Play Station: Colorado Timber Frame Barn

When most people want to add a little fun to their timber frame home, they finish out their basement, add a rec room or maybe even splurge on a new media center. Not Jeryl and Patty Benner.

Instead, this Colorado couple built an entirely separate structure; a timber frame barn, to be exact. The result is nothing short of spectacular. After living on the property in Loveland, Colorado, for eight years, the Benners began building their timber frame barn in 2004.

"I grew up in Vermont and had always appreciated early American architectural styles," says Jeryl. "We always had plans for a second building on the property, so we just further developed our dream of turning the structure into a secondary gathering space by making it a bit more finished and charming through the use of a timber frame."

To achieve this goal, the Benners worked with Masonville, Colorado-based Trail Ridge Timber Frames and decided on rough-sawn, green Douglas fir timbers, which dried and checked over time. The 4,300-square-foot structure also houses a full-size kitchen, a bathroom, a media room and a 1,600-square-foot loft, which doubles as a game room.

Now, five years later, Jeryl and Patty, along with their three children, use the timber frame barn every day. "It also houses exercise equipment, so we're over there every morning working out," says Jeryl. "We're always hosting get-togethers for friends and family. It's just a casual place where we can all gather and have a good time."