A Garage is Turned into a Two-Stall Barn in New England

When Helena Harris decided it was time to bring home her Appaloosa, Brody there needed to be some big changes made at her household. It was time to build a barn.

Helena is the host of the popular equestrian podcast, Stall And Stable. She’s an avid equestrian and is well versed in horse keeping. Along with the help of her supportive husband Buck and a handful of contractors, they turned their garage into a charming New England inspired two-stall barn.

Before

There was nothing wrong with the existing garage, it just didn’t have any horses in it. It took about six months go from garage to horse barn. It might have taken less time, but weather challenges had to be worked around.

The concrete pad already existed, so the foundation was already there, but there was still plenty of work to be done.

After

Helena and Buck installed the shingles themselves.

One of Helena’s favorite parts of the barn is the beautiful sliding door built by her son-in-law. The window in the door originally belong to a French door.

Creative design: The saddle racks fold down when not in use.

Helena hired a contractor to put in the stall components for them. One of the biggest challenges about this project was working with people who didn’t come from an equestrian background or understand horse behavior. The height of fencing and spacing between stalls are details that matter.

The wood in the barn is Southern Yellow Pine tongue and groove. It’s easy to keep clean and strong. It was coated with three coats of marine varnish which is water-based and non-toxic.

Aluminum finishes were used on the barn since it’s located in a coastal area with high humidity.

It was important to take out the rafters during the transformation. The high ceilings keep the barn cool in the summer, making the stalls nice and open. A professional electrician was hired to take care of the electric.