The American Barn

At Home in the American Barn examines the fascinating possibilities for living and adaptive reuse provided by the expansive spaces and rough-hewn look of these traditional structures. Nationwide, Americans are turning to structures such as the barn with a mind to renovating them to fit the lifestyles of today, redesigning these often-wonderful places of the past into residential spaces. At Home in the American Barn embraces the dream to slow things down and return to basics and shares some success stories, as made plain by the buildings themselves.This richly illustrated volume focuses on the barn as home. Each of the structures featured has been adapted from its original utilitarian purpose to allow for comfortable, joyous living. Built at first as places for work, barns nevertheless often demonstrate fine craftsmanship and artistry. This volume emphasizes the rare beauty of these structures and shows throughout elegant solutions for living in these beautifully imagined homes. Soaring rafters here allow for dramatic chandeliers in one home or a wall of magnificent bookcases in another. Spaces that are unconventional in a traditional domestic sense here serve as springboards for inspiration that allow for, in one home, a spiral staircase of fantasy made from hand-planed wood, and, in another, a wall of glass that lets in the sun. At Home in The American Barn shows the way that this can be done successfully and artfully.

An examination of nearly 400 years of the American barn’s form and function illustrated with more than 200 of the authors stunning photographs. Barns come in many flavors: freshly painted or collapsing, adorned or plain, towering or long and low; tucked away in valleys or spotted from the highway; wood, stone or brick. The American Barn will be treasured by anyone intrigued by the country’s rich agricultural history and these deceptively complex buildings.

This lovingly written book presents reliable records of such vanishing forms of architecture as the American barn and covered bridge. Delightful anecdotes accompany accurate line drawings of barns attached to houses, an "open" log barn in Virginia, a "top hat" barn in North Carolina, and more. Over 75 black-and-white illustrations.

"Diana created a warm, down-home country feeling with her choice of Kansas Trouble fabrics by Moda. Her quilt fulfills a drem of driving down country roads in America's heartland. It's perfect to snuggle under by the fireplace on a cold winter day"--Page 4 of cover.

From hay barns to corn cribs, from fences to chicken coops, from silos to outhouses, 'The Old Barn Book's' clear drawings, photos, maps, and descriptions make it easy to figure what's what around a farm.

Endearing memories become more vivid as you page through This Old Barn, a wonderful, heartwarming anthology of stories and artwork--from such favorites as Patricia Penton Leimbach, Justin Isherwood, Grant Wood, Eric Sloane, and others--that celebrates the glorious barns of yesteryear. Whether you grew up on a farm, or wished you did, you’ll cherish This Old Barn, which will bring you back to simpler days.

A full panorama of regional styles in barns that portrays the soul of the American farm.

In the vernacular vocabulary of America, the barn stands proud, a hulking icon in the agricultural landscape. Unlike a house, the barn is chaste. For this is a place for work--a space rubbed by livestock and worn by labor. The repeating patterns of the posts and beams, now considered impediments to efficient farming, mask the very intricacy that gives old barns their intrinsic character. Many of these splendid spaces now lie empty, festooned with cobwebs, awaiting collapse, but there is a growing recognition that these honestly framed buildings can lend themselves to transformation and a new purpose. In the decade-plus time since BARN: The Art of a Working Building was published, there has been a remarkable growth in the different ways that barns can be preserved and reinvigorated. There are many great barns that may not survive, and many problems with others still standing that remain with their integrity intact, but action is being taken. BARN: Preservation & Adaptation chronicles and expands upon the progress being made, emphasizing the variety of imaginative uses that can revive these beloved structures. With more than 400 exciting photographs, drawings, and plans, and a lively text by the same team of expert barn restoration practitioners who brought you BARN: The Art of a Working Building, here are accounts of barns as retreats, studios, shops, meeting places, inns, restaurants, galleries, and museums--even sheltering swimming pools--showing the conversion to domestic use, and barns as barns again. The story, rich in historical detail, covers the problems of reinterpretation and barn culture informatively and critically, yet with great optimism and enthusiasm. The true companion to its highly successful predecessor, this book will delight all those who love and want to explore these grand monuments.