Photography by Joe Fletcher, courtesy of General Assembly.
In the Catskill Mountains of New York, actress Amanda Seyfried partnered with designer Sarah Zames (of General Assembly in Brooklyn) to transform a working barn on her property into a guesthouse for friends and family at her regular home-away-from-home.
Zames employed a few tricks to define space within the large, open floor plan without using walls or paint. The renovated barn is one of two full-size barns on the property; the other houses Seyfried’s horses.
The interior walls are stained shiplap pine, and the floors are reclaimed Hit or Miss Oak from LV Wood in New York City.
Says Zames of the guesthouse vis-à-vis the main house: “The two are very different.” The main house, an old stone building, has a cozy feel that reflects more of Seyfried’s personal style, while the barn has more modern detailing.
A small kitchenette with poured concrete countertops anchors the space. The pendant lights above the island are General Assembly designs of unglazed porcelain and blackened brass.
Though the guesthouse was rebuilt, the two bedrooms have the exact same dimensions and location as two preexisting horse-birthing stalls. Zames even used the same sliding doors, with refinished metal and obscured glass added for privacy.
Next to the kitchenette is a sitting area with a mix of modern and traditional furnishings.
Adjacent to the sitting area is a woodstove with a tiled back wall and floor.
General Assembly designed the custom terracotta hex tile.
Opposite the woodstove is a workout area with a ballet barre, which gets daily use when the actress is at home.
“It allows guests to feel connected to the landscape,” said Zames.
There are two barns on the property; the first barn is now the guesthouse with hay storage.
The back barn, adjacent to the paddock, keeps Seyfried’s horses.
The guesthouse has two bedrooms, a kitchenette, bathroom, and lounge space totaling around 1,125 square feet.