Modern barn house: Inspired architectural design - Jewkes Design (2024)

Rooted in the past, yet chic and contemporary — modern barn house plans take a modern twist.

When you picture a barn house, what comes to mind? It's most likely a red, wooden building with a gambrel roof, the type you'd expect to see in a Norman Rockwell painting. But today's modern barn houses have come a long way from their humble beginnings.

Modern barn houses are a contemporary take on traditional barn-style architecture. These homes combine the rustic charm of a classic barn with the sleek and sophisticated design elements of modern architecture. Discover how modern barn homes refresh the idea of rural living and why their soaring ceilings, open floor plans, and natural materials captivate city dwellers and rural residents alike.

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Types of barn houses

Gambrel Barn

A gambrel barn is the most traditional barn house type. Grambel barns feature a two-story layout with a distinctive roof shape. The roof type features two slopes on each side, with the lower slope steeper than the upper slope.

Modern barn house: Inspired architectural design - Jewkes Design (2)

Barndominium

A farmhouse barndominium is a type of home that combines the look and feel of a traditional farmhouse with the functional design and cost-effective construction of a barndominium. However, unlike a traditional barn, a barndominium is designed to be a comfortable and livable space. With modern features like wraparound porches, gabled roofs, and traditional farmhouse interiors, barndominiums stand out for their versatility, customization, and peculiarity.

Pole barn homes

A pole barn is a simple, low-cost barn that is constructed using poles or posts set into the ground. The primary advantage of pole barn construction is that it is cost-effective. Building a pole barn can cost as little as $25 per square foot. This barn type usually features ultra-wide barn doors and is often used for storing and housing livestock.

Modern pole barn houses have an ideal design for cost and energy efficiency, sustainability, and durability. Its open, airy design works well for modern mountain homes, cabins, and guest houses. With a few modern amenities, pole barn homes can offer comfortable and functional living spaces.

From rustic roots and humble beginnings to contemporary barn house design for the modern era

Modern barn house: Inspired architectural design - Jewkes Design (3)

Barn style houses have evolved into a coveted architectural style from their humble beginnings as functional farm buildings. Featuring Scandinavian-level minimalism and contemporary interior design features, modern barn home plans break from rustic barns with post-frame construction and gambrel roofs.

Modern barn house: Inspired architectural design - Jewkes Design (4)

Open concepts

Traditional homes and barn houses are usually small and simple. Today's modern barn houses, on the other hand, are large and luxurious. Additionally, contemporary barn-style homes benefit from an open concept. Tall windows, high ceilings, and large open floor plans give modern barn style houses a feeling of wide open space and overall simplicity that's irresistible.

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Clean lines

Modern barn houses often feature simple, clean lines that create a sense of modernity and sophistication. Accordingly, it achieves this simple and elegant aesthetic through the use of horizontal siding, metal roofing, and minimalistic trim details.

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Natural materials

Like modern farmhouses, one of the critical features of contemporary barn homes is their use of natural materials such as wood and stone. These materials help create a warm and inviting atmosphere while adding a touch of rural elegance to the design. Accordingly, floor-to-ceiling windows and open floor plans let in plenty of natural light and create a seamless connection between the interior and exterior spaces.

Modern barn houses are often designed with the landscape in mind and an overall emphasis on functionality. As a result, many modern barn houses incorporate passive homes or energy-efficient features. For example, solar panels, backup batteries, geothermal heating, and local water sources make modern barn houses more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

While modern barn houses tend to feature a neutral color palette, bold pops of color can add interest and personality to the exterior. Accordingly, you might see a modern barn house plan with a bright red front door or bold blue accent walls.

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Black modern barn houses: A bold and sophisticated aesthetic

Black modern barn houses are part of a contemporary home style with a dark exterior color palette, usually in black or dark gray shades. This trend has become increasingly popular in recent years as homeowners and architects seek to create a striking and dramatic contrast between the home's modern design and its rustic, barn-inspired roots.

Black barn exteriors can also help to blend the home into its natural surroundings, creating a seamless and harmonious connection between the house and the landscape.

Modern barn house interiors: A blend of rustic charm and contemporary design

Modern barn house: Inspired architectural design - Jewkes Design (8)

Materials

One of the hallmarks of a modern barn house interior is the use of reclaimed or salvaged materials, which can add a unique sense of history and character to the space. In addition, you might see reclaimed wood used for flooring, beams, accent walls, salvaged metal in light fixtures, and other decorative elements.

Modern barn house: Inspired architectural design - Jewkes Design (9)

Color palette

In terms of color palette, modern barn houses interiors typically feature neutral tones like white, gray, and beige, which help to create a clean and open feeling. However, we can also incorporate strategic pops of color through artwork, textiles, or accent pieces.

