5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (2024)

By Simona Ganea

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (1)

Simona Ganea Interior Design & Content Contributor

Simona is an interior design and décor writer for Homedit. Since 2011, she has been writing about interior design, DIY solutions, and the latest trends in home architecture.

Learn more about Homedit's Editorial Process

| Published on

Reviewed by Brianne Bagge

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (2)

Brianne Bagge Home Improvement Editor

Brianne is someone who takes, not the road less travelled, but a road that is completely her own. And a writer and editor are among her several titles.

Learn more about Homedit's Editorial Process

of 29

multi-purpose residence by Seattle-based SkB Architects- kitchen

multi-purpose residence by Seattle-based SkB Architects- living

multi-purpose residence by Seattle-based SkB Architects barn doorn

multi-purpose residence by Seattle-based SkB Architects bedroom

multi-purpose residence by Seattle-based SkB Architects

Red Bucks County historic barn- rustic bedroom

Red Bucks County historic barn- wooden decor

Red Bucks County historic barn - interior

Red Bucks County historic barn

Coastal Barn Home Design- back

Coastal Barn Home Design - bathtub

Coastal Barn Home Design -kitchen island

Coastal Barn Home Design - interior

Coastal Barn Home Design- lap pool

Coastal Barn Home Design - green fence

Coastal Barn Home Design

Bridger Mountains Rustic Barn Cabin- fireplace

Bridger Mountains Rustic Barn Cabin - interior

Bridger Mountains Rustic Barn Cabin - wooden

Bridger Mountains Rustic Barn Cabin -lake

Bridger Mountains Rustic Barn Cabin

Barn house getaway in Vermont - porch decor

Barn house getaway in Vermont - swimming pool

Barn house getaway in Vermont - loft bedroom

Barn house getaway in Vermont- vaulted ceiling

Barn house getaway in Vermont - living room decor

Barn house getaway in Vermont - living room

Barn house getaway in Vermont

Barn house interior

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home

There’s a resurgence of the modern barn house lately because it’s a new way to reinvent your home.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (32)

They have an old-school rustic vibe with their pitched roofs and wood-clad exteriors. And the use of natural materials throughout the house complement various modern-day features. And the result is a very charming popular home.

Below you can find five such examples. Each is unique and different from the others, but they all share the barn-inspired design direction in common.

Modern Barn House Ideas

Use these barn house projects from all over the country to transform your withering or unused barn into a modern home for your family or as a vacation rental.

1. Timeless Barn Home

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (33)

Joan Heaton ArchitectsandSilver Maple Constructionstudios built and designed this eclectic style home in Weybridge, Vermont.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (34)
5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (35)

It has a modern vibe, but at the same time, it’s a barn house. Everything inside and out is simple. And they customized some of the key defining elements.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (36)
5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (37)

For instance, the house has a large sliding door that disappears into the wall. And it exposes the rear section to the beautiful outdoor surroundings. The entryway, on the other hand, features a pivoting door.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (38)

Thisstunning barn house serves as a family getaway spot where everyone is close to nature and can enjoy the beauty.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (39)

As a result, the architects maximized the views. They highlight the connection between the house and its natural surroundings. This unique combination of styles is perfect as it maintains a timeless appeal. And it also makes it feel very welcoming and cozy.

2. Rustic Barn House

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (40)

This modern barn house has a strong rustic vibe, and there’s good reason for that.Yellowstone Traditionsstudios collaborated withSwaback Partnersto complete this project.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (41)

Outside, the porch overlooks the private ponds full of trout, turning this barn into a charming fishing cabin.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (42)

It proves that you can dismantle a barn, relocate and reconstruct it into something fascinating and beautiful.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (43)

It was all put back together using the original materials. Additions and customizations resulted in a lovely blend of rustic decor and traditionaldetails with a hint of modern simplicity.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (44)

The structure is in Montana and has a large porch. Inside there’s a kitchen and living room area on the ground floor and a loft bedroom upstairs. There’s also a bathroom with an outdoor shower and many other exciting features, including a stone-clad fireplace.

