An old barn on a 40-acre plot has experienced a second life. Instead of demolishing it, the architects chose to renovate it – a simple, yet revolutionary decision: to preserve it, clean it up and add a residential function. The result is the Red Barn Project – a house that retains the austerity of the old structures while offering the comfort and warmth necessary for relaxation. The project for the metamorphosis of the building was prepared by architects from Studio Kuchejda.
They called the style of the building “Kuchejdaian” – an ironic and affectionate term for a barn rescued from non-existence. Inspiration came from the provinces of Canada, Massachusetts and Norway: simplicity, functionality and the characteristic red accent of the façade. The interior focuses on authenticity – natural materials, raw textures and a maximum of preserved structural details that tell the story of the place.
Materials and colour palette
Materials form the narrative of the project. Concrete and resin, wood, black steel, brick or stone, linen and seagrass dominate. Light resin floors with subtle drops of red correspond with the facade. Walls remain plastered or textured, un-smoothed and acoustically absorbent, enhancing the intimacy of the interior. The black steel visible on the staircase and kitchenette is an element that fuses rawness with elegance. The colours are monochromatic, with cool, stony beiges with pink highlights – as if the warmth of the façade boards penetrates inside.
Functional layout
The building is located on a slight slope. In the brick part, lowered by half a storey, a ‘winter’ kitchen with a wood-burning cooker is designed, accessed through a green door from the driveway. The floor in this area is brick paving in dark tones. Five steps up extends the main space – a living room and dining room open to full height with a kitchenette that facilitates daily errands.
A wooden mezzanine above the living room added around 20sq m of practical space. Its floor rests on added six-metre-high joists. The vision of a completely open space became a pragmatic solution that increased the comfort and use value of the house. Under the mezzanine was the main entrance from the driveway, a small dressing room made of a clinker wall with ventilating holes and a bathroom with a washing machine. From the bathroom, a staircase leads up to the master bedroom and further down a steep but comfortable flight to the mezzanine.
Furniture and details
The interior retains all the elements of the old roof trusses, cleaned and preserved with linseed oil. The concrete moulded columns, the old discolouration has been treated as a value, not a defect.
The furniture is a collection of items brought back over the years – from an armchair in the spirit of the Bauhaus to Baxter/Budapest sofas to unique Tom Dixon chairs. The kitchenette in black steel, designed in collaboration with local contractors, has been given a matte finish and a warm expression that contrasts and complements the rawness of the design.
The most interesting challenge was the staircase. Their shape and construction were conceived right in the barn: quick sketches, then detailed documentation in a graphics programme and realisation by local ironworkers. The result is a light, comfortable staircase in black steel that ‘twists in the air’ and also serves as a sculptural element in the interior. The interventions in the massing were minimal – a few windows were added and the beams for the mezzanine were reinforced, while the geometry of the roof and wall structure were maintained.
Site context and purpose
The barn stands in a landscape friendly to horse and bicycle enthusiasts. There are sports stables, downhill slopes and the scenic driveways of the Wieliczka Foothills. The project was developed as a weekend home for a mother and daughter and their guests – a space ideal for hosting an outdoor bonfire.
The barn BEFORE the conversion:
The Red Barn Project is an example where conservation and adaptation won out over new build. A respect for history, a consistent palette and preserved structural elements have created a home that combines the rawness of a barn with the warmth of home. It is a project in which craftsmanship, personal objects and a daring choice of materials have created a truly restful space – authentic, functional and full of character.
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About the studio:
Studio Kuchejda is the studio of Katarzyna Kuchejda, an interior designer with experience gained in New York alongside Laura Bohn. For more than a decade, the Studio has been operating with a permanent team of female architects, creating comprehensive projects – from architectural concepts to the realisation of interiors. Collaborations with craftsmen and an open creative process make each realisation a unique ‘experience space’.
design: interior architect Katarzyna Kuchejda, Studio Kuchejda
design team: interior architect Katarzyna Kuchejda, interior designer Małgorzata Kuchejda, general contractor Piotr Ostafin, architectural documentation: TOarchitekci
photographs: Katarzyna Osikowska – Tasz, Pietruszka Fotografia
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