Really Cool Barndonium

[Ben]

Back when I was looking at places, one of my thoughts was bare land and building a barndonium (shop+living space for those not familiar). My realtor actually showed me a barndonium that was on the market, but I was not impressed with it. I stumbled onto this barndonium tour on the youtubz. This one looks REALLY nice. They have a really nice layout.

https://youtu.be/Veypz28s0yU

[MillCreek]

^^^All I can say is Holy Moly in an awed tone of voice.

[AmbulanceDriver]

Ultimate man cave

[230RN]

Nice when you can build to whims.  I must have missed it, how much ground went with the property?

[Perd Hapley]

Wifey needs some decorating help.

[Boomhauer]

They are the best structure for the dollar. All metal exterior is a lot less maintenance, go up and dry in quick, wide open possibilities for configuration inside. No termite concerns for the structure itself.

[K Frame]

Really nice layout and a gorgeous view out over the valley where he lives. One thing I would have done differently, though, is in-floor radiant heat in the shop. I bet that slab gets incredibly cold in the winter.

I like the gun safe built into the wall, though. Nice. :)

[HankB]

The view is one of the nicest things about that place. Like 230RN wrote, I'm curious about how much land it's sitting on. From all those lights I imagine they're NOT "off grid" - I wonder about the insulation and HVAC system since the place is in SE Idaho which isn't exactly noted for mild winters. From experience growing up in northern Illinois and later working in Minnesota, I'm not a big fan of garage doors facing north - in northern climes, winter ice tends to build up on shaded driveways.

I like the garage/shop area but I would have laid it out more for woodworking/metalworking/reloading rather than vehicle repair, but to each his own. I probably would have included a 2nd floor or mezzanine over at least half the garage. The 12x12 door looks great if he ever decides to get a small motor home like a Winnebago LeSharo or whatever today's equivalent is. (Thinking about it, a 12x12 door will accomodate something bigger, probably just limited by the clearance of the lift.)

The built-in gun safe is tiny, and if I were building from scratch, I would have hidden the safe behind a bookcase or mirror. Or better, made a walk-in safe on the 1st floor, with reinforced concrete walls and ceiling and a (concealed) vault door for access. Dead simple to do when building, more expensive as a retrofit.

The place looks too neat to be "lived in" as a primary residence. Either that or the people don't have much "stuff."

[MechAg94]

I like the walk in shower, but wouldn't that end up splashing water and stuff all over the place? 

The outside deck/balcony is a awesome. 

The only odd thing that stood out was that with all that space in the garage/shop, they have stackable washer/dryers instead of side by side.  I guess it still works.  I would need more shelving in the garage also.

My old boss built a barndominium in central Texas as his retirement home.  He has invited me to come visit, but I haven't yet.  I need to go see it. 

[K Frame]

HVAC is forced air, it looks like, judging by the floor and ceiling vents, but there aren't that many of them, so I'm guessing that the place is super insulated.

In the one scene there's a bit propane tank to the side of the place, so it's probably gas heat, hot water, and the cooktop is gas.

I still say a place like that, in a climate like that, would be perfect for in floor radiant heating.


And the place is definitely not off grid because there's an electric meter on the side of building in the first few seconds of the video. It's being fed from an underground cable.

In the one shot it looks like he's also got a wood stove in the shop, but it's being stored under the stairs and obviously isn't being used/isn't hooked up.

[Ben]

As for looking lived in, I checked out out some of his other stuff, and it's a young couple who look to be into a semi-minimalist lifestyle, so other than the toys in the shop, they probably don't have much in the house by choice.

I've used walk-in showers before, and built right, there's no worry about splash. In fact I would love to have one. In this part of Idaho, everyone loves their big jacuzzi tubs, and that's what my master bath came with, and then it has a totally too small shower stall, and I mostly take showers. I've thought of some day ripping out the tub and putting a walk-in shower in its place, and then putting a small tub where the current shower stall is.

On the heating, most of Idaho is either heat pump or dual heat pump/furnace systems. The propane tank doesn't look big enough for gas only in our climate. I'm sure they're on grid electric.

I thought the gun safe was too small as well, especially for a custom built-in like that. But again, young kid, and he might just have guns, but not be into guns.

Tall shop doors are a must for a rural place. I need 9' clearance just for my little tractor if I want to bring it into the shop to work on it without having to drop the ROPS.

One minor thing I would change is moving that outside planter. A planter that close to the house/foundation is not a great idea.

[MillCreek]

Maybe I missed it on the shop floor, but I would have a bathroom on the ground floor off the shop.

[Perd Hapley]

Maybe I missed it on the shop floor, but I would have a bathroom on the ground floor off the shop.

The bathroom is the outside.

[Ben]

Maybe I missed it on the shop floor, but I would have a bathroom on the ground floor off the shop.

That is one thing that I wish my shop had.

[Nick1911]

Cool deal, I could see that working out well for a couple with no kids and some toys.

