Built in 2010, this modern barn in Iceland may embrace the rugged North Atlantic Ocean more than it does a traditional Icelandic Design, but its owners have blunted the elements with a simple and thoughtfully curated interior.

Icelandic Interior Designer Rut Káradóttir is a dreamer. For five years, she collected items from her favourite Scandinavian homeware brands and treasures from her travels, storing them in her garage. She’s patient, too: for years, Rut and her husband, marketing consultant Kristinn Arnarson, had been taking the 45-minute drive from Reykjavik to Stokkseyri whenever they wanted to indulge in a bucket of fresh lobster tails at their favourite restaurant, Fjörubordid. On one of their visits to this sleepy village on the Great Thjórsá Lava shoreline in the southwest of Iceland, the couple spotted a new barn being built. They fell in love with it, and it might be no coincidence that Rut began her beach-house collection around the same time as they first saw the barn. Suddenly, each visit to Stokkseyri not only meant a great dinner, but also a chance to check on “their” barn.

Fast-forward five years to a leisurely Sunday morning, and Rut was browsing the real-estate section of the local newspaper, “more out of habit than a desire to find a new property”, when she stumbled upon “their” barn. “We had just finished renovating a property in the west of Iceland and I knew we couldn’t afford another one just yet – but at least I’d finally get a glimpse inside,” she recalls.

They immediately arranged a viewing and, two days later, were the proud owners of their getaway by the sea. “There was a lot of interest, but the owners were incredibly taken by our enthusiasm,” says Rut, who promptly set to work. Over the next six months, she stamped her unique Nordic style with a touch of Japanese simplicity on the house, all while keeping their latest addition to the property family a secret.

Rut and Kristinn’s barn stands out among the more traditional cottages in the village of Stokkseyri. The previous owners had a strong connection to the sea – the husband was a ship engineer and had spent most of his life on or around ships. In their late 60s, they commissioned their architect son to devise a house for them, reminiscent of the husband’s maritime past. “It is no surprise that the former owner chose this spot for their barn ship,” says Kristinn. “With the North Atlantic on the doorstep, you feel out at sea; even more so when standing on the Bridge (balcony), with the Icelandic wind ruffling your hair.”

Inside, the seafaring theme continues, and Rut and Kristinn still fondly call the two floors Upper Deck and Lower Deck – they’re connected by a staircase that wouldn’t be out of place on an elegant yacht. The couple were conscious that they wanted to work with the building’s past, embracing nautical details such as the porcelain cabin lights, and even adding some of their own, like a porthole mirror in the hallway.

Just like a ship, the barn has adapted perfectly to its surroundings. The Siberian larch that makes up the exterior cladding has weathered to a soft, cloudy grey, blending perfectly into the volcanic landscape. Rut believes that “when the architecture of a building is very strong, you have to ensure that the interior and exterior are working in unison”. And through her unique style that is so firmly rooted in her native countryside, she has ensured just that. She selected a neutral colour scheme, drawing on natural elements that surrounded the barn – the moss-covered lava stones, the beach behind the house. As a result, she managed to bring some of Iceland’s untamed landscape inside, adding a touch of luxurious elegance to the barn without losing any of its authenticity.

Now that the garage is empty, what’s next for the enthusiastic duo? “We’re still too young to just sit back and live the dream,” says Rut, “so we’ll go on dreaming for a while.” For now, her interior design studio is keeping her busy, and when she’s not collecting chairs for her future house, she’s transforming the properties of her international clients with her uniquely Icelandic-chic aesthetic.

Rut and Kristinn are delighted that they get to share all this with the ever-increasing influx of visitors to Iceland. “At some point in the future, we plan to be here more regularly, but in the meantime, we are very happy to rent it out so others get to enjoy this unique spot, too.” Their visitors certainly have a lot to look forward to, from the possibility of spotting the Northern Lights during the winter months to the opportunity to observe the starry night sky through the window above the bed in the master bedroom – and, of course, fresh lobster tails at Fjörubordid.

