worked with Michael Cunningham of Lincoln/Haney Engineering Associates for help designing the rod, which took about four or five months. I also worked with designer Alex Lehnen to help with layout for permitting. Once that was approved, it all came together.

“For the kitchen, I wanted a rustic but modern feel. We painted over the oak cabinets. I never liked painting over oak in the past because you can see the grain, but I tried something that I didn’t like, and it worked. We achieved that feel for the cabinets—like they have been here for a very long time.

“It’s a great space for entertaining. We built the 8-foot rustic table, which can seat 10 to 12 people. Since the entire layout is open concept, you can cook in a modern kitchen but also entertain and see everyone. The space is also really great for a getaway—to enjoy a weekend, or even a week, where you get to not do anything. I wanted it to feel like, once you’re in the space, you don’t want to go anywhere else.”

—Eleftherios “Lefty” Minas, Ethos Carpentry