Barndominium Bliss in Virginia

A barndominium provides a perfect place for horses and humans to live in harmony.

Barn Tour Credits

Architect: Blackburn Architects / Barn Interior Photography: Anne Hubbard Hill / Living Space Photography: Victoria Heer / Creative Director for Photography: Nelina Loiselle

Living above your horse or on the same property is a fantasy for many equestrians. Being close to your horse to monitor all aspects of care makes the barndominium lifestyle very appealing for many owners. One of Blackburn Architect’s latest equestrian projects fulfilled their client’s lifelong dream of sharing a property with her horses. The land is situated near the historic town of Little Washington with an incredible ride out and local fox hunting fixtures nearby. It’s perfect for the owner’s active eventing lifestyle.

The rolling hills on the plot provided Blackburn Architects with a design challenge. They needed to create a functional horse property that could accommodate a driveway for vehicles to access with ease and space for the barn. The solution was to build a large outdoor deck to provide a pass-through for vehicles, and a large outdoor entertaining area for the apartment dwellers. Inspiration for the design came from an existing hay barn that adds charm to the picturesque setting.

The barn has four stalls, a tack room, wash stall, feed room and a storage area for tools and a day’s worth of hay.

A colorful cabinet is stylish and functional.

The wash rack walls are CMU (concrete block, filled and painted).

Horse stalls with green fronts — Photo provided by barn owner

The dreamy stalls fronts are made by Lucas Equine Equipment. Shawn Ravenscraft, owner of Lucas Equine was thrilled with the results finished look.

“The color is spectacular with the green wood and hot-dip galvanized finish.”

Barn interior view with the stalls — Photo provided by barn owner

Green horse stalls — Photo provided by barn owner

Tack Room

The tack room features gorgeous grey concrete tiles brought in from California and includes a washer and dryer, full sized refrigerator and powder room. Inside the tack room is a staircase that leads directly into the apartment.

Upstairs Apartment

Photos by Victoria Heer

The well-appointment 800 sq. ft. apartment upstairs features built-in casework, a large kitchen and living area, exposed beams and perfectly placed windows that frame the picturesque views across the property.

Future plans for the property include finishing the tack room and adding a mini kitchen, putting up fencing for paddocks and adding a riding ring in the upper meadow.