3. Modern Barn Style Architecture

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (45)

On a different note, this modern barn style house has a lovely coastal vibe that blends well into its farmhouse-inspired design.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (46)

Yankee Barn Homesstudios designed this house on Martha’s Vineyard island in Massachusetts.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (47)

It has 5 bedrooms and 5 1/2 bathrooms in total and all the common areas. They customized the interior design and layout to embrace the concepts of family living. The house can make guests feel very welcome.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (48)
5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (49)

In addition to the attractive interior design and charming exterior, this coastal barn house also features a series of large openings. And glazed surfaces maximize all the views and ensure a close connection to the outdoor areas.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (50)
5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (51)

As you might guess, the exterior configuration of this house and its color palette match. The interior spaces are bright, open, and airy, making them quite different from typical rustic barn spaces.

4. Historic Red Barn House

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (52)

This is a historic pole barn house located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The architect renovated and transformed it into a more modern structure suitable for today’s lifestyle.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (53)

Studio Brett King Builder did the remodel. And the team was careful to keep the original charm of the building as best as possible. They exposed the original stone walls and preserved the timber beams. And they integrated them seamlessly into the new design of the house.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (54)

Underneath the classic barn-like shell, the house is charming and cozy with a very fluid layout. The private section composes two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and private entrances upstairs.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (55)

The common areas are on the lower level, where they have easy access to the porch and outdoor spaces. Stone and wood are the primary materials that define this project. They keep the magic of the original historic building alive and blend in nicely with the new and modern design.

5. Part Home, Part Working Barn

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (56)

This is a rather unusual contemporary barn house with a distinctive roof shape and is a multipurpose residence. It’s near Lake Chelan in Manson, Washington. And studio SkB Architectsdesigned it.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (57)

What’s especially interesting about it is that it serves part as a regular home and part working barn. Or, to be more exact, a fruit orchard. This is also a beautiful venue used for various events.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (58)

This design wasn’t always the initial plan. Initially, the idea was to create a traditional metal barn with a classic red exterior to house farm equipment.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (59)
5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (60)

However, the plans evolved and changed over time. The barn’s design eventually turned into a home with a lower roof line to show the project’s unique nature.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)FAQ

What are the barn houses called?

Modern barn homes are also known as barndominiums. This is the newest term for turning your barn into a home. Many of these conversions replace the wood with metal, making it more energy efficient and low maintenance. They are also country homes with a barn-inspired design and style.

Why are pole barn homes cheaper?

Pole barn homes are houses with structures and frames made from treated wood posts. Post-framed homes, in general, tend to be more durable than conventional wood construction because they’re secured in the ground.

However, pole barn homes aren’t always cheaper. And there’s no set price because of all the factors you need to consider.

If you’re looking for top-notch finishes, elite materials, and fancy features, your pole barn home will not be cheaper than a standard barn conversion or building a regular home.

If you’re looking for an open base model using regular materials, then your pole barn house could be significantly cheaper than any other style home.

How long does it take to build a modern barn house?

Depending on the project’s overall scope, building a barn home could take anywhere from six weeks to six months.

The biggest factor will be the size of the modern barn home you’re planning to build. Other important considerations include the location, landscape, and time of year. If you want to develop during winter or your site is far from the necessary materials, it can take considerably longer to finish the project.

Turn Your Barn Into a Modern Barn House

Barns have become the perfect space to create a home. Even old, historic barns can be inexpensive, durable, and contemporary. Converting your barn into a home is an ideal way to make additional income or simply use abandoned architecture as a blank canvas.

5 Modern Barn House Projects To Redefine Your Home (2024)

FAQs

What is a modern barn house? ›

Modern barn houses include careful restorations of 19th-century buildings and renovations of old agricultural structures. These projects celebrate the past but also modernize interiors for comfortable living. Other projects reference vernacular architecture in a contemporary form.

What is a barn turned into a house called? ›

Barndominium: Barns Converted Into Homes.

Can you live in a barn? ›

For people looking to create a unique home space, converted barn homes – also referred to as shomes, barndominiums and pole barn homes – can be an excellent option, making good use of original elements that give the barn home character, like exposed beams and other rustic details.

