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Blue Ridge Farm Barn

Blue Ridge Farm Barn

— Virginia —

INHABITING THE MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPE at Blue Ridge Farm, this three-bay barn’s origins were unknown as it was likely relocated to its present location. It was dilapidated and had suffered from haphazard renovation attempts, but its original oak timber frame captured the imagination and the structure offered a visual punctuation to the agrarian site. When the new main farmhouse was built on the property, the barn was included in the overall vision to serve as a workspace and gallery to share with the owner’s fellow artist friends and guests.

The agricultural appearance of the barn is retained with sliding barn door panels and the steep ramp on the north face. The largest barn door is a two-story opening that captures extraordinary mountain views to the west for the studio and loft. The existing outer planking, scantlings, and framework were retained from the interior. To the greatest extent possible, existing lumber was reused or matched and hand patinaed. Inside, the stair to the loft features a flowing walnut newel that pays homage to the famed nineteenth-century free black furniture craftsman, Thomas Day.