Reclaimed beams and thoughtful craftsmanship come together in this modern-meets-rustic home.
By: Joey Macari
Photography by Tara Lee Callow
There are houses you pass by, and then there are houses that make you want to kick off your shoes, curl up on the sofa and stay until someone gently hints it’s time to go home. This Canton property belongs firmly in the latter category: a place built not just to hold a family, but to hold their life. The kids running in after school, the cousins sprawled on the barn’s window seat during sleepovers, the adults lingering over pizza dough and late-night conversation, the quiet mornings that begin with coffee drifting through the kitchen and sunlight slipping across warm walnut surfaces.
From the very beginning, this project was guided by one thing: heart. When the homeowners, Gabe and Kelly Berardi, first approached Topnotch Design Studio’s Patty Winberg, they weren’t just thinking about rooms, they were imagining how they wanted the home to feel.
The layout naturally supported both the rhythm of her active family and the needs of frequent entertaining.
— Patty Winberg - Topnotch Design Studio
“Kelly came to us early in the planning phase, before construction had even begun on the main house, with a wealth of ideas and a clear sense of what she wanted the spaces to feel like,” Winberg says. “The home itself features refined architectural details, and she envisioned a ‘glass-enclosed whiskey room’ just off the kitchen. That concept became a defining anchor for the design.”
That philosophy became the design’s compass: spaces that breathed, flowed, welcomed, softened. Spaces that didn’t merely look beautiful, though they undeniably do, but that felt lived in from the moment they were completed. “The layout naturally supported both the rhythm of her active family and the needs of frequent entertaining,” says Winberg.
Winberg worked side-by-side with CV Reynolds Construction, whose owner, Chris Reynolds, brought an almost obsessive level of detail to every inch. ‘Meticulous’ barely captures it; he shepherded the project from the first framing decisions to the final finishes, anticipating needs before they appeared and elevating the craftsmanship in ways only a deeply invested builder can.
However, the story of this property doesn’t begin with the barn that now defines it. It begins with an empty foundation—a planned detached garage the homeowners discovered they didn’t really need. Instead of storage, they dreamed of something far more meaningful: a space for hosting, for celebrating, for overflow during holidays, for adults to gather without waking the rest of the house. Something fun. Something different. Something…barn-like.
Enter former New England Patriot, Matt Light, who introduced the couple to the world of reclaimed barns—structures with stories, scars and character. Light’s Ohio farm is home to dozens of these deconstructed wooden giants. The beams from one of them would soon begin a second life in Massachusetts. JCM Timberworks raised the frame with the kind of reverence usually reserved for sculpture. Reclaimed beams—beautiful, commanding and inherently imperfect—arrived on a flatbed truck, each one different in width, wear and history. Timber framing is a craft; timber framing with reclaimed wood is a puzzle. A wrong measurement can ripple through an entire structure. Yet JCM built the skeleton of the barn in a week, and the spirit of the space emerged instantly: warm, lofty, rugged and refined.
Then came the interior transformation, where the barn shifted from a frame to a feeling. That charge was led by Top Notch designer, Sara Babson, whose specialty is sculpting spaces that are as functional as they are soulful. But the beams, as poetic as they were, posed unique challenges. “The reclaimed beams in this home bring incredible character,” Babson says, “but they also introduced unique design challenges. Because these natural beams vary in width throughout the space, creating cabinetry that fit seamlessly around them required precision and expertise. Our team took great care—double and triple-checking every measurement—to ensure a flawless result. The custom cabinetry and floating shelves were thoughtfully designed to complement the beams while preserving the charm that makes them so special.”
Those shelves now float with quiet confidence, their presence subtle but deliberate; just one of hundreds of details where Topnotch, CV Reynolds Construction and the trades collaborated seamlessly. Sullivan Concrete polished the floors to an earthy sheen perfect for high traffic. Murtagh Mechanical ensured the plumbing was perfectly executed. Levis & Sons placed lighting that dances between cozy and bright. Massimo Masonry provided sturdy stone craftsmanship. 3D Siding and Classic Metal Roofs brought the exterior to life, while decorator Victoria Aude layered textures and touches that softened the barn’s dramatic architecture into something warmly habitable.
But if the barn has a showstopper, it’s the pizza oven: a sculptural, glowing beacon of hospitality. “The pizza oven was a unique feature that we knew would elevate family gatherings,” Babson shares, “so we designed the surrounding space to make those moments even more enjoyable. We incorporated a dedicated workstation sink for prepping toppings, along with a lift-up mixer stand to make dough preparation effortless and accessible. To further enhance the space, we added a custom window seat—providing extra seating for larger get-togethers while also creating a cozy nook perfect for reading, relaxing, or simply enjoying the view.”
That window seat has quickly become everyone’s favorite perch. It’s where sleepy teens scroll for longer than mom and dad would ideally want. Where grandparents settle during holidays. Where little ones curl up with books while adults talk near the fire. It is, in many ways, a summary of the barn itself: part utility, part comfort, part refuge, part celebration. And the barn isn’t an afterthought to the main house—it’s an echo. Winberg’s vision for the original home wove walnut details, thoughtful space planning, and craftsmanship meant for connection. The barn extends that, but with a rustic edge, a wink of playfulness and a deep embrace of reclaimed history.
“The freestanding ‘barn’ was a particularly memorable part of the process, as it was constructed after the main home was completed,” Patty reflects on the process. “Its modern-rustic character was intentionally designed to complement the more elevated, refined aesthetic of the primary residence. Seeing the barn come to life—built from reclaimed materials, crafted by multiple teams across state lines and tailored specifically for how the family hosts and celebrates—felt like witnessing the creation of a truly special gathering place. It became not just an extension of the home, but an experience in itself.”
Today, the property lives exactly as intended. Weekends spill into the barn. Dinners turn into memories. Memories turn into traditions. And mornings always begin with coffee in a kitchen shaped by intention, generosity and the desire to gather. It is, in every way, a home designed for the beautiful messiness of real life—and for the people lucky enough to walk through its doors.
