In the midst of a thoughtful restoration of an 1850s Victorian home in Ridgefield (featured in the February 2024 issue of CTC&G), designer Michelle Hogue’s clients asked her if she might take a look at the other building on their property as well.
The couple and their three young daughters had relocated from Manhattan, so their home’s nearly two acres of sprawling lawn dotted with mature hemlocks and blooming rhododendrons were a huge part of its appeal. The renovation of the main house opened up its choppy layout and created beautiful sightlines to the back gardens and barn—but the new design also drew attention to the fact that the grounds themselves could use a little sprucing up.
The barn—which was being used as a pool house—dated back to the early 1800s, and its dirt foundation and bowed-out sides necessitated a total rebuild. The homeowners asked Hogue to create a place where they could lounge near the pool in summer, enjoy cozy movie nights in the winter, and host friends and family for extended stays. They wanted a living area that could comfortably fit their family, a suite of arcade games, a full kitchen, storage for seasonal items and more. Though the designer faced restrictions from the Ridgefield Historic District Commission, with some very clever space planning, she was able to make all their dreams come true without cheating corners or sacrificing style.
On the first level, a spacious RH sofa can seat the whole family and pulls out to a sleeper sofa for two more overnight guests. High ceilings allowed for a lofted area that can easily sleep six more for sleepover parties and family reunions. Hogue made the kitchen feel extra spacious by using only lower cabinets and tiling from the counters up to the ceiling. “It defies the term ‘pool house,’” notes Hogue. “It’s a party barn—that’s what it is.”
A seating area is furnished with Polywood Adirondack chairs through AllModern.
In the kitchen, vintage letters hang over a shuffleboard game, while stools from Four Hands offer seating at an island lit by pendant lights from Original BTC.
A gingham rug from Serena & Lily and a cow print from Wendover Art Group add playful notes to the living room.
Hogue used custom built-ins to create bunk beds and storage space in the loft; bean bag chairs are from Serena & Lily.
Purple Leaf lounge chairs are decked out with lumbar pillows from Room & Board and striped beach towels from Pottery Barn. Side tables are from Kathy Kuo.
It’s game time by the new pool by R.I. Pools with an outdoor Ping Pong table, oversized Jenga and Connect Four sets. The firepit is surrounded by all-weather Larnaca club chairs from Williams Sonoma.
A winding path leads from the main house to the front of the barn.
Hogue managed to retain a bit of history in the update, too. Some of the barn’s original beams were used to create a sliding barn door for the interior mechanical room, and an original window was saved and given a prominent new home high above a new set of French doors. It’s a true all-season space, with features like a wood burning firepit on the front patio for roasting marshmallows and a light-filled kitchen with a large island in the back of the building.
Landscape designer Susie Aldrich of Surrey Style Designs worked closely with Hogue on the plans for the exterior, also planting with four seasons—and curb appeal—in mind. She saved as many trees and mature shrubs as possible, adding in new layers of color and texture all over the property.
Pink buds sprouting on the new Kwanzan Cherry tree in the front yard will herald the arrival of spring each year, when rhododendrons and azaleas bloom around the property. In early summer, they’ll give way to vibrant oakleaf hydrangeas and a variety of perennials, which will perform into the fall, when the leaves of the property’s many trees turn beautiful reds, yellows and oranges. “I love the outcome,” says Aldrich, “the new plants mix seamlessly with the old.”
A kidney-shaped pool was replaced with a more modern, rectangular style by R.I. Pools and surrounded by a large patio, while Aldrich’s landscape design opened up spaces on the lawn for picnics and party games.
When the homeowners saw the completed pool house for the first time, “our entire family was blown away with what Michelle did with the space,” says the husband. Thanks to the work of Hogue and the passionate team of professionals she assembled, “it felt like home immediately.”