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Pieter Mathews of Mathews + Associates Architects has designed a distinctive, sculptural Flemish barn-inspired home in an Irene Estate that undoes binary preconceptions to create a bold but layered living experience.

Southdowns Residential Estate in Irene, developed on the grounds of a former a dairy farm, has strict aesthetic guidelines. They require that new houses relate architecturally to the “turn of the century” Irene architectural vernacular at the heart of the estate’s identity. They add, however, that a contemporary interpretation of the guidelines is encouraged.

The order and uniformity of the architecture are part of what attracted businessman Albé Geldenhuys to the estate; but when he commissioned Mathews + Associates Architects led by Pieter Mathews, he encouraged them to “think out of the box”. Pieter immediately noticed the prominence of the site Albé had selected and its importance to the character of the estate. It’s on a circle where three roads converge, demanding a certain architectural presence. At the same time, the design needed to tread a fine line between its public street-facing character and Albé’s privacy.

The stand overlooks a large field with mountain-biking paths and running tracks. Luckily, Albé enjoys the buzz of human activity. “It’s energising,” he says, so he didn’t want to be walled off from the sights and sounds that animate the estate.

Albé has travelled widely, living in countries around the world, and the agricultural character required by the estate put him in mind of the Flemish barns he’d first encountered in the Netherlands in the early 2000s. He and Pieter were keen to try out a contemporary take on the style. Flemish barns, with their blackened timber façades, also provided an “original twist”, as Pieter puts it, on the estate requirements without being “gimmicky”.

The simplified archetypal form of the barn – reinterpreted in contemporary materials, dark metal cladding, light timber screens, raw off-shutter concrete and sleek refined detailing – provides a kind of “sculptural composition for the estate”, says Pieter. He refers to it as a billboard for the “less-is-more” take on the vernacular.

At the same time, he points out that the simplicity of the design is deceptive. On closer inspection, the barn-like structure is an elegant and harmonious resolution of a rich variety of materials and forms. In all, Pieter refers to the approach as “simplexity”, in which simplicity and complexity complement rather than contradict each other.

On the one hand, “Albé’s Barn”, as its owner has dubbed the striking street-facing façade, acts as a screen. On the other, it allows a delicately layered transition from the public realm to the private sanctuary at its heart. From the garage, which functions as a kind of foyer, there are glimpses right through the house, and framed views of the field beyond.

The monolithic façade gives way to courtyards and in-between spaces filled with plants. “It’s a visual spatial progression,” says Pieter. You don’t experience the entrance as a barrier or a sharp transition at all; instead, there’s a sense of permeability. On your way out to the pool and lawn beyond, the pergola and the stoep are like a filtering device, Pieter points out, using Australian architect Glenn Murcutt’s term “feathering” to describe the effect.

The way in which glass sliding doors open onto the green pockets not only lets through cooling breezes, but blurs the distinction between inside and out, once again fuzzing binary conceptions. The sleek architectural lines are offset by bursts of organic greenery. “I’m not the best when it comes to plants, but during lockdown, I seem to have developed green fingers,” says Albé with a laugh.

Inside, the barn is unembellished but stylish, allowing the materials to bring character and warmth to the spaces rather than relying on an abundance of furnishing and objects. It’s “more of what you want, less of what you don’t need”, Pieter says. While the ground floor is characterised by raw concrete finishes, the transition upstairs yields to blonde timber cladding.

A subtle choreography of rhythm and repetition – the exposed rafters, for example – progresses through the upstairs spaces. Even from up here, windows look down on the green pockets, and the trees push upwards towards the sky.

Early-rising Albé’s northeast-facing bedroom welcomes the morning light, while the balcony makes a relaxing vantage point from which to enjoy a glass of wine and take in the animating presence of joggers, bikes and family strollers at the end of the day. The whole place is characterised by a calming clarity without ever becoming stark. The complexity is unfussy, bringing warmth, diversity and humanity to the sense of home.

