Since 1971, John Libby of Houses & Barns by John Libby in Freeport has been both dismantling and revitalizing classic barns, and building new ones imbued with a timeless quality. "We like to think that everyone needs a barn," Libby says with a chuckle. Some of the barns Libby builds and resurrects are used for far more than storing hay. . .

The majority of the garages Libby builds these days are attached to the custom homes his company not only builds but designs. Many of Libby's garages assume barn-like dimensions. "There's just something a bit more inspirational about a barn's proportions," he says. Though Libby obviously adores how the rich barn aesthetic can be a "visual anchor" for a property, he admits that . . . many homeowners don't consider the many ways in which a garage can be far more than its function.

Maine Boats Homes & Harbors
March 2007
EcoFriendly Timber-Frame House

The Bucks wanted an intensely private home for themselves and their two nearly grown children, as well as a meeting place for large groups. The notions of recycling and alternative energy permeated plans from the beginning, and no wonder, given the Bucks' environmental concerns and Libby's 35-year reputation for salvaging and readapting many of New England's vanishing barns.

Libby's chief architect, Steve Ruszkai, developed a series of plans that took advantage of the natural features of the waterside lot and addressed the issues revealed by the Bucks' answers to Libby's 14-page lifestyle questionnaire. Libby uses this device to challenge clients to think about how they really live, and how they expect to use their new home . . . builder John Libby can say with certainty and pride that the Bucks' new home is "rock solid."

Down East Magazine
May 2003
Balance and Proportion

When builder John Libby's crew had packed up and departed the site of the newly-completed Henshaw house in Brunswick, Weld and Molly Henshaw were sort of sad. They loved their home, with its unusual turret, its grassy courtyard, its artfully-framed master bedroom . . . But they had such a good time with the architect, the builders, and Libby himself that "it was kind of lonely around here when they left," says Weld, a retired lawyer. "We were crazy about them. . ."

Libby has found over the years that owners generally prefer his one-stop approach . . . "We want to do this from a homeowner's perspective," he explains, "and they just want to see one face. We've saved people a lot of stomach lining and a lot of time by doing things this way," he notes. "We're responsible for the whole project."