You’ve Never Seen a Barn Conversion Like This Before
See how a family converted an 82-year-old barn in Ohio, USA, into a cosy home with a unique exposed interior roof frame
Mitchell Parker
7 September 2019
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More
As a child playing in the hayloft of his parents’ dusty 82-year-old barn in Medina, Ohio, USA-based Andrew Towne never imagined that one day he would convert the space into a stunning modern home for himself and his then primary-school friend, Crystal Madrilejos. But decades later, that’s exactly what happened.
Images by Brian Corrigan Photography
Barn at a Glance
Who lives here: Crystal Madrilejos, vice president of creative strategy at Tenlo, a marketing agency; Andrew Towne, a stay-at-home dad and soon-to-be Montessori teacher; and their two children, Quil, aged nine, and Ellis, six
Location: Ohio, USA
Size: 297 square metres with three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms
Building designers: Tim Franklin of Franklin & Associates and Chris Weitzel-Janca (project manager)
Before: The barn, shown here before the renovation, was built in 1937 and sits on Towne’s parents’ 50-acre property, which also includes an old farmhouse. After university, Towne and Madrilejos – who met in primary school and dated in high school – returned to Medina, Ohio, in 2008, got married and moved into the farmhouse. Two children and nearly one decade later, they realised their growing family had outgrown the farmhouse, and they began planning the barn conversion in 2015.
The farmhouse had experienced so many additions over the years that, Towne says, expanding it again would have removed any character that remained. A new build was also out of the question. Many parts of the property flood, and running new utilities would have cost more than the couple could afford. Besides, converting a barn is just cooler.
The couple searched Houzz for help and found Tim Franklin, who had worked on several barn conversions over the years. “Tim’s profile on Houzz was compelling because we knew he’d done it before,” says Towne.
Watch now: See how this barn conversion came together on Houzz TV
Barn at a Glance
Who lives here: Crystal Madrilejos, vice president of creative strategy at Tenlo, a marketing agency; Andrew Towne, a stay-at-home dad and soon-to-be Montessori teacher; and their two children, Quil, aged nine, and Ellis, six
Location: Ohio, USA
Size: 297 square metres with three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms
Building designers: Tim Franklin of Franklin & Associates and Chris Weitzel-Janca (project manager)
Before: The barn, shown here before the renovation, was built in 1937 and sits on Towne’s parents’ 50-acre property, which also includes an old farmhouse. After university, Towne and Madrilejos – who met in primary school and dated in high school – returned to Medina, Ohio, in 2008, got married and moved into the farmhouse. Two children and nearly one decade later, they realised their growing family had outgrown the farmhouse, and they began planning the barn conversion in 2015.
The farmhouse had experienced so many additions over the years that, Towne says, expanding it again would have removed any character that remained. A new build was also out of the question. Many parts of the property flood, and running new utilities would have cost more than the couple could afford. Besides, converting a barn is just cooler.
The couple searched Houzz for help and found Tim Franklin, who had worked on several barn conversions over the years. “Tim’s profile on Houzz was compelling because we knew he’d done it before,” says Towne.
Watch now: See how this barn conversion came together on Houzz TV
After: Franklin began by assessing the structural integrity of the barn, looking for any wood rot and problems with the foundations. Once he was confident that the barn could be converted, he got to work on the design drawings. To help him determine which direction to take, Franklin had Towne and Madrilejos create Houzz ideabooks with inspirational images for various rooms in the house. Franklin then studied these photos to identify design trends. “Those are my cues to start floor plans and elevations,” he says.
Franklin found that the couple gravitated towards a clean Scandinavian look with warm and rustic elements. He added several new windows to bring light into the interiors, and built a new roof over the existing one to preserve the unique exposed framing that’s now the highlight of the interior.
The upper portion of the exterior is cedar-lap siding in a custom stain. The lower level is concrete block, also in a custom stain.
