The English Barn House is situated at the edge of a small, pedestrian-oriented hamlet of European vernacular-styled, agrarian inspired houses. The guiding design concept for the design was to render the house in the style of a small English barn at the edge of a Cotswolds hamlet in a forested landscape. Drawing inspiration from the expressive massing of agrarian buildings, the house is both intriguing and sculptural, while being humble and unpretentious at the same time.
Programmatically, the Barn House is a small residence with a detached carriage house. The house itself is a three-bedroom house with three baths and is served by an open plan featuring a living room, dining area, and kitchen. Additional plan features include an upstairs seating area and extensive gardens. The plan is 2,455 square feet in area for the main house and has 488 square feet in the artist’s studio in the carriage house.
The house and lot are both small and situated directly on a pedestrian street. Accordingly, designing for privacy was the chief functional challenge of the project. The design calls for using the wall for privacy and as integral parts of the porch and pool. The wall provides means for both neighborhood connection and seclusion.
The site is quite small, only .18 acres, but every effort has been made to design the gardens and exterior spaces with an eye for generosity. The pool directly engages the surrounding stone wall, even providing the surface for a waterfall pool feature. A herb garden is located between the main house and the carriage house, and offers an excellent location for secluded repose.
The house is rendered almost exclusively in dark-stained vertical board-on-board siding and field stone reflecting the simple agrarian materials of English barns. It is rich is authentic details: vertical wood siding, field stone, wood roof, dutch doors, and an attic-level exterior barn door and hoist.
The English Barn House is predicated on the idea that the highest quality homes don’t have to be grand or overpowering. They don’t have to consume large lots provided they are situated in well designed neighborhoods. Thoughtful design, sized right and executed with skill is truly attainable and thus truly represents the best in American living.
Project Team
Architect/Designer: Rhinehart Pullium & Company
Builder: McKinney & Son Builders
Developer: Serenbe Development
Interior Designer: Beth Webb
