Old Barns into Eclectic Homes

I love old barns. I have always loved the texture of the old wood, the chunky beams, and soaring ceilings. Many of these structures are decaying and falling down due to abandonment and neglect. However, there is a recent trend for converting old barns into homes or dismantling old barns and reconstructing them into new homes.

Above photo of Leaning Barn
Found on flickr by ninjapoodles
Above photo of Old Barn
Found on flickr by juniorbonnerphotography

I love these two shots with vines growing up the sides. There are several companies out there that make their living out of dismantling, restoring, and reassembling barns piece by piece. The Barn People is one of the oldest in the business. You can check out photos of some of their work here.

Above photo of Barn
Found on flickr by Paul Keleher

Above photo of screened in porch on Martha's Vineyard from Michael S. Smith: Elements of Style.

I can imagine coming to this room on a weekend morning to sip a cup of coffee and enjoy a good book. It does sound heavenly, doesn't it?

Above photo of Barn 2
Found on flickr by GeoJono

These two barns would be terrific for a barn conversion into a house. I can only imagine the wide open spaces and angled ceilings in this space. The double doors on the second barn would make amazing front entry doors.

This is the home of Cassandra Naylor that was featured in an old issue of Cottage Living Magazine. She rehabbed this building using all sustainable materials and renewable resources. I love the stone and white woodwork on the interior and black doors and windows on the exterior. You can read more about this sustainable and stylish home here.

My dream barn conversion would include an eclectic mix of many different materials. Original barn wood, stone, and many reclaimed materials for the walls and exterior of the building. I would love concrete floors and some reclaimed brick on the walls with a whitewash over the top. The furnishings would be a mix of rustic and modern and the lighting would be a combination of industrial and romantic. I would accessorize with anything from flea market finds to items gathered from nature.

I love the pics above of the Ideal Getaway Cottage from Midwest Living Magazine, May 2007 issue. I would mix it up with some more romantic and fun touches and organic textiles (crystal chandeliers and maybe some block printed fabrics from Les Indiennes).

We do have a barn on the country property that we recently moved to and my dream is to someday rehab the barn and connect it to the little farmhouse that is currently on the property (they are right next to each other). Not even sure if that is even possible but if not, then we could turn the barn into our home and the farmhouse could be a guest house. Due to the expense of such a project, that is not going to happen for a very long time. But, hey a girl can dream right?