Tour a Century-Old Pennsylvania Barn House That Was Reassembled in the Dominican Republic
After building imposing stone-wall stables for his Peruvian Paso horses, the owner of this finca in the mountainous Cordillera Central of the Dominican Republic spent five years living in an Airstream. Impractical as that was, he was waiting to find the right inspiration, the right architect, and the right interior designer for his countryside residence. “I feared that nobody would interpret what I truly wanted to achieve,” says the commercial real estate developer, “a wabi-sabi sort of space where nature played the starring role.”
Inspiration finally struck when he visited the restaurant at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, housed in a turn-of-the-century barn that’s as grand as it is weathered. The owner then set out to find a barn much like that one, with the intent of disassembling it and putting it back together in his Caribbean estate. He knew just the man for the job: Jeffrey Dungan—the architect who had built his stables and whose portfolio includes a series of luxurious yet rustic residences. Dungan was able to locate a century-old, English-style barn for sale in Pennsylvania; about 60 feet long by 40 feet wide, it was big enough for the main living areas of his client’s future home.
To complement and enhance the wooden structure, which would be situated on a hill and have a second level built underneath it, the architect drew covered porches all around the perimeter and extended one end of the barn with voluminous bay windows. He also chose locally sourced tawny stones to build decorative elements, such as outdoor fireplaces and loggias. Construction was underway when the pandemic arrived, forcing everyone to take a long pause.
It was during this time that the homeowner began to think in earnest about the interiors of his passion project. He set his sights on Isabel López-Quesada, a designer known for creating effortlessly elegant spaces that hew closely to the tenets of wabi-sabi, albeit with a touch of glamour. “I had seen her work and knew she could create an environment where you breathe in peace and serenity, with nature as the focus,” he says. López-Quesada was immediately interested, calling the idea of working with an old American barn “a dream.”
After visiting the site, she brought in two longtime collaborators—architect Marta Marín and landscape designer Fernando Martos—who helped create the sensory and visual experience that her client was after. Their collaboration included resizing some windows to keep the harsh tropical sun away from certain corners, sourcing vintage wood planks to cover nearly every interior wall, and planting hundreds of blooming trees—including mountain immortelles and scarlet bushes. To furnish the space, López-Quesada headed to flea markets and antique stores across Europe, seeking unique rustic pieces from a range of eras. Some standout finds include a tall Louis XIII French cabinet from the 17th century and an ample walnut desk from 18th-century Belgium. Both were placed in the nave of the barn—an open, loft-like space that functions as a living room, home office, and lounge area, with custom-made sofas in neutral hues and a wrought-iron daybed with striped cushions. “I did something sober and simple, without loud prints or colors,” says López-Quesada. “The barn itself has a lot of strength and speaks volumes.”
Along the way, there was a plot twist: The plan was always for the primary suite to be set within a standalone structure, but the homeowner was so taken with the barn that he decided to find a second, smaller barn to serve this purpose. In this case, it was a New England Dutch barn from the 1800s, which now houses a spacious bedroom with a seating area and a bathroom with a deep soaking tub. Like she did in the main barn, the designer kept the color and material palette very narrow, using linen fabrics in soft earthy colors: jute, wood, and wicker.
Although nearly everything in this residence came from somewhere else—be it Europe, South America, or the East Coast—it looks like it has always been there. “The combination of Jeff, Isabel, and Fernando was fantastic,” says the homeowner of the team that helped him bring his ideas to life.” I had great expectations and this is beyond what I had imagined.”
1/20A century-old barn from Pennsylvania was disassembled, shipped to the Dominican Republic, and put back together in this finca in the mountains near Jarabacoa, where the homeowner raises cattle and horses. Jeffrey Dungan led the residence’s architecture, and Isabel López-Quesada was responsible for the interior design.
2/20A look inside the expansive living room
3/20A custom iron daybed with a custom mattress covered in striped Belgian linen was designed by Lopez-Quesada for the owners to “lie down and read a book.” Outside the iron-frame glass doors is a lush garden with teak furniture from Munder Skiles.
4/20A corner of the main living space inside the barn shows an old Italian table with chipped black paint, decorated with an antique marble horse head and a metal vessel from Peru. “We bought many of the pieces together in Europe,” says Isabel López-Quesada, referring to the homeowner. “We went to flea markets and antique stores.”
5/20The homeowner keeps trophies and mementos in this walnut Belgian desk from the 18th century, which designer Isabel López-Quesada paired with an old chair of unknown origin.
6/20“It’s the corner we enjoy the most,” says the client about this breakfast table by the bay window. “We sit there and see the whole barn.” A vintage rustic table was paired with antique English chairs and a hanging candelabra from Spain. All of the wooden panels covering the walls are antique.
7/20In the larger kitchen on the lower level, where the more elaborate meals are prepared, stands a large Wolf range. The cabinets were custom-made by a local millworker, and the antique table was bought by the homeowners years ago. “I found it in the stables and brought it here,” says designer López-Quesada. “They have exquisite taste, and everything they’ve collected over time is wonderful.”
8/20An antique farmhouse table complements the look of the shiplap walls and limestone floors–located in a section of the kitchen on the home’s lower level.
9/20A side entrance to the barn features hats used as wall decor and a Spanish banquette from the 17th century.
10/20This patio designed by Jeffrey Dungan, which was built using local stones, provides a respite from the sun. The floors were covered in limestone.
11/20The pool area has a grill and a pizza oven for outdoor entertainment. The porch wraps around the barn, providing shade to the dining and lounging areas.
12/20Another view of the pool, which has a dramatic infinity edge overlooking the finca’s tropical forest—planted with hundreds of new trees by landscape designer Fernando Martos and local landscaper José R. Cairo.
13/20A loggia right outside the home was built using stones from a local quarry. The teak table is surrounded by antique French patio chairs.
14/20Stonework is a key feature of the compound.
15/20A shady, covered perch can be seen just below a circular window.
16/20The primary suite occupies a smaller, separate barn—made in the 1800s by Dutch settlers in New England. The custom bed, covered in a cashmere throw from Isita (Lopez-Quesada and her daughter Isabel Llanaza’s home goods shop), was paired with an antique English bench. The leather and wood-frame sofa from the ’60s was chosen because “it looks like a horse saddle,” says López-Quesada, who wanted to incorporate references to the homeowner’s love of horses.
17/20Another view of the primary suite shows a soaking tub flanked by wicker chaises from the ’50s and two antique candelabras used as wall sconces. The woven shades were made in Spain.
18/20This outdoor fireplace, which is made of stones from a local quarry, was left uncovered to appreciate the starry skies of Jarabacoa—this mountainous rural region of the Dominican Republic. The wood seats are classic Adirondack chairs.
19/20With help from José R. Cairo, landscape designer Fernando Martos planted hundreds of blooming trees, including mountain immortelles and scarlet bushes. This green path leads to the horse stables on the property.
20/20A final glimpse at the lush surrounding nature
