A Stunning California Barn Renovation with European Style

Tour a newly updated stable with European design.

Kristy Miller is the owner of Black Star Equestrian, located in warm and sunny Southern California. The stable in La Cresta was purchased in 2018. It was originally home to polo ponies and endurance horses. The property had ample turnout, but no riding arena. After 43 years of riding and 15 of training and selling horses, Kristy’s new focus on sales and investment horses meant the barn needed some modifications.

The Renovation

“There originally were 6 12×12 stalls (with 12×24 runs) without any protection from the elements other than a roof,” Kristy explained. “The open concept stalls were great for horses to socialize, but not to keep them safe, warm, and secure the way we prefer our show horses to live.”

The original stalls were from MD Barnmaster’s Ranch Series, arranged in a shed row style. They were replaced with the Heritage Elite Stall Series, making a center aisle barn with large sliding doors at each end. Nelson Feed and Waterers were installed in all of the stalls along with recycled rubber brick pavers in the aisle and wash racks.

Kristy hired the original contractor/sales representative who installed the MD barn 10 years ago, along with his team. She shared her new ideas and he began to sketch out the vision on paper. The renovation process moved quickly and was completed in just a few weeks.

Making It All Work

One of the biggest challenges was creating a footprint to allow maximum light, air flow and safety without compromising looks. The goal was to have the original roof and end building structure match the existing home on the property without imploding the budget. Kristy originally wanted to do oversized stalls, but the framing didn’t allow it so they went from eight to ten European stalls.

The barn’s structure remained intact while the modifications where made to the stall and aisle layout.

Above, the old stall footprint started in the center of the roof structure, which is now the barn aisle. The new design features four stalls in the front and four cross ties. Across the aisle, there are six stalls with runs and doors that can close on the outside. The barn is now fully enclosed with doors at each end of the aisle. This helps keep the barn warm at night and prevents wildlife from getting in.

The back of the barn previously had 12×24 runs off each box stall. Now the barn has 12×12 runs off each box stall with closable doors.

Kristy’s new favorite stable features include the brick pavers, European stall fronts, and security system. The recycled brick provides a safe and cushioned surface both horses and humans enjoy. The newly installed Nest camera system adds security and peace of mind, keeping a watchful eye on the property.

Now that the barn is complete, the next big project for Black Star Equestrian is the arena.