This Old House Modern Barnhouse Idea House
Baird Brothers’ white oak flooring, baseboard, casing
and interior doors were used in TOH’s 2021 Idea House.
Building a Scandinavian-Style Dream Home Barnhouse
Licensed contractor, activist and TV personality Amy Matthews led the design team for This Old House’s 2021 Idea House. As soon as she saw the St. Croix River Valley farmstead in Afton, Minnesota, she knew this would be the new location for her dream home.
Amy saw the vision of a rustic, modern house for herself and her son with plenty of space for guests and entertaining. Expanding beyond the original structure, she set out to renovate an outbuilding workshop in order to develop a training facility for women in the trades and survivors of domestic violence.
Amy Matthews developed the plans to bring her vision to life along with architects Colin Oglesbay and Aaron McCauley-Aburto. The plan outlined a 3,800-square-foot barnhouse with an open kitchen and a large vaulted ceiling in the living room. A glassed-in bridge separates her own large, private suite over the garage.
The new build – along with the home office and outbuildings – was designed with Amy’s philanthropy in mind. These spaces support her work with Habitat for Humanity, the Ronald McDonald House Charities and her own nonprofit, And Now She Rises (ANSR). In fact, And Now She Rises now has its own onsite workshop for women recovering from domestic abuse to train in the building trades. The home’s plans were brought to life with the help of builder Chad Maack.
The 2021 Idea House Come to Life
Located in the St. Paul area, The Modern Barnhouse Idea House embraces the breathtaking nature surrounding it by utilizing natural hardwood throughout the home and plenty of windows to show off the landscape. The glassed-in dining room and office were designed to feel like you’re in a snow globe during the cold Minnesota winters.
This use of glass panes called for a specific panel plan to make sure the structure was sound. Structural insulated panels (SIPs) helped add stability and insulation to the glassed-in barnhouse. Glass was utilized throughout the first and second floor: in skylights, the glassed-in extension and the second-floor connector. Adding insulation through the SIPs was crucial for the barnhouse to stay warm through the winter and cool down in the summer.
If you love the TOH Modern Barnhouse, shop the exact products used in the dream home!
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Homeowners, take note! You can recreate the same look that This Old House used to connect this simple and traditional barn with the 21st century — AND you can get it delivered!
Since 1960, Baird Brothers has been America’s source for fine hardwoods. Our products are sustainably sourced from Appalachian forests, and we manufacture a nearly limitless variety of options: mouldings, interior doors, handrails, stair parts, flooring and paneling, S4S lumber, countertops and more!
Whether custom-designed or standard favorites, Baird Brothers offers a full range of timeless classics as well as the latest design trends. Here are the types of Baird Brothers products used in the This Old House Modern Barnhouse upgrade.
Products used in the Modern Barnhouse Build
The interior design for This Old House’s 2021 Idea House combines the traditional barn house style with modern amenities. And of course, this look was achieved with fine hardwoods throughout the home! Natural wood is always on-trend and was used throughout this rustic modern house to embrace the outdoors within the interior of the home.
The 2021 traditional yet modern barnhouse featured Baird Brothers’ custom baseboards, casings, white oak flooring and solid core doors. The light hues of the white oak fit perfectly in Amy’s Scandinavian-inspired interior design. Oak was used throughout the house, including flooring, trim work and interior doors. Some oak interior doors were stained black for a dramatic look.
Amy and her fabricator Bill McCallum used some extra flooring to show off their DIY skills, using the additional planks for a bed frame and floating side tables in the main bedroom (as well as a floating vanity and shelves in the second floor’s spa-inspired bath).
Want the same look as the Modern Barnhouse, but in your own home? View the exact Baird Brothers products used in the project:
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The brothers’ bond that grew into a national millwork manufacturer.
What began in 1960 as three brothers and a handset sawmill has evolved into a nationally recognized business that the Baird family is proud to put their name behind. For more than 60 years, we’ve been a leader in manufacturing fine hardwood products— and we look forward to 60 more!
“This Old House” TV Show Visits Baird Brothers’ Canfield, Ohio, Location.
This Old House and host Kevin O’Connor visited Baird Brothers Fine Hardwoods in Canfield, Ohio to learn more about our family-owned and -operated facility. The footage aired on PBS in the 1807/3907 episode. Watch along!
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Interested in learning more about the This Old House projects that feature Baird Brothers products? The TOH Modern Barnhouse is just one of many!
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