What’s Involved in a Barn Conversion?

If you love looking online at new and interesting ways to live (tiny homes, anyone?), chances are you’ve run into a couple of barn conversion stories. Converted barns are incredibly beautiful and inspiring. They manage to blend the old, rustic charm of a barn with modern and cool updates, and in turn create a home that’s both unique and timeless. If you’re dying to live in your own fairy tale barn home, here’s how to get started:

Hire Architects

You don’t want to even think about renovating an old barn unless you’ve hired architects first. It would be a shame to put money into a beautiful building only to struggle to renovate it, so hire some interior architects who will work with you to design your perfect home. You’ll also need to hire a local structural engineer who will help to make sure that your home plans are structurally sound, and within the limits of what your building can handle. Put lots of care into the design of your home, after all this is where you will live for years to come, if not for the rest of your life, so you want everything to be absolutely perfect. Once you have the design of your home mapped out, you can have builders come in and create your perfect abode!

Add Modern Touches

There’s a fine line between rustic and outdated, but adding modern elements to your home will help make the line more defined. Use interesting, unique artwork to add interest to an old brick wall, and paint some bright or patterned accent walls to bring in a bit of hominess and personality. Add texture with faux-fur throws and leather details, and in the kitchen combine butcher-block countertops with stainless steel appliances for an interesting contrast. Decorating an older space is all about providing updated contrast against the original details of the space.

Keep the Original Charm

There’s a reason you chose to invest in a barn conversion in the first place, and it’s probably because you love the charm and “specialness” of what an old barn has to offer. Don’t get so wrapped up in updating the look of your home that you cover up all of the things that make your barn special, such as exposed beams and brick walls. Find out a way to modernize them while letting their original appeal shine through. The old fireplace and beautiful wooden floors are all elements that drew you to designing a barn home in the first place, so don’t remove them from the design altogether. Provide contrast and make retaining the charm of the home a main focus.

Barn homes are timeless, classic, cool, and unique. Converting a barn is a great choice if you’re looking to settle down for the long-term into a beautiful space. Don’t forget to use these tips in order to create the perfect home for you and your family, while still keeping the charm and classic vibes of the original building.