Gallery Barn by IF_DO. Photo by Jo Underhill.
The UK's strict rural development regulations make barn and agricultural building conversions an attractive option for those seeking a unique countryside home. These projects allow you to transform expansive, character-filled spaces into unique dwellings that new buildings cannot match.
This curated collection features 20 barn conversions by UK architects, showcasing innovative design and thoughtful restoration. The examples demonstrate how architects have preserved original features while introducing contemporary elements, creating homes that respect their agricultural heritage while meeting modern living needs.
This article provides ideas and visual inspiration for your project. For more detailed information on planning regulations, including Class Q permitted development rights and when full planning permission is required, refer to our comprehensive guide on planning rules for barn conversions below. Additionally, our article on VAT explains how reduced rates and reclaims can apply to conversion projects.
READ:
Converting Barns Into Houses: Permitted Development & Planning Rules Explained
VAT on Home Renovations: Your Guide to Standard, 5% & Zero Rates
Photo by Lorenzo Zandri.
Wraxall Yard by Clementine Blakemore Architects retains much of the existing 19th-century ruin and uses polished concrete floors and Douglas fir joinery accents to complement the exposed brick walls and timber roof structure, creating a pared-back, yet characterful interior.
Photo by James Brittain.
Hudson Architects designed a roof comprising corrugated metal sheets and matching polycarbonate panels overlaid with steel mesh to bring diffused light into the interior of the Grade II listed Feeringbury Barn in Essex, meeting conservation requirements and maintaining the industrial appearance.
Photo by Simon Kennedy.
In the guesthouse of Ardoch House by Moxon Architects, oak wall panelling and joinery to door height creates a more domestic scale in the double-height interior, complemented by textured clay plaster walls, timber flooring and a raised hearth.
Photo by Schnepp Renou.
The Old Byre, designed by Gianni Botsford Architects, uses corrugated cement board, polycarbonate panels and external site concrete to seamlessly integrate new additions into the existing buildings, maintaining the site's agricultural character.
Photo by Keith Collie.
Ancient Party Barn by Liddicoat Goldhill Architecture features a tapered brick chimney integrating both a fireplace and spiral steel staircase, leading up to a newly created mezzanine level overlooking a double-height space for a dramatic interior.
Photo by French+Tye.
Architect Carl Turner rebuilt a storage shed to create a high-end holiday home in the Cotswolds, closely matching the original building's external envelope whilst creating a 275-square-metre two-storey house built to modern standards.
Photo by Rory Gardiner.
Redhill Barn, converted by architecture studio TYPE, retains its original stone walls and uses natural materials throughout, including a new floor and roof structure made from Douglas fir, freestanding joinery items constructed in English sycamore, and lime plastered walls.
Photo by Ioana Marinescu.
Old Barn by Rural Office is a conversion and extension of a Grade II listed tithe barn and adjoining flint agricultural building, retaining most of the existing buildings with a large single-storey extension arranged around two courtyard gardens.
Photo by Sue Barr.
Jankes Barn by Lynch Architects features a contemporary mezzanine structure constructed in birch plywood, sitting within the historic timber structure and providing space for a private study overlooking an open-plan living area below.
Photo by Will Scott.
McLean Quinlan’s conversion and extension of an existing stable block in the Chilterns updates and adapts the building layout to create a secure courtyard, with two additional wings housing a garage, store, and pottery studio.
Photo by Fred Howarth.
Woodthorpe Stables by Ed Martin of Delve Architects is an energy-efficient conversion of Victorian stables in Surrey, using natural materials and extending out with Douglas fir timber framing to create a larger open-plan living-kitchen-dining area.
Photo by David Barbour.
Ann Nisbet Studio's Cuddymoss project in rural Ayrshire preserves the original structure's character, with an insulated timber frame sitting within the ruin and a perpendicular timber-clad extension echoing the existing structure's form.
Photo by James Brittain.
Chantry Barn by Hudson Architects retains the agricultural and historical character of two 17th and 18th-century Grade II listed timber-framed barns while adapting them for modern living, featuring a walkway passing through one of the double-height spaces.
Photo by Steve Lancefield.
Church Hill Barn by David Nossiter Architects features a wide, tree-lined gravel walkway leading to a contemporary glazed entrance within an adapted gable, marking a clear procession route into the building.
Photo by Maisie Hill.
Lynch Architects transformed an 18th-century Norfolk barn into a playful holiday home with a hidden staircase disguised as a cupboard, leading to a tiny loft bedroom with a small hatch window offering a view of the living space below.
Photo by Jim Stephenson.
Sandy Rendel Architects converted a Dutch barn at Morlands Farm in West Sussex into a house clad in corrugated steel, retaining its barrel-vaulted silhouette and agricultural industrial aesthetic with a contemporary black colour.
Photo by The Modern House.
Dairy Row by Haverstock features new dark-framed timber windows in the conversion of a threshing barn, creating an industrial heritage feel while offering high levels of natural light and thermal comfort.
Photo by Johan Dehlin.
Flint Farm by Will Gamble Architects includes a large-format picture window inserted in the barn's gable wall to frame a view of the landscape and bring natural light into the interior.
Photo by Jo Underhill.
Gallery Barn by IF_DO features two freestanding 'pods' providing intimate spaces for contemplation, while large, vaulted spaces are used for entertaining and dining.
Photo by Jim Stephenson.
McLean Quinlan's rebuilt barn conversion in the Cotswolds uses formal planting arrangements around the building to help frame views and articulate outdoor spaces.
Photo by Steve Lancefield.
Church Hill Barn by David Nossiter Architects features a freestanding plywood kitchen within the main vaulted space, deliberately oversized to suit the building's proportions.
Photo by Gilbert McCarragher.
Home Farm, a self-designed home by John Pawson, incorporates floor-to-eaves windows that bathe the interior in natural light and connect the interior to an external courtyard.
Photo by The Modern House.
Turner Works' conversion of a threshing barn inserts contemporary freestanding elements to create more enclosed spaces and articulate the old and new, with over-scaled elements clad in OSB to visually offset the white walls and polished concrete floor.
About the Author
Aron Coates is an architect with over two decades of experience, working on projects ranging from historic building restoration to contemporary home design.
