“A barn is a very iconic building. People don’t say, ‘I got married in a garage.’”
So explains Erin Connolly, owner of timber frame specialists, Maine Barn Company. While she has heard about clients’ pastoral affections for years, a project on the Sasanoa River added a new story to her repertoire. The homeowners wanted a basketball court in the back of their entertainment barn.
The vision was clear: a space where they could host friends and that their kids would enjoy visiting for years to come—basketball and pickleball were key attractions.
“My grandfather had a barn that I spent a lot of time in,” the homeowner says. “I love landscaping. For me, it was always a dream to have a barn.
Erin remembers walking the property with the couple, and the homeowner spread his arms wide to show her how he wanted the space to occupy the land, providing a view of the water without obstructing the riverbank’s serenity.
The team at Knickerbocker Group assisted with the building’s creative camouflage. The two teams frequently collaborate and quickly got to work realizing the homeowners’ refined vision: brick red windows from Pella, board and batten siding, and natural finishes so the home would organically blend into its surroundings from both inside and out. Plus, the timber frame itself elevated the project.
“Timber frames are really warm,” Erin says. “They give a lot of possibility with open floorplans, and the frame itself becomes your decor.” Featuring curved braces, a king post truss, hand-cut through tenons, and a citrus-based heritage natural wood finish, the design grew around one of the homeowner’s biggest wishes: an oversize fireplace centered along one of the walls.
Working within the open floor plan, the Knickerbocker Group team organized distinct areas for people to gather. “She wanted it to be really comfortable and work for multiple generations,” says Nanette Tanner, who led the interior design.
Wool rugs, a leather ottoman, wood tables, and rattan stools enhance the room’s masculine feel and are durably fit for festive purposes. Armchairs by the fireplace invite the homeowners to enjoy a glass of wine on their own, while the window seats are comfortable for someone to spread out with a book on a sunny, winter day. Friends and family can tackle a jigsaw puzzle or eat at the 11-foot live edge table. And while the sports court may have been intended to entice their children to Maine, they’ve been surprised by who’s taken a shine to the space.
“No matter how formal the gathering, everyone ends up playing basketball in there,” says the homeowner. A board meeting just might conclude with a game of HORSE.
“As large as the barn is, it’s comfortable if you’re just one or two people, but it’s not crowded if you’re 20,” says Susan Mendleson, lead architectural designer at Knickerbocker Group. “That’s the magic of creating all these spaces within.”
“Barns are very generational,” Erin adds. “I think from the homeowners’ standpoint, this isn’t just a barn for their kids. It might be a barn for their great grandchildren. You’re building something that’s going to last—that’s what a barn can represent.” ■
