The barn, which sits directly below Hahns Peak, is equal parts studio, gallery and personal sanctuary. Photos by Ben Duke.

From the outside, the structure looks like a classic Routt County barn – tall timber framing, wide doors and big Colorado sky overhead. But step inside and it quickly becomes clear this place was built for something other than hay bales and horses.

It’s a place for making art.

Artist Shirley Stocks and her husband, painter Rich Galusha, recently designed the barn studio to use as a creative retreat tucked into the forest next to Hahns Peak Village. The building arrived in pieces – four semitrucks worth of lumber that eventually came together into a soaring timber structure.

What they created inside is equal parts studios, gallery and personal sanctuary.

Shirley’s printmaking studio occupies the lower level, a space designed with practicality in mind, plenty of light, running water and room to spread out materials. This is the first time she has had a fully equipped studio that allows her to do the kind of printmaking she has been doing in recent years.

Against one wall sits a massive piece of machinery: a 1904 Sturgis etching press, its cast-iron gears and heavy rollers a reminder of the craft’s long history.

“I searched for nearly a year to find the right press, and it works like a charm,” she says.

Upstairs, Rich Galusha has a full painting studio of his own. Large windows stretch across the wall, facing north and perfectly framing Hahns Peak in the distance. On clear days, the mountain sits squarely in the center of the view, an ever-present source of inspiration.

“It’s hard not to paint when you’re looking at something like that,” Shirley says.

The two studios mirror each other in spirit – separate creative spaces under the same roof, both built around a deep appreciation for the artistic process.

Not many barns come equipped with an elevator, but this one does. The small lift is primarily used to transport large paintings and supplies between floors and also provides ADA accessibility.

Even with two studios, the space still feels cozy enough for the couple to share comfortably.

The staircase to the second floor reveals another personal touch. The walls, painted in rich tones, are lined with artwork inherited from Rich’s mother, as well as those of his patron, Don Wachter, who took Rich and Shirley on trips around the world over a period of 12 years to paint images of their travels.

Don, an industrialist from St. Louis, Missouri, became their biggest collector, as well as a close friend. Their travels together included an African Safari, a trek in Nepal, a grand tour of Europe, multiple trips to Greece, England, France and Italy, sailing the British Virgin Islands, hiking the Grand Canyon and other national parks, and yearly llama treks in the Zirkel Wilderness. As they traveled, Rich and Shirley painted at various locations and Don kept the plein air paintings. In return, Rich and Shirley got an invaluable education and unforgettable experiences. When Don died, he bequeathed his entire collection of paintings to Rich.

The artwork serves as one of the many reminders that this barn isn’t just a workspace. It’s also a home base for the couple’s life together.

Throughout the building, nearly everything has a story. A Murano chandelier – one of Shirley’s favorite finds – hangs above the dining table. Artwork once displayed in the ceiling of their Wild Horse Gallery at the Sheraton Hotel now glows in the bathroom – mimicking a skylight – while vintage cabinets and furnishings were gathered from various sources piece by piece.

Shirley laughs when she talks about it.

“I love old things,” she says. “They’ve already lived a life.”

That appreciation for history extends beyond the barn walls. The property itself sits on what was once a placer gold mine more than a century ago. Old rock piles still dot the hillside, subtle traces of a different era beneath the trees.

For all the art inside the barn, the couple’s life in Routt County stretches far beyond the studio walls. The studio is home to two antique wooden boats that can be spotted gliding across Steamboat Lake when the water is calm, and the mountains reflect on the surface.

Back at the barn, other elements hint at entertainment and social gatherings. Tucked near the upper level is a small loft accessed by a ladder, the kind of hideaway that feels made for kids. The space adds a playful contrast to the serious work happening in the studios below. A game room takes up half of the downstairs workshop space, with a pool table, darts, puzzles and a poker table. The barn has hosted family reunions, holiday dinners, art openings and classes.

 The barn ultimately reflects something deeper than architecture or design. It represents a shared life built around creativity.

Downstairs, Shirley etches lines into copper plates and experiments with printmaking techniques she first learned decades ago. Upstairs, Rich works at his easel, the silhouette of Hahns Peak shifting in the changing light outside the window.

Outside, the Routt County landscape continues doing what it’s always done – offering endless inspiration to anyone willing to slow down and notice it.