When Joan and her husband Dan moved from “the beehive that is Dallas” to a town in New Hampshire that’s “so small it doesn’t even have a traffic light,” they bought a great old house that came with an interesting addition: a barn attached to the side.
The challenge they faced was how to turn this big, empty, unfinished space into a room they could use.
The room is 23′ x 27′ and the ceiling is 12 1/2′ tall, so there was a lot of space to work with.
Here’s how it looks now:
I actually gasped when I saw it. Beautiful!
I love that they were able to use this old barn door in the room:
The walls are covered in random-width pine boards that were painted Benjamin Moore’s “Sea Haze” (2137-50).
Joan says, “It is a blue/green/grey which changes throughout the day and also varies depending on the season.”
The ceilings are white-washed pine boards.
In this photo that was taken during the remodel, you can see the opening
that leads into the house with the kitchen straight ahead:
Here’s that same fireplace wall now that the kitchen is finished:
Joan’s kitchen is kind of famous in the blogosphere.
It has lots of fans–and I’m one of them!
There’s a charmingly rustic half-bath off the new barn room, too:
You can see more of it here.
Back in the Barn Room, the new French doors measure almost 10 feet to the top of the header, and the top of the mantel is 6 1/2 feet.
Despite the grander scale of the space, it still manages to feel warm and welcoming.
Thanks to Joan for letting me share her Barn Room makeover with you.
Be sure to visit her blog For the Love of a House for all the photos and information!
…beautiful house…beautiful people…beautiful home…blessings laney
Yes, isn’t this home remarkable? I love every inch of what Joan and Dan did. They are such an inspiration. Best, Beth C.
Absolutely stunning. I love this space. I’ve spent a good chunk of my morning fawning over the photos. WOW!
Wow! Tremendously gorgeous. You can tell this room was designed and decorated with care and talent! Somehow it manages to be simple, warm, refined and comfortable all at the same time. I’d like to read a book in that living room! Love the shape of the fireplace… love everything about this space!
Could this be any more perfect? I don’t think so!
Just beautiful!!!
Truly is a grand room. I appreciate the more rustic half bath, and those wood beams in the main room are amazing. It looks like the same beams in the before photo….It’s great when old timbers are salvaged and left to show off their beauty, instead of being painted or covered up, or worse.
Absolutely beautiful. Love it, love it.
This is beautiful I always enjoy your posts, but I really miss the TV/movie houses!! please bring them back!
That’s nice to hear! I actually have one coming up on Monday, so stay tuned. 🙂
Thanks, Jane! -Julia
Julia…….I LOVE JOAN. I’m obsessed. From the first time I saw her kitchen a few years ago, I. was. hooked. Everything she does is perfection. 😉
Agreed! 🙂
I’ve been following her blog for awhile and I love her taste! she did a great job with this remodel!
(side note: that fireplace wall in the kitchen, does not back up to the barn room, on the other side is her living room I believe. Were the photographer is standing taking that photo, their back is to the opening of the barn room. Can you tell I read her blog?? LOL!!)
That’s right, you can just see that kitchen fireplace from the opening. It’s not backing up to the barn room. I just couldn’t resist a chance to mention her lovely kitchen. Sorry if that was confusing! -Julia 🙂
The wall color and pineboards are stunning! My favorite part is the barn door. Love the added architectural detail it brings to the room. Gorgeous!
Truly remarkable transformation. Absolutely gorgeous & full of so much character & personality. Love it.
WOW! Gorgeous and, I agree, she has managed to make a cavernous room look cozy, inviting, and very intimate. I can’t wait to head over to her blog!
Gasps here, too! That’s so beautiful. I wonder if I could stop in and ask her about that enormous rug. My living room needs something big like that as well. Absolutely stunning and magazine worthy. That fireplace and barn door are making me swoon!
one of my favorite blogs! joan has low key, yet exquisite taste. their remodel is imperfect perfection.
Amazing! It is so beautifully decorated, you just want to cuddle into the couch and stay a while!
What an incredible renovation! I love the barn room. It looks so warm and inviting and I love that fireplace.
Now, that’s a cozy house, even in the middle of all that snow, Just beautiful.
Lovely house! Somehow I have not heard of Joan and Dan and their blog so I am off to check it out.
Beautiful and inviting.
This is really quite beautiful………such attention to detail. Do you know where Joan purchased the large neutral area rug in the barn extension? I want it!
Follow that link to her blog. She has a lot of source info and details and she might mention it there. If she doesn’t, leave a comment and ask her! 🙂
Hi Julia,
I have to tell you that I just purchased that area rug. It took a few months of patience but finally the company she purchased it from is now making their products available to Canadians. Can’t wait for its arrival. I am a house enthusiast and love your blog. Cheers!!!
Thanks, Anne! 🙂
I love the home that Joan and Dan have created, and I love Joan’s style. She and Dan both have a great eye (eyes???) and find the most wonderful antique and vintage pieces. Everything has a story. The look is collected, but not cluttered, comfortable, but with an elegant simplicity, and connected to the natural world at their doorstep without being corny country. They both know how to find a bargain, make something out of scrap (Dan and their welder are whizzes at that), while having an innate sense for quality materials and workmanship, artistry, and history. Their house is like them – authentic and unpretentious. Can you tell I love Joan’s blog?
So charming and tasteful and down to earth..love this post.
This home is t.h.e. definition of stunning!
Perfect!
Absolutely stunning !!!!!
I love love love everything about this space.
Question: Would you say the chandelier is black or dark brown. I have one to paint and I love this way this one looks.
Juju, The chandelier is a dark brown. It was black when I found it, but I felt that would be to harsh for this space. Here is a link to the paint I used… https://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2012/02/barn-room-chandelier.html
It’s really lovely house! Thasnk you so much for pictures ;)!
Julia, Thank you!! Such an honor to be featured on your blog. I loved the descriptions with arrows, that is so helpful. I need to figure out how to do that as it’s often difficult to express what goes where with just words. You did a great job of putting the pieces together. Hearing that you gasp when you saw that photo made my day!!
Thank you to all the kind commenters too.
joan
Julia, this is a fantastic home. There is little doubt as to why that kitchen is a blogland favorite. Thanks for sharing it.
Traci
I love Joan’s home and blog. She has great vision and style. Not surprised that she’s one of your faves.
Oh this is gorgeous! It’s like they have brought a little bit of Europe to New Hampshire. The colors are warm and inviting enough for winter but clean and cool enough for summer as well. I love this!
In love! I WILL have barn doors someday. I will!!! My daughter wants to live in a barn when she grows up. Makes me smile:)
Oh my goodness. I am in AWE of this house. Stunning is not the word – there isn’t one! PERFECT colours and oh my…. the decor. Perfect. I will be forever jealous.
I know this house! (And I moved to “Hotlanta” more than ten years ago…) It is located in the most charming, Currier and Ives, corner of my beloved home state. What a treat to see that the interior is as special and unique as the exterior. Be still my heart…
This is quintessential NH/NE decorating at it’s best, the perfect combination of good taste, New England ingenuity, access to unique and quality materials, and jingle, and oh-do-I absolutely adore every choice Joan and Dan made. I wish them every happiness as they continue to turn their beautiful house into a home…