Hank White lucked out when he bought a property with an old barn that was actually still in pretty good shape. Even better, he had the perfect idea for renovating the old hayloft: an office studio for his web design and graphics company! He also had the skills and resources to DIY almost all of it!
Here's what the exterior of the barn looked like when he started.
Though he estimated the barn was about 50 years old, it needed very little structural work.
His wasn't the first attempt at a reno, though. One wall was already insulated, and another had a random sheet of drywall. Electrical had also been added at some point but ended up having to be redone anyway.
Sheep had wandered around upstairs during the previous owner's time, so the first step was cleaning up all the sheep poop.
Of course, like any good designer, he made a detailed plan to work from.
Then it was time to get started!
After cleaning everything out and getting guts like plumbing and electrical sorted, he installed new insulation and drywall inside.
He also hid a storage nook behind the wall, with a secret door. Two horses are boarded below, but White says the smell isn't too noticeable. He can hear them really well, though.
Click through to the next page to see the final result!
He added a kitchenette and bathroom to the loft, making the cabinets himself and DIY-ing some concrete countertops.
A neighbor had an unused wood burning stove, so he installed it to heat the space.
The stove is so efficient that two armloads of wood will often keep the space warm for around twelve hours in the winter.
Beneath the stairs was a small room, which he converted to a darkroom. The high ceilings meant he could install a bunch of extra storage, and there was still enough room in the space for the hot water tank to be nestled in the corner behind the stairs.
The stairs he covered with MDF for an industrial look. They're a bit more slippery than he expected, so plans for a railing are in progress.
The final result is gorgeous! He estimates that the total cost was about $30–40K in Canadian dollars ($22–30K USD), and it took him about a year to complete mostly on his own and part-time.
He figures that full-time, he could have completed it in closer to 4-5 months.
Don't forget to SHAREHank's amazing work with your friends and family!
h/t Imgur / hankw
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