When I first spotted this stunning barn on April’s Instagram account @BarnHomeLiving, I immediately I wanted to find out the story behind the build. I was lucky enough to interview April for Reclaim magazine last year and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her and to learn all about her beautiful barn home.
I’m delighted to be able to share some of the photos of her rustic interior with you today – her home is a masterclass in coordinating colours, curating vintage pieces and embracing modern rustic style. So, just how did April and her husband Andy transform this old farm building into a rustic home for their family?
From this…
…To This!
It’s an incredible transform that was many years in the making and involved an original 19th Century swing-beam farm barn being moved 600 kilometres from Canada to Pennsylvania. It took a lot of of vision to imagine converting this agricultural building into a spacious yet cosy home and even more bravery to consider moving it to a different country!
But I think you can agree that the views of the Appalachian Mountains alone makes it all worthwhile. Plus, Andy and April rescued the obsolete farm building from inevitable demolition, making use of the existing virgin timber frame with very little modification.
Today I’m going to share a tour with you a quick tour of the couple’s beautiful barn but if you want to see more photos, both inside and out, visit April’s website AprilHershberger.com. Let’s start in the lofty entrance, where the original barn frame is clear to see alongside the impressive stone fireplaces that heat the home.
Heading through into the kitchen and dining room, it’s obvious that April loves colour and all things vintage. I adore her curated sideboards full of vintage Pyrex and Le Creuset – a collection that has taken April years to grow and that regularly changes with the seasons – so check out her instagram profile to see how she has styled her dining room this month.
Again, just look at the view out of the windows – you’d be forgiven for thinking that those are large framed artworks but no, that’s how stunning the outlook of this barn is. Anyone else fancy moving to rural Pennsylvania for views like that??
Alongside an enviable collection of vintage kitchenalia in the dining space is April’s prized collection of retro jadeite dishes and crockery. It adds such a refreshing, summery pop of colour and looks right at home inside one of the many antique display cabinets around the barn.
April and Andy reused as much of the original timber from the barn as they could during the build, which gives the whole home a rustic and warm feel. I think my favourite spot would be the window seat in the snug, which is built into the frame of the building – especially if this little doggy is available for cuddles there too! .
Speaking of doggies, April and Andy have included a few home-comforts for their pets within the home, including a pooch ‘jail’ just off the kitchen (where the dogs sleep – basically a mini bedroom of their own!) and a special shower just for muddy pups in the utility room.
With such wonderful surroundings, the dogs probably enjoy going for plenty of walks in the mountains so it’s a sensible idea to have a soggy shower and it looks really fab too – in fact, it’s nicer than my own ‘human’ bathroom haha!
I think that April has absolutely nailed the contemporary rustic look by combining quilted throws and embroidered cushions with funky feature walls (like the timber-clad wall above) and vibrant paint colours throughout the home. I love her use of minty aqua tones, which not only look fresh and sunny but tie in with the jadeite pieces and aqua ceramics displayed around the house.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this house tour of April & Andy’s beautiful barn home and that you’ve been inspired to create a modern and vibrant rustic décor in your own interior. One thing I definitely want to recreate myself is the painted mountain mural that April created in the bathroom below – gorgeous.
Let me know what you love most about this barn in the comments below and don’t forget to follow April on instagram @barnhomeliving for more colourful interiors inspiration, vintage style and DIYs. And if you’d like to read about how April and Andy renovated their barn and turned it into a home, check out their article in issue 52 of Reclaim magazine.
