Wine country barn renovated into simple family retreat

You can tell by just looking at it that this dreamy “bunkhouse” had a former life as a barn. Faulkner Architects designed the rustic refurbished home as a weekend retreat for a family as they planned and built their full-time residence in Glen Ellen, California, in the heart of Sonoma Valley wine country.

The family wanted to keep the design simple and streamlined with just enough space for sleeping, bathing, and cooking. With that as a remit, the architects stripped the old barn down to its Douglas fir frame and rebuilt the space with a classic-but-homey charm.

Faulkner Architects

Joe Fletcher

The outside of the home is clad in a redwood rain screen and the roof is built from weathered steel, which helps the building retain its original barn look. The former tack room is now an open-plan living room that adjoins a kitchen and bathroom. The family sleeps in a screened-in porch with beds lined up side-by-side, making the space feel like a sleepaway camp—only, you know, much more stylish.

Hammond and Company

Joe Fletcher

Joe Fletcher