Chip Wade converts a barn to an amazing family home

Categories: By Room, Kitchens, Remodelers

HGTV star Chip Wade was approached by homeowners in Georgia’s Forsyth County with an unusual request. The husband-and-wife duo along with their two teenage boys adore their animals. They wanted to remodel the barn that housed their beloved horses in a way that would incorporate the stables into the family’s living space. Instead of building a new house from scratch, Chip and HGTV’s “Elbow Room” crew went to work to make it happen. The result? A barn conversion like no other—what was once only a functional space filled with animals turned into a luxurious living space for the human half of the family.

The design turned two horse stalls and a storage room into a living room space and opened the ceiling up to the roof. They used clever animal-friendly details, like building a room for dogs under the stairs, a “catwalk” and storage on the second level and windows where horses could check in on the family. Rustic elements from the original barn were repurposed as design features, like the stall’s barn doors that were turned into closet doors. “Sometimes, you have all you need—it’s right under your nose,” Wade says. “When you know how to rework square footage intelligently, it’s amazing what you can create. For this family, finding a way to be as close as possible to their animals (without the smell) was just what they wanted!”

we love smart solutions!

This family wanted a way to feel close to and see their animals all the time. The solution? A picture window looking directly into the stable.