A DIY Couple Build a Scandi-Inspired Guesthouse and Office for $275K
Tarah and Drew MacAlmon dreamed big to create The Lofthouse, a collaborative workspace and Airbnb in their hometown of Black Forest, Colorado.
Tarah and Drew MacAlmon dreamed big to create The Lofthouse, a collaborative workspace and Airbnb in their hometown of Black Forest, Colorado.
Over the past eight years, creative couple Tarah and Drew MacAlmon—she works in project management and design, and he in animation and video production—have renovated three homes, always enjoying the hands-on process of reimagining a space. Recently, however, they decided to put their skills to the test by designing and building something from the ground up, though what it is isn’t easily defined.
"I think the strong, simple, unrefined setting of nature all around The Lofthouse forces you into a different state of mind," says Tarah MacAlmon. "There is something that happens mentally when you aren’t on your own man-made turf anymore. You are on nature’s turf, and there really is a certain awe and even pause that comes with that."
Drew + Tarah MacAlmon
The Lofthouse in Black Forest, Colorado, is a multipurpose venue that is part workspace, part guesthouse. "Part of the growing dream wasn’t just about the space itself, but how we could leverage our creative skills, entrepreneurial spirit, and complementary workflow to create a space that was beautiful and functional," reveals Tarah.
The Lofthouse is built one of the many hills separating it from the couple’s main residence. "Excavation was a challenge, as we wanted to maintain as much of the existing landscape as possible, but needed to clear out trees for the foundation," says Tarah.
Drew + Tarah MacAlmon
Drew and Tarah have been a couple for 12 years and have four children together. "Drew and I were used to deploying our creativity in our respective fields—his in animation and video design, and mine in project management and design," says Tarah. "We’ve been self-employed most of our marriage and have loved ‘growing up’ amongst a larger community of people in Colorado Springs. We wanted to keep our roots here, and The Lofthouse was designed to help facilitate a work/life balance through both convenience and healthy separation."
Drew + Tarah MacAlmon
See the full story on Dwell.com: A DIY Couple Build a Scandi-Inspired Guesthouse and Office for $275K
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