It's not every day that you find a silo you can sleep in.Not that Victoria Crawford was even looking for a silo - let alone a house in snow country. The New York City resident and avid skier was casually home shopping during a weekend getaway to Stowe, VT, when a house across the way caught her eye.It was farm-inspired on the outside, luxurious on the inside and … perfect."We were across the street in the neighbor's house that was for sale at the time. I saw this [house], and I said, 'That's it. That's the one,'" Crawford recalled. "I put one foot in, and I knew that was the house. It's kind of special."Photo by Grant Wieler.Crawford fell for the quintessential Vermont-style design, and even though the 5-bedroom home was built in 2007, it had decidedly modern features. The floors were made of sustainably sourced bamboo; the windows were high-efficiency; a water-filtration system was fully automated. The less-than-20-minute commute to the chairlifts was a bonus. A waterfall in the backyard didn't hurt, either.Photo by Grant Wieler."When I went inside this house, something happened. It's magic,” Crawford said. “It's difficult to explain. As soon as you get inside the house, you feel so comfy.”But the unique aspect of this house, she added, is a silo that guests can sleep in.Photo by Grant Wieler.Modeled after a traditional grain-storage cylinder, the space serves as a separate mother-in-law suite. A spiral staircase leads to a bedroom with rounded walls and a bathroom with a free-standing soaking tub. The suite also has a kitchen, a living room and a dining room, along with a private entrance.Photo by Grant Wieler.The silo has become a bit of a destination for Crawford's friends from around the world."We have a lot of guests who come from all around - Europe, Canada, the United States. When I have people visiting, they want to have their privacy," Crawford said. "The space is so unique and neat."Photo by Grant Wieler.In the main house, a glass-filled great room is a family favorite. Because it faces southwest, it swells with light throughout the day, Crawford said, giving the illusion that you're almost outside. In the winter, the space is especially illuminated by the sun reflecting off the snow.Photo by Grant Wieler.In fact, she and her husband love the room so much that she often falls asleep there. They also enjoy breakfast on the porch in all seasons, with sounds of the waterfall in the distance.
The nearby kitchen is large and open, with subway-tile backsplashes and an island built for entertaining guests.
Photo by Grant Wieler.The backyard includes a fire pit and what Crawford described as a "mini forest" with 250 types of trees and shrubs. There's access to 40 acres of shared land, which can be used for cross-country skiing straight from the yard or hiking and biking in summer. Photo by Kathleen Landwehrle.The family often enjoys a beach near the waterfall or floats the adjacent Little River in warm weather. The nearby green space is protected state land, which keeps it quiet and natural, Crawford said.Photo by Kathleen Landwehrle.The duo was reluctant to put the house on the market but felt it best to sell, considering they aren't spending as much time outside of Manhattan as they used to. It is listed at $1.495 million."The beauty of that property - that location - it's called a golden town. It's a town for the four seasons, whether you want to bike, hike or ski,” Crawford said. "Honestly, I don't want to sell it, because I'm so attached, and I know I won't find something like this again. But on the other hand, I don't have the time to go there."Photo by Grant Wieler.Sharon Bateman of The Bateman Group carries the listing.Top featured image by Grant Wieler.Related:
