Before & After: A Black & White Barn Transformation in Texas

A dark, dreary space is transformed into a warm and welcoming barn.

This amazing barn renovation shared by Julie Auttonberry-Roddie of Fort Worth, Texas was a labor of love. The project took eight long months to complete, but the end result was absolutely worth it.

Before the Renovation

The barn had good bones, but it needed work. Julie and her son did as much of the demolition inside the barn as possible. It featured roll-out insulation that was held in place with chicken wire on the walls and ceiling. This was a messy and challenging project. Tin snips cut out the chicken wire and slowly the insulation was removed. After the insulation was removed, spray foam was installed by Wallis Spray Foam. Julie designed all the changes to be made to the barn but AA Customized Construction brought them into existence.

The paint used was from Sherwin Williams, Duration latex in color of Simply White. The black was Devoe (Bar-Rust 235 and Devthane 379) in the color of Tricorn Black. Julie wanted a clean and timeless look.

A Happy Transformation

Along with the task of remodeling, Julie thoughtfully collected an assortment of special accessories – each one has a story and plenty of history. The proudly perched weathervane (free of bullet holes) is from the early 1900s in Saratoga. The cupola was made in Pennsylvania by Cupolas Direct and shipped to Texas on a freight truck.

The 3-stall barn has an enclosed tack room, wash stall and sitting area with additional tack storage.

Inside the barn, a set of custom stall guards by Hansen Equestrian proudly display the farm’s name, Copper Penny Farm on them. Equine residents Ufarno and Rocky enjoy their new digs. Ufarno is Julie’s dependable Warmblood show horse. He has lot of experience in the Grand Prix world and has been a great teacher for Julie.

“I was blessed to be in the right time and the right place to have the opportunity to buy him.  He is my  amazing school master that is teaching me the ropes of this beautiful sport.”

Julie rode western in high school and college and did breakaway roping. After marriage and kids she returned to her first love of horses, but switched disciplines to show jumping. She currently rides and trains at Storybook Sporthorses in Argyle, Texas.

If you noticed one of the stall guards seems a little low – that’s because Rocky is a miniature horse. He’s the farm mascot that everyone knows for miles around. Rocky is loved and always brings a smile to everyone’s face.

The large rolling black doors were custom made and topped with hand forged handles made by Wild West Hardware. The newly added awning provides recess lighting, with shiplap underneath. The lanterns perched besides the doors are a beautiful touch.

The custom saddle racks on the decorative wall are made from wooden corbels that are over one hundred years old. Some of the corbels even still have square nail heads inside.

An antique armoire is being used as a tack closet. It’s very old and has wooden pegs in its construction.

The statement crystal chandelier is approximately one hundred years old. It was sourced from downtown Fort Worth. The vintage black bench needed a little love to bring it back to life. A custom set of pillows and cushion was made for it.

The chalk board door to the tack room features the phrase “Life is Better at the Barn”, which was hand stenciled by Julie. Another favorite accessory Julie adores is the old brass door knob.

The old brass horse head hooks are from the Netherlands.

The indoor wash rack has a radiant heater from Amberway Equine for the winter months. It also features a car wash style rotating hose arm that swings from above, keeping the hose from tangling around the horse’s legs.

Thank you Julie for sharing your amazing renovation with Stable Style! Want to see more white barns? Be sure to read: A Luxurious Black & White Barn in Australia and 12 Beautiful White Stable Interiors.

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