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Photos by Jana Bannan
Whether you’re an equestrian or a party guest, this Delaware barn is the fashionable place to be.
In a sylvan enclave outside Wilmington, a unique new barn serves both man and beast. The work of B&D Builders, the structure is 2,356 square feet, about the size of the average American home. For the horses, there are six custom-built, English-style stalls, with Dutch doors in front and windows in back. For the owners and their guests, there’s a small kitchen, lockers, and space for relaxing and entertaining. Underfoot are brick-style rubber pavers that are shock-absorbent and slip-resistant.
Stone wainscoting, a standing-seam metal roof and cement-fiber siding that looks like wood give the exterior a welcoming, traditional feel.
“People are passionate about their horses and often build their lives and homes around them,” says B&D partner Daniel Glick. “The natural evolution is that homeowners are now enhancing their barns with amenities that allow them to entertain, relax and gather yet still be near their animals. This can include a studio or guest room, a rider’s lounge, a kitchen, or a home bar.”
In the Wilmington barn, a rustic loft is a designated people space. Suitable for dinner parties or playing games, it’s outfitted with a long wooden table and 10 elegant upholstered chairs. A massive brass chandelier descends from the peak of a ceiling planked with Douglas fir. Posts and trusses are hallmarks of timber-frame construction, a centuries-old technique that showcases joinery and exposed beams.
For the horses, there are six custom-built English-style stalls, with Dutch doors in front and windows in back.
Outdoors, a lean-to porch is 60 feet long and 10 feet wide, ideal for alfresco entertaining. Custom cedar doors outfitted with windows are a fresh take on traditional barn doors. Stone wainscoting, a standing-seam metal roof and cement-fiber siding that looks like wood give the exterior a welcoming, traditional feel, in keeping with the tranquil surroundings. The crowning touch is a pair of cupolas topped with weathervanes. One depicts a fox, the other a hunting dog—one pursuing the other, depending on which way the wind blows.
A rustic loft is a designated people space. Suitable for dinner parties or playing games, it’s outfitted with a long wooden table and 10 elegant upholstered chairs.
B&D Builders
34 S. Vintage Road, Paradise, (717) 687-0292
Vintage Millwork & Restoration
34 S. Vintage Road, Paradise, (717) 407-5880
Blackwood Equestrian Stalls
14 N. Ronks Road, Ronks, (717) 687-7313
Related: This West Chester Home’s Two-Story Porch Is Ideal for Entertaining
