With the tiny house” and shipping container house trends on the rise, it’s a strange evolution that living in a big, open barn is also a trending concept known as the “Barndominium”. It’s not only fun to say, but converting an old barn into a fun living/dining space brings a whole new aspect of life to the suburbs and rural areas.

“Casual, low maintenance and always ready for an impromptu gathering,” explains architect Peter Stuhlreyer of Designhaus.  “What we have found, as designers of many barndominiums, is that the client is far more relaxed about design decisions and material choices, so the projects are really organic, spontaneous and enjoyable.”

A barndominium in Lexington, KY was designed to be converted into a four-horse stable. However, the original owners used the space for parties. To maintain the intrinsic value of the post and beam structure, we had to consider the future use. The point is, is that the barndominium is not always the last use of the barn…sometimes it is the beginning of a barn’s life cycle. We also converted a storage barn for a corporation in Ohio into a special event/fitness center and training space, while maintaining the raw structural characteristics of the 30-year-old barn.

 The space, volume, acoustics, sags and cracks, and even the smell of a barn is something that relaxes people. Not worrying about a bit of dust or a spill of red wine is even better.