Maria and Joseph Bring Careful Detail and Victorian Style to their Waterfront Yankee Barn When Maria and Joe began planning their waterfront home in a coastal Rhode Island community, they knew exactly what they wanted. “No one could talk us out of a Yankee Barn—we knew we wanted to build one!”

Facing the Ocean — “There’s hardly any window on the first floor where you don’t see water” They also knew their beachfront home would incorporate strong elements of Victorian style ... and the house would need to adapt to a wide range of restrictions. “This was one of the few remaining beachfront lots in the area, and the Yankee Barn had to work in terms of site positioning, exterior style, environmental concerns and community regulations. There was so much to consider.” The view up the staircase showing custom railing treatment and exposed second-floor beams

Victorian Tradition Meets Contemporary Style

For many years, the family lived in a 110-year-old Queen Anne shingle style Victorian in a Boston suburb—“almost an exact version of the Yankee Barn ‘Old Farm’ frame, right down to the location of the posts.” Having owned a Yankee Barn at Eastman (Grantham NH), they experienced, “the difference between a stick-built home and a Yankee Barn—a much stronger and more energy-efficient home than conventionally built houses.”

Maria and Joe knew that strength and tightness would be an important issue in their beachfront home. “The back of the house faces north, and the wind is so strong sometimes it could knock you over! We’ve never had any shifting or creaking in our Yankee Barn, no drafts inside ... this house is very tight,” she declared.

Maria incorporated many design elements from the family’s Queen Anne Victorian in the interior of their Yankee Barn. “I wanted to incorporate a ‘warm, cozy, cottage feeling’, so we chose standard-height ceilings on the first floor. I also love the little roofline angles and slants in the bedrooms ... it makes them feel so comfortable and cozy.”

Maria took the unusual step of covering much of the beam structure on the first floor, but leaving them exposed to view in the upstairs spaces. “It took a lot of courage to cover the beautiful posts and beams, but we were glad we took the chance. It lends such a clean, finished look to the first floor ... and then, you know, there’s nothing like waking up to viewing those beautiful posts and beams in the bedrooms. It really worked out for us.”

Maria also made creative use of a troublesome design issue ... “We wanted the garage to face the road and not compete with the water views, but with the site restrictions, we had to angle it away from the house. Yankee Barn’s planners suggested putting the entryway in that triangle, to fill a potentially odd space, and it worked perfectly ... a spacious entry, terrific closet space, and lovely architectural detail.”

Careful site positioning and a wealth of Victorian-influenced interior detail characterise the style of Maria and Joseph’s oceanside Yankee Barn She also credits Horner Millworks in Swansea, Massachusetts, who built their custom mahogany front door, and newel post and stairway, and their builder, Wayne Parker of TW Parker Builders in Bristol, RI, and his crew. “They were wonderful to work with ... and they appreciated Yankee Barn’s crew who came in to supervise and help build the initial framework.” True to Maria’s careful eye for detail, the house incorporates a wealth of subtleties—Brazilian red cherry floors, custom railing spindles and wainscoting, custom stained-glass window and master bedroom cabinetry—even a hidden door disguised as a bookcase, leading to the storage area over the garage. “My nephew calls it the ‘secret hideout’,” she confided, “... he says he’d like to sleep there when he comes to visit!”

total square footage: 3318 sq. ft.

Floor Plan

First Floor

Second Floor