What is barn house style? ›

A barn home is a rustic design known for its spacious interior, offering tons of storage space, classic timber exterior, and open concept design. However, today's barn homes were not originally meant to house people.

What are the characteristics of a barn house? ›

This design style is characterized by its open and spacious floor plans, high ceilings, and a blend of natural materials and textures. The exterior of a barn house style design often features a steeply pitched roof, typically with a gable design.

Is it expensive to turn a barn into a house? ›

This type of remodeling costs an average $30,000, or about $10 to $50 per square foot. Typically, homeowners who convert a barn into a barn house will need to install a new foundation, interior framing and a roof as well as pay for refurbishes like windows, doors, plumbing, electricity and finishing details.

Why are barn houses cheaper? ›

When you build a barndominium, there is no foundation needed, so you can eliminate this portion of the cost. The trusses are spaced further apart, which reduces the materials needed for construction and the overall cost.

How do you plan a barn conversion? ›

10 steps for creating a stunning barn conversion.
  1. Understand your financial options. ...
  2. Talk to surveyors and structural engineers. ...
  3. Know what planning permission you need. ...
  4. Remember building regulations. ...
  5. Research your heating options and energy costs. ...
  6. Prioritise good design from the start.
Jan 26, 2023

What is the downside to a barndominium? ›

Financing for a Barndominium Can Be Difficult To Acquire

One of the most significant drawbacks of purchasing a Barndominum instead of a traditional house is how difficult it can be to acquire financing for this type of home. If you have enough cash to front this kind of project, then that's great!

Are barndominiums a bad investment? ›

If you are purely looking for a quick resale investment, a Barndominium may not be your best option. But, if you are hoping to build a long-term home for yourself or to invest by renting out your Barndominium, a Barndominium could be an excellent choice and long-term investment.

Are barndominiums safe in a tornado? ›

Constructed with metal, a barndo offers superior protection from severe weather. The steel structure of a steel barndominium has a higher wind resistance than a conventional wood frame home. While the metal integrity of your home can endure a tornado, the windows and doors may not.

How to convert a barn to a house for cheap? ›

To start, you'll need to put a new foundation under your new/old barn home ($5,000-$8,000). Then you'll need interior framing to shore up old walls and trusses ($7-$16 per square foot), drywall ($20-$30 per linear foot) and finally, a new shake shingle roof ($16,000-$27,000).

Are barn homes sturdy? ›

Barndominiums have the strength and durability that comes with being made from metal, making them just as safe or even more secure than a traditional home. The structural integrity of a barndominium also makes them last longer with less maintenance.

Why do they say do you live in a barn? ›

I'm sure we are all familiar with the age-old saying, “Were you born in a barn?” The original meaning of the phrase traces to an exclamation of one literally leaving the door open. In an era past, farmers often left the barn doors open during the day for livestock on pasture.

How much does it cost to build a modern barn? ›

The average cost to build a barn is $25 to $100 per square foot, depending on the size and type. Barn construction costs $30,000 to $120,000 for a 1,200-square-foot structure for animals, hay, or agriculture. Building a wood barn costs more than a prefab metal barn or pole barn kit.

What is a modern ranch-style house? ›

The ranch-style house is noted for its long, close-to-the-ground profile, and wide open layout. The style fused modernist ideas and styles with notions of the American Western period of wide open spaces to create a very informal and casual living style.

What is the difference between modern and classic houses? ›

Traditional homes have larger vestiges. Instead of multiple huge bones, the areas are divided into several small, single-purpose apartments. Modern house designs are renowned for their open-bottom design, emphasising the expansive area while using fewer walls to enclose the house's outer shells.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Terrell Hackett

Last Updated:

Views: 6209

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (52 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Terrell Hackett

Birthday: 1992-03-17

Address: Suite 453 459 Gibson Squares, East Adriane, AK 71925-5692

Phone: +21811810803470

Job: Chief Representative

Hobby: Board games, Rock climbing, Ghost hunting, Origami, Kabaddi, Mushroom hunting, Gaming

Introduction: My name is Terrell Hackett, I am a gleaming, brainy, courageous, helpful, healthy, cooperative, graceful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.