Old Barns - New Homes: A Showcase Of Architectural Conversions [Hardcover]

E. Ashley Rooney (Author), Peter Gerhard Stampfl (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 4, 2004

Barns strike a sentimental chord among the populace, perhaps as reminder of our nation's agricultural heritage, most definitely as symbols of solid and imposing timber frame forms. While many of these architecturally significant buildings are succumbing to neglect and development, others are getting a new lease on life. This coffee-table book presents over thirty barn conversion projects by creative architects, developers, and homeowners who have capitalized on the flexible space offered by barns. Over 300 striking photographs provide fresh design ideas for the conversion of barns into residences and business spaces. You will see a Pennsylvania stone bank barn converted into a stunning residence, an abandoned dairy barn made livable complete with office space in the old silo, and a Victorian era barn which now links the old farmhouse to the new living space. In addition to stunning homes, you will see barns utilized for office space, retail, and even a non-denominational chapel. A wealth of wonderful ideas is offered for maintaining the historic integrity of these structures while providing for today's vastly different needs. This is a design treasure for architects, builders, contractors, and homeowners, to help them visualize the transformation of historic agricultural buildings into new and treasured landmarks.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 175 pages
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing (December 4, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764321323
• ISBN-13: 978-0764321320
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #521,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Spend your money elsewhere, September 27, 2005

By 

Leo J. Orazlan (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Old Barns - New Homes: A Showcase Of Architectural Conversions (Hardcover)

Since I own a barn and I want to convert it into a house I've scrutinized every text and every picture in this book for ideas. I expected to be amazed and inspired at what architects and designers have done to the old barns but this book left me confused and disappointed. But if you are looking for a book to occupy your coffee table, at the bottom, then this is the book for you. I felt cheated because it lacked the overall quality and professionalism expected in a design book. It seems like this book was hastily put together with limited resources and wasn't carefully edited. For example several captions of the pictures are misplaced or don't correspond to any picture shown on the facing pages. The books title is, Old Barns-New Homes: A Showcase of Architectural Conversions. So why is there an entire chapter about new construction (Chapter 6)? The only thing they converted was a new metal warehouse into a house. About half of the pictures are worth printing and the rest of them are dark, grainy, reused or just plain confusing. I'd expect old before pictures to be faulty but the after pictures should be clear and sharp. Cropping out a portion of previously used picture, then blowing it up to a bigger grainy picture and the caption tells me to see the details left me feeling cheated. Or even the "cut and paste" picture on pg 108 looks cheap, what no photo-stitch? Confused about picture on page 19? Turn the book sideways.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic trip through beautiful barns, both old and new!, December 1, 2004

By 

J. Paul Secord (Northborough, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Old Barns - New Homes: A Showcase Of Architectural Conversions (Hardcover)

I must confess that I have always harbored a deep love of barns; maybe it simply out of a longing for a simpler time, and all that farms and their barns represent, or maybe because I am a habitual packrat and I'd love to have all that storage! Regardless of the reason, when I saw this book as soon-to-be-released, I got in touch with the publisher and was able to see an advance copy. The photographs took my breath away, and the wide array of barns and geographical regions of the USA that it showcased really drove home that these historic buildings not only need to be preserved, but that in doing so, we can truly enrich our architectural lexicon. It features every kind of barn known to man, from round barns and dairy barns to onion and tobacco barns, all of which have been loving reclaimed and restored into warm and inviting spaces for a new generation. This book should not only graxe your coffee table, it should be read cover to cover by anybody with a love for historic structures and Americana.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for barn lovers...., March 31, 2005

By 

Dmitriy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Old Barns - New Homes: A Showcase Of Architectural Conversions (Hardcover)

I was enchanted with this fascinating book on barn conversions. Barns are great relics from our past, conveying a sense of history, but many have been ruined by weather, time, and neglect. I didn't realize how many creative architects and owners have made barns useful for both residential and commercial use through renovation and restoration. The intrinsic character of these old barns brings an integrity and charm rarely seen in new construction. In many gorgeous illustrations, Rooney describes the history of barns, their adornment (who knew that it was all because of a 9th century pope that there are so many roosters on weathervanes?), and their use as gorgeous residences and fascinating commercial and establishments - including an architectural office, inns, and even a funeral chapel. One entrepreneur even used several to develop an office complex. If you love barns and if you like to see the past preserved in the present, you will love this book.