Whether or not you’re a wiz when it comes to the art of interior design, you may still have noticed that the worn, rustic look is starting to become quite popular these days. Everywhere you turn, more and more homes seem to be going with hardwood floors and bright, open layouts – very much the opposite of the traditional modern home.
For example, take what this Canadian design company did to transform what they called an “old, but well built” barn into a totally livable space! They could have just torn the whole thing down and started from scratch, but Hank White Company, a British Columbia-based design studio, decided instead to just simply give the barn’s charming old look a major overhaul…
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Originally, the upstairs of the barn had been used as a hayloft. More recently, though, a previous owner had actually allowed his sheep to wander up there, which ended up leaving quite the mess behind!
Renovating the old barn was going to come with a unique set of challenges, but overall, the crew still felt like this could end up being the perfect canvas for them to do their work. After the first round of cleanups, they all decided to get down to business.
Their plan for the transformation was to “build a space that will be used as an office, but that could also be used as a small apartment, too.” This meant installing a hot water tank for a laundry room that was going underneath the stairs, building a small kitchen area for preparing meals, and even hooking-up a fully functional bathroom as well!
The exterior of the barn really needed an update in particular, so the crew installed brand new boards for extra support in many different spots, as well as some sturdy new windows, too.
Next, they used a system of ropes and pulleys to lift the heavy windows into place. Conveniently enough, a pulley was actually already in place from back when the loft was used to store hay long ago.
The new boards that were installed on the barn’s outside frame immediately brightened up the exterior.
The small cupola that the crew built on top of the barn also received a similar treatment.
The designers then had electricians come in to install most of the electrical work, and they asked them to be sure to install two wires instead of just one – just in case they decide to build another structure nearby.
Installing the plumbing fixtures came next, as well as connecting the barn to all of the proper drainage outlets.
Here, you can see the original ladder that would have been used to get up to the loft.
Next came installing some chutes, so that the air could move behind the insulation from the soffits.
Of course, installing the barn’s insulation was one of the most challenging parts of the entire process, but the crew somehow managed to pull it off nicely.
After much more hard work and effort, finally, the project was beginning to near its end. However, the barn’s downstairs area also saw its fair share of updates as well.
The crew worked tirelessly to renovate everything that was downstairs, just the same as they had done on the upper-level of the barn.
In no time, the entire thing was starting to look like a totally different space than what they had started with!
At this point, they were basically done, except for maybe a few more finishing touches to seal the deal.
The best part of the entire design might just be this old Waterford stove that they placed in the corner!
The downstairs area even features a dark room for anyone who’s into photography!
The cupola perched atop the barn also makes for some really nice indirect lighting, perfect for getting work done!
At the end of the day, the finished product is nothing short of astounding! The old barn really does look like it’s a totally different building now. Apparently, the whole project cost somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000 Canadian – which might seem a little steep to qualify as your typical DIY project, but sometimes, it really is nice to see what a crew of experts can do when they decide to come together.
(Would this renovated barn be your ideal office space? Let us know in the comments below, and then don’t forget to leave this story a like and to hit subscribe for much more!)
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