Find an architect near you on Houzz to redesign your home
Franklin found that the couple gravitated towards a clean Scandinavian look with warm and rustic elements. He added several new windows to bring light into the interiors, and built a new roof over the existing one to preserve the unique exposed framing that’s now the highlight of the interior.
The upper portion of the exterior is cedar-lap siding in a custom stain. The lower level is concrete block, also in a custom stain.
Find an architect near you on Houzz to redesign your home
This photo, taken from the ledge of the lofted TV room, shows the layout of the second floor of the converted barn. The open floor plan includes a living area near the windows, a study or workspace in the far-right corner, a dining area and a kitchen, which sits below the mezzanine loft.
The ground floor contains the bedrooms and main bathrooms.
The framing’s construction is rare, says Franklin. Eighty years ago, most people who built barns wanted to get the work done quickly and inexpensively to store their animals, grain and equipment. However, with Towne and Madrilejos’ barn, Franklin says the original builder put in time and effort, and had a deep understanding of engineering. “It’s so much more work than a standard barn,” he says. “That ceiling is gorgeous. It’s a rare, unique and special framing.”
Towne says all he knows about the barn’s original builder is that the person was a veteran who used the barn strictly for horses and storage. “The framing is definitely interesting,” says Towne. “We have many self-professed barn enthusiasts here, and everyone says they’ve never seen framing like what’s in here.”
To preserve the exposed framing, Franklin covered the lower portion of the walls with plasterboard to hide the mechanicals and plumbing, but left the roof open. He then added insulation over the existing roof and built a new roof over that. “This is a one-of-a-kind barn home, and it will never be duplicated,” he says.
The ground floor contains the bedrooms and main bathrooms.
The framing’s construction is rare, says Franklin. Eighty years ago, most people who built barns wanted to get the work done quickly and inexpensively to store their animals, grain and equipment. However, with Towne and Madrilejos’ barn, Franklin says the original builder put in time and effort, and had a deep understanding of engineering. “It’s so much more work than a standard barn,” he says. “That ceiling is gorgeous. It’s a rare, unique and special framing.”
Towne says all he knows about the barn’s original builder is that the person was a veteran who used the barn strictly for horses and storage. “The framing is definitely interesting,” says Towne. “We have many self-professed barn enthusiasts here, and everyone says they’ve never seen framing like what’s in here.”
To preserve the exposed framing, Franklin covered the lower portion of the walls with plasterboard to hide the mechanicals and plumbing, but left the roof open. He then added insulation over the existing roof and built a new roof over that. “This is a one-of-a-kind barn home, and it will never be duplicated,” he says.
Madrilejos and Towne, seen here with their children – Ellis, left, and Quil – selected the light fixtures, furniture and decor, and bought many items from the USA Houzz Shop. “In our heads, our house was white, wood, black and green, mainly through plants but our island cabinets also are a dark green colour,” says Towne.
“We wanted the living room to be connected to the rest of the space but still be its own area. It’s obviously a very open concept, so that wasn’t too difficult. We also knew we wanted the couch facing out the big back windows to take advantage of the view. It’s essentially a hangout, talking, reading and lounging area, as the only TV we have is up in the loft.”
The spiral staircase behind the sofa leads up to the loft.
Watch now: Go inside this amazing converted barn home
“We wanted the living room to be connected to the rest of the space but still be its own area. It’s obviously a very open concept, so that wasn’t too difficult. We also knew we wanted the couch facing out the big back windows to take advantage of the view. It’s essentially a hangout, talking, reading and lounging area, as the only TV we have is up in the loft.”
The spiral staircase behind the sofa leads up to the loft.
Watch now: Go inside this amazing converted barn home
A mix of pendant lights and track lighting illuminates the home. Franklin didn’t install the track lights at the peak of ceiling’s pitch, so the homeowners can access them if needed. All the lights are dimmable LEDs that shouldn’t need replacing anytime soon. Should a light bulb need to be changed, a ladder and extension tool will be required.
