Rehkamp Larson Architects have upcycled a timeworn granary into a comfortable home, located in the countryside of Lake Elmo, a city in Washington County, Minnesota. This timber frame granary sat beside a large gambrel barn for decades. When the farmstead’s owners decided to evolve the site for continued use by multiple generations, they envisioned living within the crafted frame.
The expansive property was subdivided to allow for two connecting structures — the link holds an entry mudroom with a wall of Ikea cabinets and a drop zone. The granary was carefully disassembled and the wood cladding, floor joists, and timbers were sandblasted clean. The timber frame was the driving force for the entire project — shape, size, and aesthetic.
Project Team: Architect: Rehkamp Larson Architects | Contractor: Lifespace Construction
The three bays allowed for the primary spaces of kitchen, stair, and living. The project team looked to a later iteration of farm storage for a garage: a galvanized grain bin was disassembled and moved to this site. The two granaries from different eras sit on a new thermal mass foundation linked by a mudroom entry.
What We Love: This upcycled granary is surrounded by rolling farmland and beautiful gardens to create a tranquil environment for this home’s inhabitants. We are loving how the design team has taken an old structure and repurposed into something new. The structure is wrapped in windows to frame views of the sprawling terrain, while the weight of the timber frame helps to create a sense of enclosure.
Tell Us: What do you think of the design concept of this home? Do you find the overall feeling of this home to be warm and welcoming? Please share your thoughts in the Comments!
Note: Have a look at a couple of other projects that we have featured here on One Kindesign from the portfolio of the architects of Rehkamp Larson Architects: This rustic modern home in Minnesota boasts impressive design details and This delightful rustic rural retreat offers a serene getaway in Wisconsin.
All of the interior wood – from frame to wall cladding to stair treads – is salvaged from the original building. The old frame dictated window proportion and location.
Spread over two levels, there is a total of 1,650 square feet of living space in this upcycled granary.
Above: This galley kitchen boasts Ikea cabinets, quartz countertops, and salvaged industrial metal light fixtures.
Above: The ceiling height of the living, kitchen, and staircase are 11-feet.
Above: A local steel artist crafted the stair and handrail.
Above: A new linear cupola provides head height and light for the upstairs bedroom suite. There is just one bedroom and two bathrooms in this cozy home.
The granaries have been transformed and the family is settled in for another generation on this spectacular property!
Photos: Scott Amundson Photography
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