Barn-style houses, with their high ceilings, exposed beams, large open-plan living spaces, hardwearing surfaces and, of course, sliding barn doors, are easy to fall in love with. And thankfully for some, barn houses aren’t reserved for a rural setting. Nothing is stopping you from building a barn house by the sea, in the city, or simply adopting some of the key design features in your existing home, wherever it may be. You can even procure barn-style kit homes in Australia these days, where half the job is done for you.
From clever conversions to complete new builds, there are plenty of options out there to build your dream barn house.
What are some of the key design elements of barn houses?
Barn houses are a unique architectural style that combines the rustic charm of traditional barns with the comfort and functionality of modern homes. If you don’t have the scope for a new build, conversion or renovation, you could simply try and incorporate some of the key elements commonly found in barn houses into your current home.
These can include things like open floor plans, exposing beams and ceiling rafters, including natural materials like stone and wood, repurposing existing barn structures or using reclaimed materials from old barns, or integrating the interiors with the surrounding landscape through garden design, outdoor living areas or large windows that frame your view.
20 modern barn house ideas to inspire
Both very much its own space and a reflection of its scape, The Barn at Rangeview is a unique identity, whichever way you spin it. The raked ceiling and wrap-around windows of the barn-style house make the most of natural light and picturesque views.
Rachel Luchetti and her builder husband Gerard Cook have transformed a barn style kit home into a family retreat known affectionately as the Little Red Barn. The red exterior sets this home apart as does the concrete plunge pool with views of the hinterland.
This small barn-style house in Daylesford follows classic barn design, with a high-pitched ceiling, exposed beams and split “Mr Ed-style” doors. Four large windows from an old schoolhouse add authenticity to the new build and flood the space with light.
When Hayley Priest finally got to build her dream home, it was always going to be a barn of some kind. And “It was always going to be black,” she says, with a laugh. The modern barn-style house, named The Highlands Black Barn, is influenced by Norwegian summer houses and New Zealand barn architecture.
The sleepy village of Jugiong in South West NSW has become a destination for Canberrans and Sydneysiders because of the Sir George, a renovated country pub with luxury accommodation that resembles a series of charred timber barns and a converted granite stable.
Inspired by the traditional pitched-roof cabins of their homeland Denmark, couple Michael and Kristine decided to build their own barn-style home with floor-to-ceiling windows by Rylock and Velux. Barn doors are also a feature inside the door, with a 19 metre-long railing connecting a sequence of rustic, sliding doors.
Forget hay bales and hoedowns. This handsome home’s take on the classic barn style house is worlds away from those down-on-the-farm notions. The original cottage on the Byron Bay property had a separate sleeping barn, which inspired the design of the new house, which has been described as the “love child of Italy, Aspen and Malibu”.
A simple coat of red paint has transformed an old 1880s farmhouse into a cosy barn-style home. Before moving in, residents Katie and Luke also polished the original floorboards and updated the home’s wiring. “We love the house’s charm and its quirks,” says Katie.
Regular trips to Europe inspired couple Daniel and Glenny to construct their own brick barn on the outskirts of Castlemaine in Victoria’s Goldfields. “We wanted to build something tat suited the historic landscape around here, and we were also inspired by the architecture we’ve seen in France,” says Daniel.
This modern barn-inspired home, located in the picturesque Perth Hills, pays homage to its owners’ European heritage. The design concept stemmed from the owner’s desire for a simple, honest lifestyle, and the barn-style architecture that is common in Poland.
On Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, one couple’s desire to blend beauty with practicality has produced a modern country home which they have since dubbed the ‘über shed’. From the outside, it could be mistaken for a barn but inside, it’s Scandinavian-inspired aesthetic and modern finishes make you feel right at home.
In the heart of Melbourne, interior designer Carole Whiting and her architect husband Steven have transformed a Edwardian double-fronted house into a charming family home that has a barn-like feel with a Scandinavian twist.
After spending years living in a series of converted garages, sheds and basic kit-home cottages, the owners of this country retreat decide it was time to build something a little more comfortable. And so their son, interior stylist and designer Jono Fleming, helped them design a cosy and contemporary farmhouse complete with cathedral ceilings and a ceiling-height stone fireplace.
After purchasing a property in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, a couple set about converting an existing shed into a temporarily liveable space as they drew up plans for their dream home. But after a kitchen, bathroom and three bedrooms were added to the shed, fondly dubbed the ‘shouse’, the couple decided they probably didn’t need to build a new home after all.
After a fuss-free design with open-plan living spaces that made the most of the property’s spectacular views over a golf course to the ocean beyond, the owners of The Shed in Gerroa on the NSW South Coast opted for a modern barn style design with an industrial aesthetic when building their dream holiday home.
With it’s high ceilings, loft bedroom, exposed timber beams and concrete floors, this pool house that doubles as an Airbnb on the Sunshine Coast is a classic example of how a barn-style home can work in a coastal setting. The timber barn doors inside add to the rustic charm.
Custom-made barn doors, timber wall panelling and rustic country decor, give this beach house a barn-like feel. The home’s exterior is also clad in timber panelling and painted in Dulux Domino.
Looking over Lake Conjola on the NSW south Coast is the modern barn-inspired home David Gleeson and Leah Atkins created in just 10 weeks. Leah has always loved the aesthetic of barns, particularly dark-coloured Scandinavian interiors, which were her inspiration when designing this home.
By connecting and converting two barns on their property, Nguuruu Farm, the Prior family created a spacious four-bedroom home. “It’s essentially two pavilions connected by a glass air bridge,” says owner, Murray Prior. “We live in one and go to bed in the other.” The barn-style home boasts six-metre ceilings, rammed-earth walls, and a solar-passive design.
Designed by Slap Architects, this modern barn house in rural Victoria was conceived by two city slickers in search of a more sustainable lifestyle. Minimally decorated with functionality at the fore, the use of natural materials throughout are a nod to the surrounding landscape of West Gippsland.
WriterOlivia Clarke
Olivia started her writing career at Home Beautiful magazine, moving on to become the Digital Managing Editor of Homes To Love and Home Beautiful. She lives and breathes homes and interiors and loves nothing more than dreaming up new design ideas (big and small) for her own home. Being married to a builder means there is always a project on the go and most weekends are spent with a paintbrush in hand or perusing Pinterest for inspiration.