Modern barn house: Inspired architectural design - Jewkes Design (10)

Furniture and living room decor

Furniture in modern barn houses is often simple and functional, focusing on comfort and durability. Additionally, you might find beautiful sofas, modern chairs with natural fabrics like leather, linen, or cotton, and sturdy wooden tables and benches.

In terms of decor, modern barn houses interiors often feature a mix of vintage and contemporary elements. For example, an antique barn door might be repurposed as a sliding door, while a sleek modern fireplace might be surrounded by rustic stone or reclaimed wood.

Conclusion

Overall, modern barn houses offer a warm and inviting country lifestyle that blends the best of traditional and contemporary design. Whether looking for a cozy weekend retreat or a spacious family home, a modern barn house can provide a unique and stylish living space.

Modern barn house: Inspired architectural design - Jewkes Design (2024)

FAQs

What is modern barn-style? ›

Modern barn houses include careful restorations of 19th-century buildings and renovations of old agricultural structures. These projects celebrate the past but also modernize interiors for comfortable living. Other projects reference vernacular architecture in a contemporary form.

What is barn-style architecture? ›

A barn-style silhouette.

Most barns and barn-homes are proportioned to look tall. Most are rectangular in shape with a pitched roof, although gambrel roofs are also somewhat common. This is a cute barn home that uses the gambrel frame and stone exterior to resemble an old English carriage barn.

What style is a barn shaped house? ›

Barn-style houses are framed like traditional farmouhse barns, with gambrel or gabled roofs, wood siding, and large, open interior spaces.

What do you call someone who designs houses? ›

An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings.

What architectural style is a modern farmhouse? ›

The modern farmhouse is a 21st-century American architectural style that combines the comfort of traditional design with contemporary elements. The style revitalizes the traditional rural American farmhouse, which was simple and functional.

What does modern farmhouse decorating look like? ›

What is the modern farmhouse look? Cozy, contemporary, clean, simple, rustic, and comforting; these words encompass the modern farmhouse style. Expect to see neutral colors, reclaimed wood, shiplap, and big comfy furniture.

What are the characteristics of a barn house? ›

This design style is characterized by its open and spacious floor plans, high ceilings, and a blend of natural materials and textures. The exterior of a barn house style design often features a steeply pitched roof, typically with a gable design.

What is a house and barn built together called? ›

A housebarn (also house-barn or house barn) is a building that is a combination of a house and a barn under the same roof. Most types of housebarn also have room for livestock quarters.

What is the purpose of the farmhouse architecture? ›

The Essence of Farmhouse Style

Farmhouse architecture can be seen as refuge, a safe environment that is grounded in purity, honesty, and simple value. Depending on the type of farm, it also gives its inhabitants a way to be somewhat self-sufficient. The form of this type of home is highly adaptable.

What is a barn style roof called? ›

The gambrel roof, is sometimes called a “barn roof” or a “Dutch roof”, and there are many examples of this style of roof all up and down the Hudson Valley. This type of roof is a two sided roof, where each side of the roof has two slopes.

What are barn style trusses called? ›

Gambrel Roof Trusses: Everything You Need to Know

Recently, there's been a resurgence of interest in gambrel roofs, also called barn roofs, due to the growing popularity of modernized farmhouse-style homes that combine the charm of rustic country architecture with contemporary elegance.

What is a Dutch style barn? ›

The Dutch Barn has a square profile, unlike the more rectangular English or German barns. In the United Kingdom a structure called a Dutch barn is a relatively recent agricultural development meant specifically for hay and straw storage; most examples were built from the 19th century.

What's the difference between an architect and an architectural designer? ›

What is an architectural designer (AD)? The term architectural designer (AD) refers to a building designer who is not a registered architect. ADs work with architects in the process of creating and documenting design projects. ADs receive their OJT (On-Job-Training) experience through this process.

What is the difference between architecture and architectural? ›

What is the difference between architecture and architectural design? Architecture is the overall practice of designing structures–from initial designs to the construction process. Design for architecture is strictly the design aspect of the process.

What is the modern farmhouse trend? ›

Often, homes with modern farmhouse interiors will make use of clean lines, a more neutral color scheme, and modern finishes. “Modern farmhouses lean a bit more into a Scandinavian form,” Shea adds.

What is farmhouse vs modern farmhouse style? ›

The Key Differences

The classic style achieves this with weathered wood. You can find some neutral colors to accompany the wood throughout the home. In a more modern farmhouse, you will find darker and lacquered woods and some complementary colors, not just neutrals.

What are the new barn houses called? ›

A barndominium is typically a barn a builder has converted into an all-purpose living and workspace. The name combines barn and condominium; people often shorten it to “barndo.” Some barndominiums are new structures built from a kit and made of metal.

What style is after modern farmhouse? ›

The most popular styles after Modern Farmhouse include Rustic and Coastal Design which were the top choices in five states each; while Mediterranean, Southwestern, Industrial, Victorian, and Eclectic styles came up as the favorites in one state each.

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