Living in a Barn Conversion

For the Second Time

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Have you ever lived in a converted property?

Lofty draughty farm outbuildings are not inherently suitable living quarters for people; they’re difficult and expensive to convert, yet many of us aspire to finding a tumbledown barn in a field which we can turn into the ideal home. It’s a romantic notion. But it came true for me once, some twenty-five years ago. The property was in Northamptonshire, England. A complete wreck in every way, it was open to the weather, and the services—water, power, sewerage—were non-existent.

A Steading

I’m in Scotland now, and living in a barn for the second time. Here, a farm outbuilding is known as a steading; a noun which is new to me. Its origin is from the Middle English, steding, from stede—place, locality, site, position, station. Back in the fifteenth century, a steading would have been a farm or smallholding.

My steading is long and narrow with internal dimensions approximately fifty by fifteen feet. The walls are two feet eight inches thick and it has a pitched slate roof. The property is much smaller than the barn I previously occupied but it suits me fine; I enjoy a simple life and have ditched many possessions over the years.

Fortunately, this barn is already converted. I’m comfortable; the property is well-insulated and everything is in good order. But, naturally for me—I cannot help myself—I’m planning to make a few changes.

My Garden Patch

We have a few acres here, which others in my family manage. I have a little patch for myself that I can cultivate into a garden. It’s overrun with wildness at the moment and whilst that is indeed lovely—nature is beautiful left to its own devices—I like a bit of colour and interest all year round. So I’ll be working to make a garden in keeping with the surroundings. I’ll update you with developments.

Giving me a great deal of pleasure right now is a small bed of Bergenia (commonly known as Elephant’s Ears). The plants nestle beside an old hay barn—the pinks are just stunning. When it rains, or when the dew point has been reached overnight, the colour of the corrugated iron transforms from a dusky powder pink to a luscious red-orange.

Home is Where your Heart is

I once owned a little heart-shaped wooden plaque which I hung on the wall with a nail and pink gingham ribbon. It announced: ‘Home is where the Heart is.’ Though I do believe this to be true sometimes, it isn’t always so, and eventually I gave the ornament away.

When my daughter said she wanted to move to Scotland, hundreds of miles north of where we both lived separately but five minutes apart, I could only think… why would I live here if they are living there? I wanted to be near. Family is more important than anything. I knew I could say goodbye to the home I had made in the flat landscape of Cambridgeshire even though I had just completed a series of improvements.

Family is where my heart is.

Wood and Stone

My plans for remodelling the interior of the steading focus mainly on the layout. From the outside little will change except that I’ll be adding solar panels on the south-facing roof.

I have to think long-term, about how I’ll use the space as I get older—I want to future-proof it. Currently there’s a secure but steep ladder up to a mezzanine. I haven’t climbed it. I have two replacement hip joints and don’t trust myself. And my knees are a bit dodgy. I won’t use it. I’ll replace this arrangement with a staircase and handrail.

I’ll recycle where possible and prioritise wood and stone in the design. By limiting the number and type of decorative materials I’ll keep the aesthetic clean and unpretentious. I want to retain the sense of simplicity the previous owners achieved with their sympathetic conversion.

Have you ever lived in a converted property—a barn, a warehouse, a factory, a houseboat, a windmill…?

As always, I look forward to chatting with you in the comments.

Credits & Links:

Photos are my own.

For more about this area see:

Northumberland Walking

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