The Barn at Walnut Hill

Originally designed by artist Louis Cochrane as her family’s hay barn, this historic Dutch Gambrel barn was in danger of being demolished to make way for a "McMansion" when two architects fell in love with its form and the surrounding landscape, deciding to save it by giving it a second life as their home.



With a background in historic preservation, it was important to the design team to respect the original structure during this transformation. On the exterior the team focused on highlighting the barn’s rhythm and scale. For a covered entry, the original front barn door entry was maintained but the new front door was recessed four feet creating an entry vestibule. All existing vent locations and barn door openings transformed to first floor windows and doors. This pattern was carried through to the windows and dormers on the second floor. Small windows were added to the rooftop vent shafts so that when lighted, they are a welcoming beacon to the neighborhood.



On the interior all existing wood posts, steel and wood beams were highlighted. Original cedar siding, too brittle for the exterior finish, was re-purposed in the wine cellars, powder room and kitchen island as a focal point wall covering. Even the true 3x12 floor joists that were cut out to allow for the basement stairs were re-purposed as stair treads. The architects used their home as a material “design lab” with every granite or natural stone counter top different in style or texture, tile changes from room to room and each sink is unique as well as every faucet and shower set.



Sustainability was a primary, achieved through solar panels with storage batteries, mineral wool insulation, motorized blinds to control solar gain and nearly all systems in the home are automated for energy efficiency



When an open house was held for friends and neighbors, county building officials attended to thank the Owners for giving new life to the barn they considered to be an important part of their county history.