Looking for more architectural inspiration? Take a look at this family home in Bainskloof.

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Perched upon a plateau with mixed woodlands and Lake Memphremagog on either side, Cap St-Martin by Bourgeois / Lechasseur Architects is a contemporary reimagining of a traditional barn.

Located in Potton, Canada, Cap St-Martin’s design draws architectural influence from the region’s long farm buildings. Pure lines and refined treatment of the facades make for a seamless integration into the region’s natural and built landscape. From the outside, the two barn-like structures – simple, elongated rectangles with gable roofing – tell almost nothing of the contemporary interiors hidden within.

The smallest area in the foreground houses a guest loft, garage and artist studio. This section is connected to the main area of the residence via a striking glass tunnel, allowing for a light-filled transition to leafy views of the woodlands beyond. Designed to be a gathering place where family and friends can connect and unwind, the heart of the home is a grand, lake-orientated room that is doused in natural light.

Two long glass facades afford views of both the lake and the forest, allowing the homeowners to feel as though they are outside. The concrete floor extends onto a patio, further enhancing the seamless indoor-outdoor connection, while the wood-clad cathedral ceiling affords a soft contrast to otherwise sleek and contemporary finishes in muted hues of white and grey. Upstairs, the restorative master bedroom enjoys it own patio and awe-inspiring views.

(h/t) v2.com-newswire

Love this modern-day barn? Check out this contemporary Canadian farmhouse by Pelletier de Fontenay and François Abbott.

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Located in Sonoma County, California, and designed by Mork-Ulnes Architects for a chef and her family, this barn-style home is part residential retreat, part cooking laboratory.

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From a multifunctional treehouse (for both humans and birds) to the new Missibaba store in Cape Town and locally-made denim jackets, these are the top VISI picks of the week series – week 210.

1. Studio North Treehouse

“This A-frame treehouse, created to be used by both humans and birds, was designed by firm Studio North,” says Online Editor Lindi Brownell Meiring. “Blending into its natural surroundings, this 9.2 square metre dwelling can sleep two people and aims to attract 12 different species of birds.” More ideas for treehouse escapes.

Image credit: dezeen.com

2. Missibaba at Watershed

“Missibaba has a vibrant new store space at the V&A’s Watershed, full of leather eye candy, from gorgeous locally-made luxury bags to handy accessories,” says Features Editor Amelia Brown.

Image credit: missibaba.com

3. Oblique Wall by Shinsuke Fujii

“‘The Book Shelf House’ in Yokohama, Japan, designed by Shinsuke Fujii Architects, features a diagonal wall that makes for an easy-to-use shelf,” says Managing Editor Samantha Charles. “The incline makes it easy to climb without a ladder.”

Image credit: designboom.com

4. Corvid Barn

“This beautiful black-stained barn by Macdonald Wright Architects forms part of a carbon-neutral villa called Caring Wood, which is made up of a cluster of volumes with angular tiled roofs,” says Content Producer Mary Garner. “The functional barn, which is used as a storage and workshop space, is made predominantly from timber, making the building highly sustainable.”

Image credit: dezeen.com

5. Jota-Kena Jackets

“Jota-Kena is a local brand that focuses on craftsmanship,” says Social Media Manager Ashraf Booley. “It has just launched a customisable denim jacket collection, featuring various dyes, washes, art and embroidery.”

Image credit: jotakena.com

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In an estate known for its variety of farmhouse-style dwellings, one house consciously holds back, subtracting instead of adding and, in so doing, stands apart.

Simplicity – especially in design – has become a coveted quality, often accompanied by clean lines and a measure of restraint. The no-frills aesthetic has powerful effects on the psyche, where the lack of visual chaos brings calm. In Pretoria, the home of Lloyd and Annemarie Christie steers clear of residential estate uniformity and stands out, striking in its simplicity.

