Skip to main content

Rustic Meets Modern in this Innovative Barn House

Sometimes customers really do know best. Such was the case for The Barn, a 2,400-square-foot guest house in the foothills of Wilson, Wyoming. When meeting to discuss the new build project, the owners of the property came prepared with inspiration photos of old barns. Architect John Carney of Carney Logan Burke Architects was skeptical at first. He wanted the couple to consider other forms for the structure. But they knew exactly what they wanted: a barn-shaped combination guest house, gym, and classic car garage for the husband. What they got was a space that is a traditional working barn on the outside, modern amenities on the inside, and mountain views that are so stunning, no guest will want to leave.

Completed in 2016, the Barn house was designed to combine classic barn elements with modern touches. The exterior features reclaimed barn wood and a cedar shake roof, while the interior of the second floor has exposed support trusses. Carney was sure to incorporate as many “barn” elements as possible, including a cupola, a pitched roof, and even hopper windows on the second floor inspired by the hay-loading openings of traditional working barns.

The modern touches become apparent upon stepping inside. The Barn house boasts all of the amenities guests could need for an extended stay, including a large soaking tub in the bathroom, a kitchenette, a walk-in closet, and luxurious bed that looks out onto the couple’s 15-acre property.

Carney Logan Burke

In the first floor garage, there is ample space for all of the owner’s toys, including bicycles, dirt bikes, a dune buggy, and of course, vintage cars (including a VW bus). The space has a classic black and white checkerboard tile floor, reminiscent of a 1950s garage. A workbench and plenty of tool storage provide room for tinkering.

The second floor features the show stopper: a wall of glass that looks onto the Tetons and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. It offers a jaw-dropping view of the property, the valley beyond, and the mountains. The wall of windows allows daylight to flood the space, highlighting the rough finish of the reclaimed wood paneling. It’s no wonder the wife wanted this space for her gym. The view alone is motivation to hit the treadmill every day.

Article originally published July 11, 2017.

Editors' Recommendations

Kelsey Machado
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kelsey is a professional interior designer with over a decade of experience in the design field. With a passion for…
DFAB Is the House that Robots (and 3D Printers) Built
DFAB House

Fifty years ago, when folks imagined what the new millennium would bring, things like flying cars, fantastically shaped homes, and robot maids came to mind. Well here we are in the 21st century, and there may not be flying cars, but we do have technology so impressive it’s clear we are living in the future. Nothing illustrates this more perfectly than DFAB House, an entire home designed and built by robots.

Located on the top of NEST as part of the innovations in building program in Dübendorf, Switzerland, DFAB House was created with the help of robots and 3D printers. Planned digitally, the home is intended to demonstrate all of the ways technology can be used throughout residential buildings to optimize sustainability. Thanks to the digital planning, the home was structurally optimized, thus it used less construction materials and generated less waste. Everything from the ceiling to the prefab timber-framed walls was planned and/or built by robots.

Read more
One of Canada’s Most Famous Award-Winning Homes Is For Sale
Metchosin House

In the world of luxury homes, the only limit is the imagination. The more over-the-top, the better. One home in Metchosin, British Columbia, won several awards for its impressive design which combined luxury with dramatic views of both the mountains and the ocean and was defined by an infinity pool that cuts the home in half. If you’re in the market for a multi-million dollar estate, Metchosin House is now up for sale.

Canada has no shortage of spectacular vistas, but it is rare for a home to boast both mountain and ocean views. Luckily for Metchosin House, it sits on Vancouver Island and the 67-acre piece of land offers sights of both the Pacific Ocean and the Olympic Mountain Range just across the Salish Sea in the United States. But these impressive views aren’t what make Metchosin House so special. Designed with preservation in mind, the property protects one of Canada’s most endangered ecosystems.

Read more
Makatita Tiny House Has All the Right Angles in All the Right Places
liberte tiny houses makatita house 3

In the early days of the movement, the appeal of tiny houses was just that — they were tiny. It was new and exciting to try to figure out how to live life in less than 300 square feet. But a decade into the trend, squeezing inside of a basic box has become boring. One tiny house company in the Netherlands has brought the excitement back to going small. The sculptural Makatita Tiny House has sharp angles and an organic design that makes it stand out in the world of small structures.

Calling it the company's “most special house to date,” the team at Liberté Tiny Houses put a lot of love into the creation of the Makatita Tiny House. Many of the brand's previous designs featured angles, usually in the form of a sloped roof. But with Makatita, the angles took on a light of their own, defining the entire project and turning the tiny house into something beyond just a place to live. It became an architectural work of art.

Read more