Wood and Color in a Designer’s Converted Carriage House

Interior designer Markham Roberts (who’s newest book Notes on Decorating has just been released) has owned this former carriage house for years without doing much with it. He and his partner James Sansum first wanted to renovate the 1876 Second Empire home across the street, but when that project had finished 5 years ago his full attention went to the carriage house. The structure was severely damaged and beside the barn doors and wooden beams not much was salvagable, but Markham still saw the potential of the space and he wanted to transform this former carriage house into his workspace in the countryside.

On the ground floor he added a polished concrete floor and plenty of storage underneath the staircase or all his blueprints, carpet samples, and magazine tear-outs. Upstairs you’ll find a warm, colorful and art-filled open-plan workspace. 2 large windows were added to flood this former hayloft with natural light and multiple seating areas were created to divide the large space. The hayloft also has a bedroom and bathroom for guests and all is decorated in vibrant colors and with the wooden structure of the space it creates a warm and cheerful look.

fun fact: this carriage house was the local hangout of a small-time gangster during Prohibition. During the renovations Markham found many whiskey bottles (sadly empty) under the floorboards.