Barndominiums: Your Guide to a Perfect, Inexpensive Dream Home

by Chris Peterson

Plan your barn-conversion dream home guided by inspiring real-life examples and practical, cost-effective solutions.

Move over she sheds, the next innovation in real estate is a full-on house! That’s the customizable and cost-efficient barndominum, offering plenty of space and plenty of style . In Barndominiums , author Chris Peterson, a three-decade veteran home improvement author, tours through barndos nationwide in search of the latest and greatest in barndominium living. Chapters  
 
With beautiful photographs from real-life owners and builders , this book will guide you to create your perfect barndominium ! 

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

Published July 11, 2023

Reviews

[Andy Jerrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first quarter of this reads like a persuasive essay I wrote in middle school. “This is why you should build your own barndominium. Here are three reasons. The reasons are…”

There’s a boatload of beautiful eye-candy throughout the book and the author doesn’t spare any details about the planning and construction process. But there’s no way that even the cheapest barndominium isn’t an expensive undertaking.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the cover and was curious about what Barndominiums is. I loved this homes and I think it's a book that you will find useful if you want to build or restructure your home.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barndominiums are starting to become kind of a thing in my area. I don't quite get the appeal, but there are some nice photos in this introductory book about them. Although, I would say that "inexpensive" is not the right word.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this would be more eye candy or coffee table reading, but what I got was a bit more than expected. Still a good and interesting read, but there was a lot more about building or converting a barn into a home than I was anticipating when I went into this.

The information is good, although it does walk the line between being more for a beginner to someone who is a bit handier than me. I found that was a bit jarring as a result, because someone who is going to do the work will probably know or get a book on building vs a book which also covers design. That being said, as someone who has never built a home from scratch or done such a major renovation, I can't say that it wouldn't be useful to have both covered in a single volume with the ability to dig deeper on design or construction through other means.

I will say that the eye candy was really fun and that there were some great designs. I have thought about renovating a barn or a church many times, and this book gave at least one of those a very tangible outlet for seeing what it could look like and how it would work. A barn is not really that unique a structure, as it's pretty much a bungalow with high ceilings, unless you decide to do a loft or 2nd storey inside it. But it is still interesting to see how these spaces can be made very stylish and modern. Some red barns persisted, but a lot of the designs for open concept and big spaces were in barns that had been totally updated to look less like barns.

All in all, great source for inspiration and to get something like this kick started as a new or previously loved home option.

*I received a copy via NetGalley.

[Poppy Marlowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
*********************************************************
Plan your barn-conversion dream home guided by inspiring real-life examples and practical, cost-effective solutions.
Move over she sheds, the next innovation in real estate is a full-on house! That’s the customizable and cost-efficient barndominum, offering plenty of space and plenty of styles. In Barndominiums, author Chris Peterson, a three-decade veteran home improvement author, tours through barndos nationwide in search of the latest and greatest in barndominium living. Chapters
With beautiful photographs from real-life owners and builders, this book will guide you to create your perfect barndominium!

I love looking at house plan books and this one was interesting although I do not see the "dominium/condo aspect to it as there is no common ownership involved: it's just a fake word made up to sound better than barn home. Most barns that I know are old and moth-eaten but if you can find a good one that is easily converted, by all means, go ahead and do it. Lots of ideas in here that you could probably easily create without converting a barn, per se, but then it would probably be more money: farmland is bound to be cheaper than anything in the city unless you have to buy hundreds of acres to get said barn.
An interesting read that will undoubtedly be checked out in our now very expensive-to-own-a-house city. (And I am sure that the floor plans are easier to read in a book vs on a kindle screen!)
#shortbutsweetreviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more of a how-to guide than a home showcase book, but nevertheless, it's a great primer for creating your own home out of a barn. From planning, preparation, interiors, and exteriors, to flooring, roofing, and windows, it's all here. There are floor plans, and even advice on building a completely new structure if no actual barn is available. Plus, there's plenty of drool-worthy photos of luxurious homes you'd never dream once held livestock or a broken-down tractor.



In other words - there's a LOT of info packed into 97 pages.

Even if you're not looking to convert a barn into a living space, this is worth checking out for home decorating and landscaping ideas.

Thank you, thank you to NetGalley and Cool Springs Press for sharing this one.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I personally take issue with the use of the word inexpensive in the title, but other than that this is a thorough book about building, furnishing and financing a barndonimium. This is not about turning an existing barn into a home but buying a prefabricated metal barn and then building a house with it. While it’s less money per square foot than modern home building prices, the homes shown here are incredibly opulent and would be financially out of reach for many. If you have the money and land to build one and enjoy the aesthetic, this is a great guide with lots of detail and lots of photo inspiration.

I read a temporary digital copy of this book via NetGalley.

[Vikki Bullock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a delightful read, giving great detail to those wanting to build or renovate a barn-type building.
If you’ve ever dreamed of owning your own barn, this is a perfect guide. Lots of practical tips and technical knowledge to help you with your project..
I particularly loved the different ideas and broad experience of the writer, so much inspiration and detail in one book! I suggest farm lovers, handymen and anyone looking for inspiration, read this book!

Thanks so much to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this informative and thorough book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Autumn Danner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was excited about this book from the title alone. I have wanted a Barndominium of my own for years, so this was right up my alley. It goes a long way to justify my dream since my family thought I was hoping to live like a farm animal! Full disclosure, I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and then I lost access to the book before I was able to complete it. Still, this book had a great layout from why you'd want this, to concept plans, to actually planning and building your own. And the pictures were inspiring! I really enjoyed how thorough this book was. So much so that I guess I'll have to buy it in order to plan my own!!

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

a detailed guide to every aspect of designing and building a barndominium. Site considerations; utilities; window materials, placement, and size; roofing; siding...even access to emergency services is included. There is such a wealth of construction information, I would recommend this book to anyone considering building even a modest home, not just those wanting to create a barndo.

I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the looks of these homes! My husband and I have a dream to build our own home someday and these are exactly the type I'm looking for! I want room but warmth of feel and look when others come to our home. I thoroughly enjoyed looking through this book! Definitely worth the time to browse!

[Joni Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow I had no idea some of these would be possible in a barn!! These weren’t just country style homes at all. I was honestly surprised.

[Mary Lynn]

Good introduction to the subject.