A Home Where the Horses Roam
Deck out your barn with these design trends
When it comes to mountain living in the American West, not only is it common to find homes designed with 19th century barn vernacular in mind—it’s also common to find actual working barns on the property. Ranches and equestrian facilities are the epitome of mountain life, which means the design aesthetic is here to stay.
Architecture must be practical and perform its task, but that doesn’t mean that a horse barn can’t feel like home (for your horses and you).
Deck out your equestrian facility with these emerging barn design trends, all of which are directly related to the horse arena, with view through windows and doors.
REC ROOM
Design a recreational space inside the barn for friends and family to gather while celebrating all things equestrian—consider ample seating, billiards, Ping-Pong, television-viewing areas and bars.
WINDOW WALLS
Floor-to-ceiling vantage points aren’t limited to your main house. Incorporate this timeless mountain home design feature into your barn so that you are always enjoying views of the summits beyond.
LIBRARY
A lot of work goes into keeping horses and maintaining the facilities, which means ample need for a good relaxation session. Put your feet up—and get that “rustic Zen” look—by designing a reading nook or library into your horse barn.
NATURAL MATERIALS
This might be obvious, but natural materials and barn design are two peas in a pod. The rustic barn aesthetic uses natural materials in a natural way—woods and granite countertops are often exposed, revealing their function with raw edges, and logs used as beams often retain some of the bark.
ATTENTION TO DETAIL
Small-scale accents like doorknobs, sconces, and stair railings are the things people come eye-to-eye with and touch, experiencing them in a very personal way. Put thought into (and have fun) designing the details, as the average person usually appreciates these particulars more than the structure’s overall composition.
Suzanne Allen Sabo is the owner of Allen-Guerra Architecture, headquartered in Breckenridge, Colorado. You can contact Suzanne at 970.453.7002 ext. 1 or suzanne@allen-guerra.com.
Content for this article provided by Allen-Guerra Architecture.