Navigating my way through tree-lined streets to the Christies’ house, I immediately spot it from the street corner. Its understated facade is unmissable, speaking louder than any bells-and-whistles abode ever could. The entire gable end, from the ground to the roofline, is clad in horizontal timber slats, so neither the garage nor the windows above are detectable until they’re opened. The timber announces the home’s architectural language from the outset. “If you were to remove it, you’d see the random placement of the windows, which at night throw their light through the slats,” says architect Carl Jacobsz of C76 Architecture.

Seeking a wholesome environment that would allow their two daughters, Chloë-Ann (7) and Milla (4), freedom to play, the Christies bought the vacant plot of land and entrusted their architect friend Carl with the task of designing their home. “We were adamant about clean lines, but left it to Carl to plan the building envelope within the constraints presented by the stand,” says Lloyd, referring to the plot’s challenging diamond-like shape.

The house is a double barn, splaying out in a V-shape with a grassed courtyard garden in the middle. Taking their cue from the stand, the two barns hug its western and eastern boundaries, maximising on live able square metreage and affording the family a garden with multiple connections to the house. Carl describes it as “living into the courtyard”, an aspect that brings with it privacy from outside eyes.

The footprint also opens up the barns to the northerly view of the estate’s agricultural corridor, currently a crop of corn that begins just beyond the low garden fence. Come winter time, the corn field will be superseded by lucerne and grazing cows.

In the double-storey western barn, reserved for private living areas, Carl has created a loft above each of the girls’ bedrooms. In the eastern barn, Lloyd, an attorney, has the study of his dreams with wall-to-wall bookshelves, as well as a gym and an underground cellar that peers into the swimming pool through a window.

Rough brickwork makes up the bulk of the barns, with corrugated sheeting, concrete floors and timber slats completing the inventory. It is the timber, however, that takes centre stage; 3,3 km of sustainably sourced modified rhinowood is used as shading in movable screens, as security in large lockable shutters, and as cladding to add an element of lightness to the structure.

“Grounded architecture is what appeals to me; the simpler the better,” says Carl, referencing his childhood on an Eastern Free State farm where purpose built farm buildings made an indelible impression.

As someone who declares an aversion to slick architecture, Carl has brought warmth to the Christies’ home through conscious design choices. “What sets apart good architecture from that which is not is atmosphere, and you achieve that with materials and with time,” he says. “That’s my unicorn; I chase it project by project.”

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Discover how a dilapidated barn in the KZN Midlands became a superb backdrop for Homewood furniture.

A chance sighting in 2010 of an old barn sparked the inspiration for a photo shoot more than five years later, says Dave Macdonald, co-director of the furniture maker Homewood. “I was newly settled in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. While out exploring the area, my interest was piqued by an old barn next to the road between Impendle and Bulwer.”

That same year, Dave had left his IT marketing career in Johannesburg and joined Ian Perry, who had founded Homewood in 2005. The two forged a partnership in 2011, with Ian at the helm of the company and Dave focused on sales and marketing.

Years on, when it came time for a Homewood photo shoot, Dave recalled the weathered barn he’d seen and thought it would be an apt venue to exhibit their furniture designs. “We wanted to show how Homewood furniture could transform any space. What better way than by turning a derelict barn from a place used to store old farm implements into a space that looks like home?”

In a photo shoot at the end of 2015, Homewood’s contemporary designs brought to life the run-down shed, which made items like statement wooden tables, chairs with colourful woven seats and bold sofas shine.

Homewood makes each item to order, customising pieces to suit customer needs. Since expanding in 2012 from a single factory outlet in the Midlands, Ian and Dave have opened additional showrooms in Kramerville, Umhlanga Ridge and Lynnwood Bridge.

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A small stable in Belgium’s West Flanders has been converted into a contemporary workspace.

The renovation of this 100 square metre space was completed by Studio Farris Architects in January 2016 and features a meeting room, workspace and reading areas, as well as a library.

The architects designed an energy-efficient “box” to fit inside the space, forming a new shell within the barn.

