Lizzie Gill in her new studio.

At first Lizzie Gill was looking for a weekend getaway. As a Brooklyn dweller, the mixed media artist and her husband wanted to escape the city’s frenetic energy every so often. But when the couple discovered a promising property, bucolic surroundings, and a welcoming creative community in Sharon, Connecticut, they decided to relocate full-time.

The duo purchased a bank-owned corner lot for an extremely affordable price, knowing that the slice of verdant countryside came with two run-down buildings. Since the charming-yet-derelict 1860s farmhouse needed serious, time-consuming updates, they decided to remodel the 1990s post-and-beam barn first.

BEFORE: Though outdated, the upstairs apartment was in fairly good condition.

AFTER: “We focused on lighting the walls and cathedral ceilings, so there’s a soft glow,” Lizzie says.

Though it had been abandoned for a while, the 30-year-old structure was already plumbed and zoned for living. With a finished apartment above the horse stalls, a serviceable bathroom, and greenery in every direction, it was ripe for transformation into an inspiring art studio-meets-ADU .

BEFORE: Modeled after historic barns in the area, the late-90s edifice featured vertical siding and faded red paint.