A couple things that I don't love:
Looks like conventional wood construction on a slab, with T1-11 siding.  That's fine, but personally I'd go post-frame with metal siding/roofing.
All the exterior wood looks great right now, but generally is a maintenance hassle over time.
The garage has a lot of head height, which is good for a lift, but also results in a lot of wasted space.
The garage is decidedly not a workshop.  It's setup to store toys and do light maintenance, but looks unsuitable for serious work.

[Ben]

The garage is decidedly not a workshop.  It's setup to store toys and do light maintenance, but looks unsuitable for serious work.

Yeah, but that could be easily reconfigured. My shop was just a big empty building with no electricity when I moved in. I really like Hank's idea of a mezzanine or similar in the shop. I have my reloading room in the shop, and just the 10x14 or whatever it is roof on the room holds a lot of not often used stuff that would otherwise take up floor or shelf space in the shop. As big as my shop is, I'm still sometimes wishing for more space. 

[MillCreek]

The bathroom is the outside.

In my experience, the wives do not support this concept.

[MillCreek]

That is one thing that I wish my shop had.

One of my neighbors constructed a huge RV garage/woodshop. Within a year he remodeled it to put in a bathroom, utility sink, and shower.  His wife got mad with him tracking sawdust into the house on his way to the shower or toilet, and bringing in dirty auto parts to wash in the sink.

[HankB]

. . . And the place is definitely not off grid because there's an electric meter on the side of building in the first few seconds of the video. It's being fed from an underground cable . . .

Good point.

Maybe I missed it on the shop floor, but I would have a bathroom on the ground floor off the shop.

The first floor also includes a kitchen/living room and an "office/guest bedroom" with a bathroom in between.

What I don't remember seeing is a dining area - there's a "movable island" in the kitchen, so maybe THAT is where they take meals? Looks more like a breakfast counter to me, not the place I'd want to chow down to a big dinner.

[K Frame]

"What I don't remember seeing is a dining area"

I notice that, too.

I'd definitely want something along those lines... but there's enough area for at least a folding table and chairs if you move the island.

[K Frame]

Just noticed that there's an outside condenser in the dog yard -- heat pump.

So, the primary heat in their living area is most likely the heat pump, as Ben said, possibly with a propane helper helper heater, and the 250k BTU heater in the garage.

Still definitely not how I'd be heating that place.

My guess is, though, that given that it's new construction that it's pretty darned well insulated.

[Perd Hapley]

The place looks too neat to be "lived in" as a primary residence. Either that or the people don't have much "stuff."

It's neat & tidy, and I'm not knocking the idea of a barndominium, but the way it looks inside, I think you'd feel exactly like you were living in a garage. It just doesn't seem very inviting. Then again, I've gotten used to living with someone that scatters antique store knick-knacks over every available surface, and makes me hang stuff all over the walls. Maybe I've just gotten used to that.

I'm surprised no one's pointed out the real, serious problem with the garage. The enclosure for the dogs should go around the couch, too.

[HankB]

. . .  and makes me hang stuff all over the walls . . .

I'm not seeing a problem there.

After seeing my place, my old secretary gave me a page from her Jeff Foxworthy calendar - "You just might be a redneck if . . . All your wall decorations have horns."

I've still got it stuck to my fridge with a magnet. 

[Kingcreek]

Yeah, I like it but my wife would hate it. And stairs? I’m 65 wife is 68 and each of us have aftermarket knees. We “do” stairs just fine but you think about the day you don’t.
I need a 2 BR 2 bath house with an awesome shop space
And in a rare moment I agree with K frame Mike that radiant floor heat is the way to go.
If I were to build new on bare ground, hybrid ICF construction with slab rad floor heat, mini splits, steel roof and trusses, and a very low maintenance exterior, hi tech perimeter and surveillance. Yeah I could see that…

[230RN]

HankB noted:

"The 12x12 door looks great if he ever decides to get a small motor home like a Winnebago LeSharo or whatever today's equivalent is. (Thinking about it, a 12x12 door will accomodate something bigger, probably just limited by the clearance of the lift.)"

I was designing my house to have a "dugout" or pit in the garage for under the car work.  Not for "serious" stuff, but oil changes and the like.

I suddenly discovered, which I should have known in the first place, that the ground, which was located on the slopes around  the "Table Mountain National Radio Observatory" was in a radio quiet zone.  So much for my ham radio activities.  I was planning on a "full gallon" (1 kiloWatt) station.

I sold the property at a profit, having only completed preliminary sketches of the house.  But I sure felt like a fart smeller.  Duh.

Terry "Not enough of a smart feller," 230RN

REF (At the time, the quiet zone part was not really publicized, but CB radio was just peaking. Last time I was up in that area I noticed they had signs all around the place regarding the Quiet Zone.  I got wind of it by rag-chewing with a fellow member of BARC (Boulder Amateur Radio Club):
https://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/table-mountain-national-radio-quiet-zone/view/google/