Home Renovation Blog

Barndominiums – The New Trend in Housing Design and Use of Barns

Our Southeastern PA area is awash with absolutely beautiful old barns. Some are in great shape, some need lots of renovation, and some – are barndominiums.  This hot trend is sweeping our area from Bucks County to many areas of the main line in the Philadelphia area.  

What’s a barndominium, you ask? It’s a barn that has been renovated into living quarters. If you have an old barn structure on your property, you may want to consider renovating it for your own use or for rental. 

Why convert your barn

Utilizing your property more efficiently to benefit your family is always the best reason to do anything. Many people convert their barns or other rustic outbuildings into separate living spaces for older parents, grown kids, or for rental as an Airbnb. Some people even renovate outbuildings in order to downsize on their own property and sell or rent their larger home. 

What you can do with your barn depends on its location on your property and the zoning in your area, but at M&K Renovations, we are experts in making great structures that are consistent with the zoning laws of our clients. 

Options abound

Renovating barns is the latest trend in private residences. In Bucks County, for instance, renovated barns are everywhere. So what can you do with an old barn?

The large, open design of barns means the options are almost limitless. You can create a single, large living area with vaulted ceilings and an interior balcony on the second floor looking down into a great room. Or you can split your barn into a more modest-sized living space and a large work area. The work area could be for animals (it’s a barn, after all), a home office to save you a commute, space for crafting, a workshop, or a large entertainment area. You could even put in an indoor pool! 

If your zoning permits, you could divide a large barn into several living spaces. This would allow you to rent out several Airbnb units. 

The aesthetic, nostalgic appeal of the barn design combined with the sturdy wooden beams, paneled walls, and planked floors of a real barn is a style that is attractive to many people. But the interior doesn’t have to be all rustic. You can design a combo-modern-rustic look: try clean, sleek white walls and modern furniture combined with exposed wooden beams and knotty pine floors or trim.

Of course, renovating is the perfect time to update everything to the most energy-efficient lighting, plumbing, windows, and roofing. This will keep your utility costs low and keep the building comfortable year-round. 

Whether it’s for personal use or for rental, renovating a barn or outbuilding is a great investment that makes excellent use of a structure on your property. Give us a call at +1 610 890 9170 if you have an outbuilding you think would make a great living space. As general contractors with years of experience and many happy customers, we have designers and building experts who can help you make your dream a reality. We serve Philadelphia and surrounding areas from our headquarters on the Main Line.

Jeff Schiller

Jeff’s experience in Operations Management and Organizational Leadership in the mortgage, manufacturing, and finance industries allows him to bring 15+ years of corporate expertise to the M&K team. His motto is: “Quality is paramount – Process should be simple.