THE BARN
Tammy Miconi
Inner West Interior Designer
Eastern Suburbs Interior Designer
Sydney Interior Designer
Best Interior Designer
Interior Architecture
Interior Decorator
Interior Designer
Interior Designer Sydney
THE BARN
Originally used as a stable before a conversion into accommodation by the previous owner, The Barn is a secondary structure on a homestead property
10 minutes south of Berry, NSW. Our clients, who we’d worked with previously, wanted to create a self-contained guest house for family and friends, with a full kitchen and laundry, dining, living, bathroom, additional WC, and storage.
Behind the original barn doors and weatherboard-clad exterior, an inviting and expansive interior opens up. Using a series of design strategies, the interior achieves a sense of airy spaciousness – despite containing a suite of hardworking spaces within the relatively small structure.
To counteract the low ceiling height, a large void was inserted to draw the eye upwards upon entry, emphasising the double height from ground level to the top of the pitched ceiling. Though the external structure of the barn remains intact, additional internal windows were inserted that open onto the void, creating new sightlines and dynamic spatial relationships between the floors that extends the sense of openness. The void is aligned to existing trusses, and informed the positioning of a new central spiral staircase that accesses the two bedrooms above, which sleep up to 8 people.
Joinery, furniture and lighting frame and connect interior spaces and extend sightlines upward and outward. Whilst staying true to the barn typology by celebrating its original features, the revised interior planning and treatment realises the true potential of the space.
Being a smaller-scale kitchen, all appliances are integrated behind joinery and pocket doors to minimise clutter, whilst the refined detail of painted timber cabinetry and custom-coloured concrete benchtops become feature elements.
Existing hardwood flooring, neutral-coloured concrete, sisal carpets and linen curtains create a sense of warmth and genteel luxury, complemented by soft, warm browns, greys and earthy greens inspired by the surrounding landscape.
Celebrating the barn typology, original features like the barn doors, pitched roof structure and gable are celebrated, along with the whole exterior structure, as a counterpoint and anchor to the updated interior.
Along with the void insertion as a play on spatial scale, other elements such as the oversized dining pendant also help to frame the space and create points of vertical punctuation. Similarly, the original staircase was relocated and redesigned into a central spiral configuration to create a sculptural element and delineate the two bedroom zones upstairs.
The exposed original beams and ceiling trusses – previously orange in colour – were stained and oiled, showcasing the beauty, depth and warmth of the original structure. The dark timber finish contrasts with the lighter-toned lower level, framing the entire interior.
A hand-drawn curtain within the bedrooms creates layers of privacy when needed, the pale peach tone contrasting with the darker ceiling. An extensive run of storage and robe space on the upstairs landing is shared by both bedrooms.
AWARDS | PRESS
Interior Design Excellence Awards IDEA 2024
Shortlist l Residential Single
Photographer: Prue Ruscoe