Milberry Farm's Beautiful Barn Renovation

A peaceful property in Rancho Santa Fe, California offers a happy environment for its equine residents.

Milberry Farm is a world-class equestrian facility owned by Mike and Sara Brawner. The couple found this special property when a neighborhood realtor made a phone call to Sara’s trainer, Guillermo Obligado – asking if he of anyone who might be interested in the place.

They knew of the property and had driven past it before. After a visit, the Brawners decided this farm was exactly what they wanted. It was originally two parcels but was being offered as one property. Another woman was interested in the house, but Sara and Mike only wanted the barn portion. They did a deal with the neighbor, closed concurrently and split the property.

Photos by Brady Architectural Photography, provided by Anne Sneed Architectural Interiors

The brick entrance with the trees is one of Mike’s favorite things about this property.

“One of the reasons why we always drove by that barn and really liked it was the entranced with the tree-lined driveway,” Mike said. “It’s really pretty. Just driving down the driveway and seeing the barn is beautiful.”

The farm needed plenty of work before it could become a successful jumper facility. It was just a barn and two pastures when they purchased it. They enlisted Anne Sneed of Anne Sneed Architectural Interiors to take on the renovation and design. Just like most projects, the renovations were more extensive than they originally planned.

Before

See the before and after photo tour here >

The Brawners found the property in March of 2019 and closed on it in April. The construction was started in June and the horses were in by the end of the year. The project moved quickly thanks to their wonderful contractor, Enrique Beltran of Beltran Construction. The barn had a wonderful floor plan with a spacious center aisle and great ventilation, which didn’t need to be changed.

Sara has ridden with her trainer Guillermo Obligado of Woodgrove Farm, for about twenty years. Guillermo was very helpful when it came to offering design input. The goal was to design the barn around the horse and what they needed, prioritizing safety and comfort.

Guillermo loves everything about the facility from the footing to the stalls. The fencing and jumps are from Belgium and Guillermo noted the exceptional European products used at Milberry.

“The facility is perfect. They researched everything they needed to research to make it the best place for the horses,” Guillermo said.

Mike enjoyed the process of renovating and designing the barn. He noted that it couldn’t have been done without the help of several notable nearby barns in the equestrian community. Karl Cook, Eddy Sepul, Ali and Francie Nilforushan and LuckyJack Farm opened their doors to the Brawners and allowed them to tour their barns. They discussed what they liked and didn’t like about their own personal spaces. This was extremely helpful.

The large dutch style doors on each end of the barn aisle are another wonderful feature that Mike really likes. They can be closed half way during the summer or completely in the winter. The barn feels cozy at night with the doors closed. The shutters can also be closed on each stall as well.

The barn includes twenty stalls, a tack room, bathroom off the lounge, employee kitchen, an additional bathroom, a large laundry room with a commercial washer and dryer, plus a store room to keep all of the ice boots, clean saddle pads and wraps. Hay is stored outback in a separate space. The property also includes a Kraft oval horse walker, which is great for keeping the horses in condition.

Sara grew up in Utah and started riding as a child. She began experiencing life as a boarder when she left for college. She always thought about having her own barn one day. Coastal boarding opportunities were becoming harder to come by and that’s one of the reasons the timing was right for Mike and Sara to purchase their own property.

The farm’s special name – Milberry was inspired by the couple’s adorable dogs, Huckleberry (left) and Mildred (right). The front porch swings are a happy place to sit and relax.

The barn’s statement chandelier is a custom piece that’s nine feet across. It’s easy to dust, despite its massive size. Stable Style and Sara both agree – Every barn needs a chandelier.

The stalls by Röwer & Rüb are one of Sara’s favorite features in the barn. The stalls are nice and open, allowing the horses to see their surroundings and be social.

“They all seem to sleep well, we have cameras in the barn and can see all the stalls. They lay down, almost every night,” Sara said.