CUSTOM COUNTRY HOME

Follow along as we build a custom barn home from the ground up.

Follow along as we build a custom barn home from the ground up.

Imagine being able to make your dream home into a reality. Everything from the roof materials down to the furniture can be to your exact specifications, and you get to see your home through each step of the process. This year, we’re going to walk you through that process with an exciting opportunity. We’re teaming up with our sister magazine, Cottages and Bungalows, to share inspiring style and new ideas through a custom home project that’s both cottage and farmhouse—the perfect blend.

We’ll be designing the home ourselves, alongside the design and build company, Yankee Barn Homes. Cottages and Bungalows editor, Jickie Torres, and American Farmhouse Style editor, Victoria Van Vlear, will be working with Jeffrey Rosen, Creative Director at Yankee Barn Homes, to bridge the gap between the two styles and meld them into one charming home. You’ll get to see this project unfold from start to finish!

We begin with floor plans, renderings and concepts, and in each issue this year, you’ll see different aspects of the build unveiled. Room by room, we’ll walk you through the design and build process for a unique take on the complex undertaking of building a home.

THE PERFECT PARTNER

Yankee Barn Homes specializes in designing and building energy-efficient homes, and their trademark is to build them using barn architecture. “We do any architectural style today, but barn homes are really our bread and butter,” Jeffrey says. “Emil Hanslin, a well-known property and real estate developer, built his first barn home for his wife, an avid equestrian, who loved the architecture of horse barns and thought it would translate well into a home design. ”That home gained a lot of attention, and this year, they’re celebrating 50 years of making homeowners ’dreams come true with custom, energy-efficient homes designed to fit their needs. The company was built in New Seabury, Massachusetts, but has since moved to Grantham, New Hampshire, where our project home will be located in the adjacent town of Springfield.

Yankee Barn Home’s post-and-beam structures are totally customizable through their convenient rendering program. “When Jeffrey first showed us the renderings, there wasn’t a covered porch, which is integral to farmhouse style,” editor Victoria Van Vlear says. “I asked if we could include one, and they were able to modify the rendering right there, as we were there watching on the computer. It was neat to see how you can really add a custom design when you’re starting from scratch.”

FARMHOUSE FRIENDLY

So how do we plan to seamlessly mix the two styles? “This home speaks the language of both cottage and farmhouse through its classic farm/barn architecture and its cozy cottage detailing,” Jeffrey says. While the idea is to blend the styles throughout the home, you’ll notice more cottage details on the interior, while farmhouse style will shine through the structure.

Whether you love a good project or you’re looking to build your own home, follow along with us on this incredible project for tips, design stories and gorgeous rooms. We can’t wait to take this journey with you.

Not only does Yankee Barn Homes create sturdy structures like this last project, they also make sure the home’s exterior is inviting and eyecatching. “Our shell packages include our trademarked True Roof ™ and True Wall™ Panels, along with our domestically sourced timber frame systems,” says Jeffrey.

This rendering shows that the house will have a wrap-around porch, double cupolas and exposed beams. Yankee Barn Homes plans to paint the exterior a pale gray with white trim, black windows and a metal roof. “The smaller structure perpendicular to the house is a car garage, meant to evoke a farmhouse out building,” says Jeffrey.

(right) Rather than add embellishments to their interiors, Yankee Barn Homes keeps their foundations simple, using the structure of the home to provide interest and texture, such as in this house. “Post and beam homes are timeless architectural structures,” says Jeffrey. “The style really lends itself to the barn home aesthetic, with exposed structural posts and beams.” (above) The first floor will consist of the master bedroom, kitchen, laundry, a half bath and an open dining and great room. The great room will open out to a large deck that overlooks protected marshlands. “The floor plan is flexible to all age groups and is expandable to accommodate all stages of life,” says Jeffrey.

Want even more exclusive content and expert advice? Sign up for our project house newsletter at americanfarmhousestyle.com/project-house/.

(top, left) The second floor will consist of two bedrooms and a sizable loft while the rest is open to the floor below, overlooking the dining and great room. (middle, right) The highest quality appliances are included in Yankee Barn Home’s kitchens. “This house will be all about cottage and farmhouse living and will capture all those qualities while simultaneously being technologically ‘up to the minute,’” says Jeffrey. (below)A colored rendering of the back of the home shows how the builders will work the slope into the home’s design. “The slope of the property downward from the street allows both a small scale cottage appearance out front and the option of a full walk-out lower level from the back,” says Jeffrey.

FOR MORE ON THE INTERIOR DESIGN PLANS, SEE THE FEBRUARY ISSUE OF COTTAGES AND BUNGALOWS .