A backyard studio offers a quiet escape for creativity, but what if you want to host a frenzy of friends for dancing? Homeowners with ample acreage are building party barns, vast structures in a rustic style that can absorb a crowd and take a bit of wear and tear. “People want fun, casual spaces where they don’t have to worry about formal entertaining,” says designer Jennifer Robin, who designed the 5,000-square-foot structure pictured, which is set apart from the main house, for a California family who loves hosting.
Offering high ceilings and dancehall depth, the party barn contains noise and mess but is still enchantingly open to the elements. “Sliding barn doors capture the views, add drama, and blur the lines between inside and out,” says Sasha Janev of Kroeger Janev Architects, who collaborated with Robin on the build. Swing them wide open so your guests can dance under the stars.
Tucked into the rolling hills of wine country in Calistoga, California, this particular party barn is decidedly luxurious, with velvety textiles and leather furnishings to keep events worry-free. But the decor was inspired by a good old-fashioned watering hole. Inside, the structure boasts a dining hall, bar lounge, caterer’s kitchen, and more. “There is something for everyone, from a grand piano in the dining area to vintage games up in the loft,” Robin says. Downstairs there might be a 24-person sit-down dinner going on, while rowdier guests get into the Skee-Ball, shuffleboard, billiards, and jukebox in the loft above.
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Breathing New Life Into an Old Barn
While often the project is to create a new-build extension of the home, sometimes the structure is already existing. Rather than building from scratch on San Juan Island, Massucco Warner Interior Design gave an old barn a new life. Their clients loved ferrying friends and family from Seattle to the scenic island where the only thing their weekend getaway was lacking was a dedicated party space.
“The existing barn was just a catchall for the lawnmowers, power tools, and extra storage,” says the firm’s co-founder and principal, Julie Kleiner. “When we realized that the pool and tennis courts would be situated very close by, we decided to give it a party-worthy makeover.”
To lighten it up they infused a healthy dose of pattern and color via Pacific Northwest blues and sunny yellows, down to the lacquered sliding doors done in “school bus yellow” to match the main house. Giant overhead 6-foot-tall light fixtures play up its vast scale. Doors can be flung open in good weather for outdoor entertaining around the firepits, while inside sports a pool table, ping pong table, fully stocked bar, dance party space, and sectionals big enough for sleepovers. Every fabric and rug is indoor/outdoor quality, keeping the new barn carefree. Yet in keeping some of the past, they retained (and polished) the concrete floor and clad the walls in whitewashed cedar.
4 Essentials for Any Party Barn
Oversize Accents
“The scale of barns is typically vast, so consider adding large overhead lights,” advises Julie Massucco Kleiner, cofounder and principal designer of Massucco Warner Interior Design and Decoration, who recently outfitted a party barn with six-foot-tall fixtures and sectionals big enough for sleepovers.
Party-Proof Surfaces
“To stand up to the needs of indoor/outdoor living, concrete floors, leather furniture, and outdoor fabrics lend durability,” Robin says. “Even though these are high-end spaces, they aren’t fussy or uptight.”
Activity Zones
“For a party barn to be successful, create comfortable seating for groups large and small, plus entertainment zones, room to dance, a pool table, a Ping-Pong table, a well-stocked bar, and tons of connecting outdoor areas with fire pits,” Kleiner says.
Extra Ambiance
“Honor the barn quality of the structure by cladding walls with whitewashed cedar planking,” Kleiner says. “The smell—while not quite the same as hay—really adds to the ambiance.”
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