The Barn Style Home Reshapes an Icon of Americana in the 21st Century

Barn Homes Combine Rustic Practicality and Comfort for Today’s Families

It wasn’t too long ago when barn conversions were left in restoration experts and renovation designers. While we all enjoy the sight of a barn as we drive down acres and acres of farmland, not too many of us have given much thought or entertained the idea of a barn as a living space. But much has changed since barn conversions first emerged on the scene.

Today, barn style homes have become part of the mainstream architectural landscape.  Whether it’s an old building that has been repurposed or a completely new structure, the demand for barn conversions is on the rise across the country.

Why the Rekindled Interest?

As more people looked toward building a vacation home, a guest cottage within their property or a quiet countryside retreat to get away from the stress and demands of city life, old barns with their charming and simple rustic exterior became inviting – and more economical options. After all, barns have been used as both homes for families and stables for farm animals.

So, why not repurpose an existing structure – that provides design and style possibilities suited to their location and lifestyles? Now architects and designers are stepping up to provide potential homeowners with blueprints that work for their families and their specific lifestyles.    

Attention-Grabbing Features

In his book An Age of Barns, Eric Sloane, an American painter known for his landscapes and an author of illustrated works about cultural history, described barns as “the palaces of America” – harking back to Colonial times when farmers were kings of the land and homestead and built barns of all shapes, sizes, and styles.

But as new generations of farming families headed to the cities, they left these symbols of America’s past abandoned, empty, and sometimes in disrepair. Modern times bring different perspectives, however, and by the 1970s, barns – with their charm and huge open interior spaces – were back on the map.

Barn style homes can be one-story or two-story structures that provide all of the elements of space, comfort, warmth, and modern amenities for the family. Whether it’s one level or two levels, there are various options for expansion – including basements and lofts.

Along with their very familiar exteriors and high ceilings, here are some features of barn style homes that make them so attractive:

1. Gambrel roof – specifically designed for barns – is a symmetrical two-sided roof with two different slopes that maximizes the space inside the barn home’s upper level, providing more room for the loft.

2. Gables provide variety to the roofline and exterior of barn homes.

3. Barn style doors and windows that open to the great natural landscape and allow light into the space

4. Exposed wood/timber beams that focus attention on the high ceilings

5. Expansive open floor plans for that airy and breezy feel

6. Shiplap – either in the interiors or as siding

7. Wraparound or extended porches for relaxing moments – or for the enjoyment of outdoor meals

8. Lofts used for hay storage have been redesigned as sleeping quarters, play areas, or home offices.

Barn homes can also be customized to include features such as breakfast nooks and laundry/mudrooms. And most importantly, the interiors can be reconfigured in any style that works for the family and its needs. It’s not surprising to find homes with farmhouse, country, Craftsman, rustic, and contemporary elements and accents.   

The Many Faces of Barn Style Homes

With the converted barn home revival slowly but steadily etching itself into the consciousness of Americans, enthusiasts and preservationists are on a quest to unearth original and/or historic structures to renovate. Many of these aficionados have even transported their remarkable discoveries to their properties to rebuild and design them into wonderful residences, vacation retreats, in-law or guest suites, and multi-purpose spaces that include living quarters and home offices.    

If you’re ready to hop on the bandwagon, let’s take a look at some of these classic barns that continue to line the countryside – or even city areas.

Traditional

Color it red. These barn conversions are the easiest to identify because homeowners retain the original look and shape of the barn – complete with the gable roof and conventional red paint around the exterior.   

As in most barn conversions, the interior space can be designed according to the owners specifications, aesthetics, and sensibility.   

Gambrel-Roof Barn Style

It’s time to let go of the image of a gambrel barn as a building for stables, horses, farm animals, and storage for hay, feed, and crops.

Today, a gambrel barn with its gambrel roof is one of the most versatile, upscale, eye-catching, and fashionable barn home styles. No longer just a design for barns, the gambrel roof is also featured in Dutch Colonial and modern contemporary homes. For sheer roominess and flexible options, there’s nothing like a gambrel-roof barn style house. Just think of all the state-of-the-art and spectacular features that homeowners can have in that expansive structure: gorgeous kitchens, bathrooms, master suites, vaulted high ceilings with trimmed wood, large windows, and rustic sliding barn doors, mudrooms, walk-in pantries, and other amenities.

You can even expect that original hayloft to be rebuilt into a family room, an entertainment center/game room – or anything else that fits into a family’s lifestyle and preference.

Pole Barn Homes

If you can live comfortably and luxuriously in a gambrel-roof barn home, then you can certainly consider a pole barn home, which is just as versatile as the gambrel type.

What exactly is a pole barn home? As defined by building professionals, this structure uses post-frame construction, where wood posts are the main vertical framing element.  These posts are driven into the ground 4 to 6 feet deep to provide support.

Instead of walls supporting the roof as in traditional stud-wall homes, it’s the poles or posts that support the roof. This means that there are no load-bearing walls – making an open floor concept easy to implement, and design ideas for the interior offer fascinating and “sky’s-the-limit” possibilities. You can go from a country feel to the rustic, cozy and warm, sleek and modern – and keep adding personal touches and accents to that canvas.

While pole barn homes may not be an established style choice for a majority of people, there are several benefits to consider:

• Less expensive and quicker to build than conventional wood-frame homes because there are no foundation costs – which can run 10-15 percent of overall costs
• Safer and more resilient – They are built to last and can withstand heavy snowfalls and powerful winds.
• Wide-open interior spaces that can be easily adapted to the design choices and needs of the owner
• Energy-efficient because post-frames are easier to insulate and have fewer thermal breaks compared with more-traditional wood-frame or steel-frame buildings

So, can you – and would you – live in a pole barn home?

Barn Style Homes with Log/Timbered Accents

What about a barn-to-home-conversion in a log cabin/mountain home style? After all, the first barns built in this country originated from the English colonists who used timber-frame construction for their simple, open structures.

You can design a bucolic cabin in the mountains or a very modern architectural show-stopper with timber framing. You can use log or timber not only for the exterior facade and siding but throughout the entire house – especially exposed timber beams for a vaulted ceiling, stairs and railings, and cabinetry.           

Whatever your style is, barn style house plans offer a variety of surprising designs that may suit your fancy and budget. So, are you ready to live in a barn?

Sources:

Mother Earth News

Wick Buildings

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