A Music Barn in Tennessee

Music barn home living room with band setup and seating area

with research by Michelle Mastro

Photography by Andi Whiskey

Where better place to build a barn home for entertaining and jam sessions than outside Nashville, Tennessee? When this couple decided they wanted a getaway from their Nashville lives, what resulted was this fun yet luxurious music barn.

Exterior of music barn home in Tennessee — From the outside, you’d never know that this structure didn’t start out as a barn.

Bedroom with high roofline and wood paneling — In the guest bedroom, a symphony of wood tones greets the eye, balancing with the white and brown hues.

From PreFab to Fabulous

Originally, the building wasn’t a music barn at all, but an “accessory structure,” says architect Jim Rill of Rill Architects. “It was a prefab building I tore down to the foundation and started over again from scratch.”

The land and plot were there, so now it was time to make some farmhouse magic. But why choose a barn? “Barns are both rustic and industrial,” Jim says. “They are located in the countryside but are outfitted for industry work.” The immense amount of space, the barn structure silhouette and high ceilings appealed to both Jim and his clients, which made it the perfect architectural choice for the music barn.

Timbers, barn wood and glass windows create a “modern barn look,” Jim says. He added traditional X-shaped cross bracing to make an industrial and rustic look at the same time.

Sliding glass doors leading to a large dining table in the music barn — Open sliding glass doors lead to the “mural room,” aptly titled for the mural that references famous musicians from around Tennessee. The mural is from the original building, which was more like a derelict shed.

Long dining table in music barn with ceiling paneling — The mural room is home to a long dining table, which is large enough to seat the band and whoever came to watch them jam that day.

Outdoor patio area next to barn — The number of windows in the music barn allow an intimate connection to the outdoor spaces of the home.

Indoor/Outdoor Connection

One of the important aspects for the homeowners was creating a home that was cohesive with the surrounding countryside, especially the pond near the music barn. They loved the building’s “proximity and relationship to the existing pond,” Jim says. The importance of the building and nature work together in this space.

“The building is all about the flow and connection to the environment, which is just as important as the interior rooms,” Jim says. “A house isn’t just a set of walls. It is how you experience the space. A home is not just something you sit in, the ownership comes with all the vistas, the experience of the views. We think about this when designing.”

DIY Dream Modern Farmhouse

Small room with exposed ceiling beams and seating — Not every room in the music barn is full of glass. This cozy sitting room on the second story works well for quiet evenings after bandmates have headed home.

Living room with tall ceilings, windows and wood paneling — The living room has cathedral ceilings, like you would find in a real barn. Half the room looks like a regular living room, while the other half looks like a band’s home stage.

Music Jamming Session

Alongside the importance of the surrounding nature was the opportunity to entertain and hang out with other musician friends. The living room looks half like a traditional living room, and half like a band’s music studio. Jim outfitted outlets so musicians could “plug in” with their instruments. “We hope to inspire them and get inspired back,” Jim says. And that’s just what they’ve done here with the music barn.

Love the country music barn look? Check out Dolly Parton’s music-inspired art collection! Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more daily inspiration and farmhouse style.

Tags

Barn home house tours Industrial Farmhouse Industrial Style Decor summer entertaining Tennessee

Author Bio

Victoria Van Vlear

Victoria is a brand advisor, marketing strategist, writer and editor. She was the editorial director of American Farmhouse Style for almost 10 years, and now enjoys writing occasional articles for the magazine and receiving the beautiful copies in the mail. Victoria is also a wife and mom to three little ones: two on earth and one in heaven. With any (not so spare) time, she devours books, dabbles in fiction writing and works on her house. As a home décor enthusiast and DIYer herself, she knows what a little paint and patience can do for a room!