MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Spring 2021

27 words & photos :: Kristin Schnelten Kate Civiero’s barn renovation didn’t happen overnight—or even over a number of months. She’s been chipping away at this passion project for six years. And counting. The once-neglected outbuilding, just steps from the house, was a draw for Kate and her husband Matt when they purchased the property. But the vision of turning that barn into a backyard studio sat idle for years while she worked in a local glassblowing shop. When the local studio closed, her closest option was Georgetown—a 90-minute drive. After months of commuting, burnout set in and they finally dove into the barn project. Clearing out decades of junk accumulation, rotten hay and raccoon nests was the first order of business; when the neighbour they hired for the hayloft-cleanout walked off the site after a single day, they hoisted shovels and did it themselves. That foul fiasco was virtually MOUNTAIN HOME Renovation turns raccoon haven into enviable studio space BARN REBORN