FALL 2025 style story
Our Hilltop Copake Project:
A Tale of Four Barns
A NOTE FROM JESS
We recently had the pleasure of moving a client into a property unlike any other—a collection of four beautifully restored barns, each designed with a distinct purpose yet unified by a shared sense of calm and cohesion.
The main barn serves as the primary residence, grounded in comfort and character with every detail tailored to reflect the client’s way of living. The second barn welcomes guests with effortless hospitality, being equal parts retreat and refuge. It's a place for cocktail hour, larger dinners at the main table, and retreats tucked away for guests. A third barn is a fully equipped gym, blending modern wellness with the rustic integrity of the original structure - a spot to sit and work or enjoy quiet reverie overlooking the pond.
For our clients, this lifestyle represents an ideal balance: independent spaces that each carry their own rhythm, yet together form a seamless whole. For us it was a study in intentional living, where design expands beyond a single structure and into the landscape itself.
- Jess
FROM OUR PORTFOLIO
Unlike most renovations, this was not a project about righting some wrong or grappling with a lackluster space. From the first time we climbed the winding driveway to this hilltop property, we knew there would be no need for leveling. Instead, the task was to harness the poetic beauty of four existing structures and harmonize with the natural beauty of their surroundings.
There is a grounding quality to the materials found in barns of the northeast. The wide beams, weathered wood, and honest materials seem to hold stories of a simpler time. And yet when thoughtfully reimagined, they offer a lifestyle that feels effortlessly modern, expansive, and deeply connected to nature.
Our client’s home began as a vision - four post-and-beam barns, each rich with character, set on a bucolic site with sweeping views of the valley below, given new life through a meticulous renovation. One barn would serve as the main home, another as a welcoming guest retreat. A third would act as a sun-filled gym and studio space, and the fourth would function as a handsome garage and workshop. Together, they’d form a little enclave of modern comforts housed in the vernacular of New England farmland.
Within each structure, of course, there were problems to solve. How do you create intimacy in a living room with 30 foot ceilings? How does a dramatic structure designed to showcase the former owners’ art collection transform to display its surroundings instead? How do you design for guests, poolside living, and large group entertaining in one building? Exactly how deep does a basin need to be in order to wash a dog in it?
We set to work, with a clear directive: Create a refined series of spaces that cohere and envelop. Define a clear distinction for each, through function and materiality. Employ wit. Find the line between rugged and opulent (and cross it from time to time).
A model of one of the post-and-beam barns, moved to the property in the 1980s
The studio, in its former life as a vintage car garage
From concrete to a marble mosaic
Storefront glass system for maximizing the view
Engineering a 13 foot limestone fireplace
We used materials meant to endure — hand-planed floors, tumbled stone, raw steel - that will only grow more beautiful with time. These choices reflect a philosophy of living that values what lasts: craftsmanship, comfort, and a sense of place.
What makes this setup so appealing is its flexibility. The barns offer both connection and separation — family can gather, create, and celebrate together, yet everyone has their own space to retreat and recharge. It’s a lifestyle that feels both communal and deeply personal, grounded in the rhythms of land and light.
For those dreaming of the next chapter — one that celebrates simplicity, space, and soul — this is what the good life looks like: a home built not just for living, but for living well.
For those looking toward retirement, with grown children and the freedom to design a life that blends purpose and peace, this kind of property offers something rare. It’s not just a home, it’s a collection of spaces that reflect every facet of living; slow mornings with coffee overlooking the hills from the main barn’s kitchen, an afternoon working out or painting in the studio, cozy evenings sitting with visiting family around the fire in the guest barn..
check out our full house tour recently featureD in elle decor
Fall has been busy! With Jess newly appointed as a Homes & Gardens Editor-At-Large, features in national publications, and press closer to home, we're thrilled to see our work recognized.
In addition to our recent Copake Barns project feature in Elle Decor, Jess' own historic home will have a full tour in Architectural Digest and Financial Times in early 2026! Follow us on Instagram to see these and upcoming publications.
IN THE PRESS
We are thrilled to welcome Dabota as the newest member of the JCI crew!
Dabota is a designer with 8 years of experience in Residential Design. She graduated from Syracuse University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Architecture.
She is joining the JCI Team as a Project Manager / architect and is eager to use her passion for functional design solutions and focus on coordination to continue JCI's work of executing timeless projects to a high standard and quality.
She grew up in and around the Boston area and enjoys reading and walks in her spare time.
NEW TO THE TEAM
OUR STAFF STYLE PICKS
This season we asked our team members: what's your favorite kind of space to design?
Lauren
creative director
A bit of an overshare: I judge most places—hotels, restaurants, bars—by their bathrooms. And not by some quantitative quality metric (who doesn't love a divey stall). How much thought you put into your bathroom indicates to me how dedicated you are to a vision. It is a place we all use, and there is a formula they all must follow. But your experience of them, depending on the vision of the creator, can range anywhere from banal to miraculous. Why not let it be unexpected, or breathtaking, or perhaps even cheeky? ;)
Rachel
senior FURNISHINGS designer
I enjoy a dark library or study. I love the masculinity of it, not in an overly macho way, but as an understated nod to the English gentleman. Using his beautiful wools, deep-colored velvets and distressed leathers to create a collection of textiles that could be used equally well for clothing as interiors.
Benjamin
SENIOR project manager
I love designing living rooms because this is where everyone spends their time hanging out. Its also a great space to integrate some fun millwork which can have a major impact on the space. In this particular space we covered the ceiling with wood paneling which helped make the high ceiling feel cozy and warm.
Emma
FURNISHINGS project manager
I love letting my inner child run free when designing spaces for kids—bedrooms, playrooms, lofts for sleepovers, cozy little moments for reading or crafting. It is always an opportunity to be playful, pun intended, and let the imagination take over. No matter the space, we are always thinking about function and form. In a kids' space, the possibilities are more expansive, just like a kid's mind!
Grace
project manager
For me, every design daydream begins with a kitchen. When I visualize a client's lived experience, I hear the sound of a teacup on the counter, I see the way the light hits the breakfast table, and smell the onions sizzling on the stove. From mapping out the workflow and assigning each cabinet its purpose to creating the perfect balance of task and ambience lighting, I find the kitchen design process uniquely rewarding.
Shi-Anne
Design Assistant
Powder baths are one of my favorite spaces to design; they’re small, tucked away rooms that permit you to go bold. Since they’re not part of the everyday living areas, it’s the perfect opportunity to do something unexpected, whether that’s a funky wallpaper or striking tile. It’s like a little design surprise for your guests and a wonderful creative outlet.
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