The focal point within the room is a sculptural piece made up of stacked wooden beams. The design not only separates the room into different areas, it also creates functional workspaces and serves as the main storage location within the room. The beams also act as a staircase to reach the top-level work areas.

Browse the gallery above to view this project in its entirety.

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This modern barn on Jacobsdal wine farm in Stellenbosch is home to Koba and Cornelis Dumas and their two young sons.

At the southwestern edge of the Stellenbosch wine region, on the vine-shrouded slopes overlooking a gleaming False Bay, is a silver-grey barn. A barn filled with beautiful furniture and books and photographs and laughter. A barn that’s actually a house. And in the house lives a little boy called Pieter, and his father and mother and baby brother, Stefan, and their two dogs, Suki and Simba. Happily ever after.

Pieter’s parents, Cornelis and Koba, built the house on Jacobsdal, Cornelis’s family farm. Here the Dumas family has been living and making wine for almost 100 years. It’s a stone’s throw from Pieter’s grandparents’ house, separated by a jungle-garden where many an afternoon is spent exploring.

Unlike the house that Jack built in the popular nursery rhyme, this house was not randomly assembled. Nor does it have any stray malt, a cat that killed a rat, a priest all shaven and shorn, or a forlorn maiden who milked a cow with a crumpled horn.

The house that Pieter’s parents built was meticulously designed by longtime family friend and Cape Town-based architect Francois du Toit. His brief from Cornelis and Koba was centred on needs rather than definite ideas: lots of light, generous cooking and entertaining spaces and, above all, it needed to be practical and accessible for the constant visits from people, animals, kids and cowboys. It is Pieter’s house, too, after all.

Francois’ design philosophy is driven by an analytical approach, not a predetermined style. He borrowed extensively from his background in industrial architecture and applied similar designs and construction techniques. He also decided to keep the structure free of any ornament and decoration, letting the lush farm exterior and eclectic decor tell the story instead.

The result is an ultramodern abode, consisting of two parallel barn-like buildings – a single-storey living space and a double-storey unit housing the bedrooms and study – that are connected by a glass box. The structures comprise a series of prefabricated steel portal frames, bolted to concrete foundations and clad in corrugated Zincalume sheeting. They are a striking sight on the farm, even more so if one considers that the method and materials used resulted in reduced construction costs and time – the steel frames were literally erected on site in a few days!

The house has an abundance of enormous windows, Scandinavian larch flooring and flawless white walls. A perfect blank page for the tales that are told by the furniture and faces in and around it.

So yes, the house that Pieter’s parents built does, like Jack’s, tell the stories of people past and present, of family and friends, of love and loss.

Not that it was really planned. It just happened, like all good stories do. The furniture and fixtures are a combination of inherited, bought, restored and handmade pieces. Pieter’s family is very sentimental, and has passed on exquisite pieces from generation to generation, such as the white baby grand piano his mother started playing when she was eight, the antique cutlery from the days his great-grandfather served as a Member of Parliament, and the 12-seater Rhodesian teak table from his great-great-grandfather.

It also helps that Pieter’s father is a furniture designer with a particular penchant for good-looking leather chairs. His work is scattered throughout the house but is best enjoyed while sitting next to the fireplace in the lounge, sipping a glass of pinotage, gazing through the bay window at the garden. If you’re lucky, you might spot a suikerbekkie drinking nectar from the flowers of the Cat’s Whiskers plant.

Filling the gaps and white walls is mostly left to Pieter’s mother. Between being a part-time accountant and full-time mother, Koba carefully curates the bounty of her smart shopping trips alongside heirlooms, and Pieter and Stefan’s toys. She says it’s a work in progress. An evolution. Like building a peculiar puzzle, where no piece has a definite place and no-one knows what the final picture will look like.

The picture at this stage is breathtaking. Light, airy rooms where the decor is a perfect blend of country chic, Scandinavian simplicity and non-hipster retro. It’s one of those homes where you instantly feel welcome.

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jacobsdal.co.za

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