Build a bespoke barn-style kit home

While barn-style homes generally have similar characteristics – gabled ceilings, exposed beams and trusses, and large open-plan spaces – they no longer have to fit a standard profile.

From single-storey coastal retreats, to two-storey contemporary homes, Customkit Buildings helps to design and manufacture barn-style buildings.

Design consultant Julie Richardson-Smith and client services manager Tanya Parker share the process of working with Customkit Buildings and how to create a unique barn-style house.

Julie: In most instances our clients are only limited by their imagination, and we always encourage their input. We consistently create and bring to life barn-style homes and buildings that connect with the land, while always maintaining design consideration to minimise wastage.

Here at Customkit we have a range of concepts available that can be selected and/or altered to sit alongside the offering of our in-house bespoke design service. Our clients’ true individuality and style is able to be shown off and taken to the next level on the interior fit-out, where the level of freedom to customise is endless.

Julie: One of the standout features of our buildings are the LVL portals that offer both structural integrity and visual impact. Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) is an engineered wood product that is strong, adaptable, sustainable, and cost-effective.

The benefits of using timber are substantial as it is warmer, quieter, more flexible to work with and is environmentally superior to its steel counterpart. Timber also provides a greater fire resistance and has energy absorbing capabilities that make it an ideal material for earthquake prone regions.

Tanya: How much flexibility they have in designing their building. Our catch phrase is: “We are more custom than kit”. If you would like a one-off custom concept, we offer a bespoke in-house design service at no additional charge. Every one of our projects is specifically designed and engineered to meet our client’s design, site, and budget requirements. We also manage the full Building Consent process with the council on behalf of the client.

While we have our own designs and are happy to create bespoke one-off designs in house, we are also very happy to work alongside architects or with a concept supplied by our clients as was done with the Two Barns project – our client had the vision and we helped bring it to life.

Tanya: Absolutely. It could be that you start with just one pavilion and look to add others at a later date when time and budget allow. This type of addition is usually connected to the existing building via a glass breezeway or low-pitched mono slope roof structure. We have done several of these additions over the years and when done in a sympathetic manner, we find it works extremely well – with striking results.

Julie: The Customkit package essentially contains all materials required for the client’s builder to progress the project to a lock-up shell stage ready for external painting. This includes exterior and interior wall framing, exterior wall and roof cladding, aluminium joinery, spouting and downpipes along with decorative items such as window facings and our signature decorative louvres. If your building has a second storey or loft, then this – along with a staircase – will also be provided.

At the lock-up stage, from the inside you will see bare frames which will be uninsulated and unlined and ready for the interior finishing and fit out to begin. This is where the client has the creative freedom to choose exactly what finishing products and interior design elements they would like to use and where they source them from.

Our clients can choose to use their own builder or alternately one of our network builders that we can put them in touch with. Who the client engages as a builder is entirely their choice. Some of our previous and current clients include owner-builders who have also enjoyed constructing their own homes.

Tanya: Deliveries to site are staggered depending on the scale of the project and the builder’s timeframes. We are talking to the builders on our projects regularly and deliver materials to site when the builder is ready for them – this ensures the materials are always stored in optimal conditions.

As we build nationwide and our offices are based in Pukekohe, we are always looking to minimise costs for our clients. This includes, where possible and appropriate, utilising local suppliers close to your build to reduce transport costs for items like joinery and garage doors.

Tanya: Our clients often have a strong sense of what they are looking for in their next home. They commonly come to us with either their own hand-drawn concept, an architect commissioned design, a collection of visual ideas from various media or simply just a collection of ideas in their head.

The common thread is a desire to build a home that compliments their site and reflects who they are. They come to us because they want to work with a company that can take their ideas and make them a reality. Our clients want to be involved in the process and enjoy the freedom to do so.

I was a client of Customkit before gaining the role as client services manager so have a unique perspective on the process. We built our home with Customkit (image below) and I loved the level of involvement I could have around design and interior fit out. I now enjoy helping our new clients through the process and sharing my own experience and advice if needed. 

Julie: We are happy to work in conjunction with architects and prefer to be involved from the very early stages. This ensures great collaboration of both design and structural cohesiveness. Clients and architects should feel free to connect with us to discuss their potential projects and how they might see us working with them. We are always happy to have a look at a client’s concept and advise them from there should they be unsure of how to proceed with the design process.

Julie: Firstly, bring with you a love of barn-style buildings and enthusiasm to have a hand in designing your build. Secondly, come with a list of your needs in a building – we love form, but function must apply. Thirdly, bring your ‘would love to have’ wish list, as working in conjunction with your budget we will look to incorporate as much of this as possible for you. Everyone has a budget, so come with your ideas and an open mind. This way we can look at how best to achieve your dream.

Learn more about building a barn-style home with Customkit Buildings.

Words by Cassie Birrer