The verdant acreage surrounding the home competes for attention with the stunning roof framing. The diagonally-laid timber floors are original.
This view towards the kitchen shows how the loft helps enclose the kitchen to bring it down to scale and support the lighting.
The kitchen cabinets are made from birch with a subtle matt finish. The island is also birch, painted dark green. The island benchtop is timber, and the perimeter benchtop and 10-centimetre splashback are soapstone.
This view from the kitchen shows the stunning interior structure as well as the surrounding farmland.
Watch now: Don’t miss this barn-conversion video on Houzz TV
Watch now: Don’t miss this barn-conversion video on Houzz TV
When they were children, Towne and his brother used to play basketball using a hoop inside the original barn. As a gift, Madrilejos bought Towne a mounted hoop after the conversion was finished, and the couple had it installed near the dining table. Today, the family uses foam balls that bounce around less than regular basketballs.
Towne rigged up a pulley system (not shown) that raises the dining table light out of the way of bouncing balls.
Ball games aside, sound travels far around the voluminous second floor of the home. “There’s not necessarily an echo, but it’s a loud house, no doubt,” says Towne.
Ball games aside, sound travels far around the voluminous second floor of the home. “There’s not necessarily an echo, but it’s a loud house, no doubt,” says Towne.
The original track that was used to bring hay bales into the barn is still attached to the peak of the ceiling. Several fans now join it to help circulate the air.
One air-conditioning unit is positioned downstairs, with two more upstairs. “The barn is really well insulated, so even on the hottest days the barn cools down quickly, and it’s very rare we have to run all three all day,” says Towne. “The way the barn was initially designed, the first level naturally stays pretty cool as is.”
There’s also radiant heating on the concrete ground level, while upstairs sports skirting-board heating. “We’ve only been in here one winter, but it was great, and honestly it costs about as much as it did to heat that little farmhouse we used to live in,” says Towne.
One air-conditioning unit is positioned downstairs, with two more upstairs. “The barn is really well insulated, so even on the hottest days the barn cools down quickly, and it’s very rare we have to run all three all day,” says Towne. “The way the barn was initially designed, the first level naturally stays pretty cool as is.”
There’s also radiant heating on the concrete ground level, while upstairs sports skirting-board heating. “We’ve only been in here one winter, but it was great, and honestly it costs about as much as it did to heat that little farmhouse we used to live in,” says Towne.
A large floating staircase is the first thing you see when you enter the home through the ground-floor main entrance. It’s designed to encourage guests to head upstairs, where the action is. The hallways to the left and right of the stairs lead to the bedrooms and bathrooms. “It’s pretty simple down there,” says Towne. “We knew we didn’t want big bedrooms and bathrooms. We don’t hang out in our bedrooms.”
A timber bench by LeisureMod and strategically placed coat hooks transform a corner of the entrance into a makeshift mudroom.
Before: The original barn didn’t have banked or sloped access to the second floor from the ground.
After: Franklin built a bank into the side of the barn using limestone, soil and grass. This gives the family direct outdoor access from the second floor.
The latest activity the family has been enjoying on the property is catching fish in the creek nearby. “I mowed a walking path through the fields that allows us to go further when the grass gets tall and the fear of ticks looms,” says Towne. “The kids have a few decent climbing trees they frequent as well. It feels like I’ve been running around in the same fields for 20-something years. After high school I moved away, and I thought that I would stay away,” he adds. “I never thought that I would come back home and build something I knew I was going to be in forever.”
Madrilejos is also happy with what the couple has achieved. “I feel really proud of it,” she says.
Watch now: See more of this stunning barn-conversion home
More
See more episodes of Houzz TV
Madrilejos is also happy with what the couple has achieved. “I feel really proud of it,” she says.
Watch now: See more of this stunning barn-conversion home
More
See more episodes of Houzz TV
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Gorgeous except I would have liked to see a more colourful or impressive kitchen
Beautiful
Unique ! 👏🏾