Beyond Design’s first Barn House

Construction site with wheelbarrows, tools, and partially built brick and stone buildings.
Inside an old barn with stone walls and a large open window revealing a tree outside. The floor is concrete, and there are various tools and materials, including a wheelbarrow, a ladder, and a pile of bricks.

Nestled at the rear of a property on Oakhill Road a structure of past stood tall. This once functional livestock barn was empty, run down and lacking vision. Where many would have seen disaster beyond design group saw potential.

This old bluestone barn sat at the rear of a house, previously used as servants’ quarters. Both buildings once belonging to a large homestead that had since been demolished and subdivided. Instead of completing a knockdown and rebuild beyond design proceeded with the idea of restoring and combining the two buildings to create one stunning family home.

This build was especially sacred to beyond as it was purchased to be the long-term family home of director Sam Attardi and his young family.

An abandoned stone building missing its windows and door, with a grassy area in front.

With 2 small children in tow Sam set out to re Invision the layout and bring life to this shell. Sam truly understood the uniqueness of this historical gem and wanted to honor its heritage. Utalising timber, render and large sections of glass to compliment the bluestone beyond maintained the historical feel of the buildings while giving them a splash of modern architecture. Many components of the original barn internal flooring and walls were salvaged and used in the exterior landscape for pathways and décor.  

Modern two-story house with stone exterior, wooden framed windows and a metal roof, surrounded by greenery and a small patio area.
Outdoor patio with wooden dining table and chairs, adjacent to a stone house with large glass doors, and a woodpile under a concrete shelter, surrounded by green trees.
Exterior view of a house with stone walls, wooden-framed windows, a small grassy yard, and a wooden deck with plants.

Moving inside the home, salvaged timber has been used throughout to create functional spaces while tying in the exterior façade. The old barn has been converted into a modern open plan living room with an overhead mezzanine. The home features many corners where windows are used to bring focus to the exterior garden spaces. These large windows combined with high raked ceilings create a light and vibrant interior. Sams main goal was to maximise the space and provide a sanctuary for his families.

Floor plan of a house with ground floor, site plan, and two future mezzanine plans, indicating bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, laundry, family room, meals area, lawn, and garage, with labeled voids and retreat areas.

Now 20 years later, The team at beyond have rekindled their love of barn inspired designs and joined forces with Barn House Living to provide high quality detailed design drawings and to also assist with Town Planning Permits & Building Applications!

A modern living room with two dark gray sofas, a wooden coffee table, a stone feature wall with a mounted flat-screen TV, a fireplace, and built-in shelves filled with books and decorations. The upper level has glass railings and recessed lighting.
Indoor hallway with stone wall on the right, white ceiling with recessed lighting, hardwood floor, and a view of a small outdoor garden with plants and a water feature in the background.
Living room with white walls, wooden stairs, a brick fireplace, a flat-screen TV, bookshelves, and large glass doors leading outside.
Dining area with wooden table, six black wicker chairs, white vase with purple flowers, large sliding glass doors with wooden frames, skylights in white ceiling, light tile floor transitioning to dark wood flooring, stone accent wall, and large window with garden view.
Living room with white walls, dark leather sofa, wooden desk with computer, TV on black stand, and hardwood floors.