This Nearly Collapsed Barn Was Turned Into a Beyond-Cool Family Home

For a young family looking for a departure from city life, a barn on the edge of collapse brought back to life by the design team at Mwworks proved to be the perfect escape. The Seattle-based architecture firm collaborated with Nelleen Berlin Interior Design and Kings Construction to refurbish the deteriorating structure, built at the turn of the 20th century. They were able to salvage much of the original barn, including fixtures, doors, and original wood.

When the team couldn't use original fixtures, they opted for reclaimed wood or they treated new wood with an accelerated weathering process so that the different styles would blend seamlessly. Because of the rural landscape, Mwworks was heavily inspired by the ethos of traditional farms. "All of the team was enamored with the original building and didn't want to lose that character with new interventions. On a farm, the solution is often whatever is expedient and the material is what is at hand. This lends itself to modest solutions and we often came back to that way of thinking when presented with challenges," Architect Eric Walter said.