Making a Barndomimium for my in laws on our property in Nashville, TN. Follow along as we renovate our old barn into a moody, modern family retreat
When we bought our house back in 2019 it came with a lot of must haves on our list. A little bit of land just outside of the city with incredible trees and a little pond. We knew the property had so much potential, it just needed a little love. A few years later and our old barn wound up being the perfect set up to turn it into a home for my in laws. We had a vision- we just needed to execute it. How hard can it be, right?
Why a Barndominium?
- Barndominiums are significantly cheaper to build compared to a standard new build house ($30-$40/ sq ft compared to $100-$200/ sq ft)
- We already had a pre existing structure, which allowed us to save some money on framing
- Increase our property value
- Energy efficiant
- They’re really cool!
The Design
We had a good friend draw up a few renderings of the potential barn build. It’s a 30′ x 50′ 1500 sq ft interior. We kept an open concept for the kitchen and living room- with plenty of natural light, keeping the exposed trusses and the ceilings vaulted. We will also be adding sky lights to keep things light and airy. A fireplace will be perfect for cozy winter nights!
For the exterior we decided to replace the existing grey metal siding with black metal siding. I love the idea of black exterior- I know it’s not for everyone, but I love how black stands out against all the natural elements and all four seasons we have here in Tennessee. We’ll be adding touches of light wood for contrast.
Floor Plan
The total interior space is 1500 sq ft. It’s a good side for my in laws to live comfortably with less upkeep all being on one level. The floor plan consists of:
- Master bedroom
- Master closet with a washer and dryer unit
- His and hers separate bathrooms
- An office for my father in law
- A studio art space for my mother in law
- Open concept living and dining room
- Open concept kitchen with an island
- Side entrance with plenty of pantry cabinet space
The Build
We cleaned up the inside and got it ready for gravel to put a concrete pad down. Now originally we were told by our GC the barn build would take 6 months. I will tell you right now we are still in the build process. Whatever your timeline is, double it!
After the pad was poured, we were ready to start framing the interior
The frames are up, now it’s on to plumbing and electrical (this took FOREVER! when will we get to the fun stuff?) A few more months went by, we wound up making changes with the windows which delayed the process even more. The windows took 3 months to get delivered, and some arrived broken. So we had to wait another 2 months for the replacements. Playing the waiting game!
We also decided to nix the front door all together for a better flow of the living room. I was pretty sad about it, but in the long run we wound up putting the fireplace where the front door was going to go. It really opens up the living room for furniture placement and the fireplace makes such a statement now.
The framing got re worked for the new layout of the doors and windows, and they finally got installed! We also added 3 sky lights in the living room and kitchen. We went with spray foam insulation which cost a little more then your traditional fiberglass, but it’s a better option for energy efficiency and keeping the inside cool in the hot summer months.
Once the sheetrock got installed it started to look like a house, making progress!
Lighting rough ins and drywall is finished. The drywall took 3 days to dry and sand- It’s a messy job for sure!
Flooring
Since we were laying the hardwood directly onto the concrete slab we had to go with an engineered wood. It’s almost identical to hardwood on the surface- but it’s made of a high quality plywood core with a thin layer of hardwood on top. It’s great for applying direct to concrete, or areas in the house with more moisture such as bathrooms and basements. It has a 30 year life span and it no less susceptible to scratching than solid wood floors. We went with 7 inch white oak for a more modern feel and I cannot be happier!
Stay tuned for more Bandominium updates to come!
