Admiring the kitchen counter her husband, Colin, recently installed, Samantha Lindberg says: “It’s a tremendous feeling to look at it and know my husband made it.” It’s a sentiment repeated several times during a tour of the rustic, well-designed home, one that suits the creative, outdoorsy couple as easily as the hammock slung up in their living room. The unique living space grew out of a familiar frustration: trying to find a decent house in their price range. It was Colin’s parents who first floated the idea of renovating the old barn on the family’s Cranbury, New Jersey, property. “What about the barn?” recalls Samantha, quickly became, “Yeah, what about the barn!” The result is a brilliant repurposing that reflects not only the couple’s independent spirit but also how much one family’s teamwork can accomplish.

Take a tour of the house here.