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05 Barn

Barn is evolving into an immersive, distinctive and soothing style. In 2026, the Barn is refreshed with dramatic shape, natural light and restorative palettes that evoke nature.

Download the full Design Handbook for a more in depth look at design themes, inspiration, floorplans, landscaping and more.

Download the full Barn Design Handbook

Distinct, immersive & soothing

Dramatic rooflines, asymmetrical details and expressive forms inject bold personality, while overlaid materiality and light create immersive, natural beauty.

Contents:

  • Lifestyle themes NEW
  • Floorplan NEW
  • Design features
  • Cladding solutions
  • Colour palette
  • Style variations
  • Materials & textures
  • Landscaping NEW
  • Styling
Barn Design Handbook Contents
Barn Design Handbook Contents

Lifestyle themes

Guided by evolved, creative, multigenerational and autonomous ways of living, the Barn home perfectly responds to the dynamic needs, pressures and aspirational shifts of modern life—supporting elevated daily living, human connection, independence and adaptability.

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Evolved Living

Evolved Living shapes the Barn through smarter spatial thinking, where bold form meets efficient performance. Adaptable layouts, durable materials and passive principles deliver comfort, flexibility and long-term resilience while responding to cost, climate and contemporary patterns of living.

Creative Living

Creative Living amplifies the Barn’s distinct shape, as dramatic rooflines, layered textures and expressive detailing become tools for personal storytelling. Rich materiality and sculptural finishes transform the home into a canvas for self-expression, balancing grounded warmth with contemporary flair.

Multigenerational Living

Multigenerational Living informs the Barn through open, flowing layouts and flexible zones that adapt over time. Strong form and layered materiality frame shared spaces, while quieter retreats offer privacy, enabling households to live together comfortably, balancing connection, independence and evolving family rhythms.

Autonomous Living

Autonomous Living defines the Barn as resilient, self-reliant and thoughtfully efficient. Bold form is supported by passive design, durable materials and simplified construction, enabling homes to perform with minimal intervention. This approach helps deliver comfort, reduced maintenance and long-term adaptability, offering stability and confidence amid shifting environmental and economic conditions.
JAM2677 MHF 2026 Campaign Dev 4 9 1

For additional insights in to the lifestyle shifts shaping Barn homes today,
Download the full Design Handbook to gain expert insight from Jenny Li of WGSN.

Download the full Barn Design Handbook

Design features

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Property 1=Variant2

1 Dramatic roofline

Elevated, high set gable roofs with a pitch of 35 to 45 degrees create a bold, graphic silhouette. This dramatic roofline evokes rural tradition while supporting passive design for natural light, airflow, and comfort.
Image Ratios (1)

2 Expressive eaves

Oversized or absent eaves add visual drama and shade to entrances and alfresco areas. This expressive detail enhances the Barn’s striking form.
Image Ratios (2)

3 Layered materiality

Vertical or horizontal cladding, especially in the board and batten look, creates an artisan finish. Natural-look textures add tactile depth to the facade.
Design Features - Barn

4 Rectangular windows

Long, rectangular windows and sliding doors accentuate the dramatic height of the Barn, flooding interiors with natural light and framing views of the landscape for a strong connection to nature.

Cladding solutions

The Barn’s adaptable structure supports numerous cladding treatments, allowing for personalised aesthetics that suit different environments and tastes. 

Ready to specify Hardie™ fibre cement products in your next project?

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Colour palette

The colour palette takes its inspiration from Nordic minimalism, with added warm feature accents to ensure a calming, balanced Barn interior. The colour palette helps to emphasise the architectural simplicity of Barn style, allowing the play of light and shadow and the beauty of the Barn form to take centre stage.

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JAM2677 MHF 2026 Campaign Dev 4 9 3

Want to understand how colour shapes the Barn aesthetic? Download the Design Handbook for insight into the colour palette from Jenny Li of WGSN.

Download the full Barn Design Handbook

Scheme 1

Scheme 2

Scheme 3

Roof
Main Walls
Trims
Front Door

Colorbond® steel Pale Eucalypt®

Dulux® Colorbond® Pale Eucalypt®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Pale Eucalypt®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Pale Eucalypt®

Dulux® Colorbond® Pale Eucalypt®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Pale Eucalypt®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Pale Eucalypt®

Dulux® Colorbond® Pale Eucalypt®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Pale Eucalypt®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Pale Eucalypt®

Colourbond® steel Night Sky®

Dulux® Coffee Dust
Wattyl® Brazillian Drums
Taubmans® Sarsaparilla

Dulux® Colourbond® Night Sky®
Wattyl Solagard® Colorbond® steel Night Sky®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Night Sky®

Dulux® Colourbond® Night Sky®
Wattyl Solagard® Colorbond® steel Night Sky®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Night Sky®

Colorbond® steel Surfmist®

Dulux® Hog Bristle® Quarter
Wattyl® Astor White
Taubmans® Graceful White

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Natural Timber

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Natural Timber

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Scheme 1

Scheme 2

Scheme 3

Roof
Main Walls
Trims
Front Door

Colorbond® steel Pale Eucalypt®

Dulux® Colorbond® Pale Eucalypt®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Pale Eucalypt®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Pale Eucalypt®

Dulux® Colorbond® Pale Eucalypt®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Pale Eucalypt®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Pale Eucalypt®

Dulux® Colorbond® Pale Eucalypt®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Pale Eucalypt®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Pale Eucalypt®

Colourbond® steel Night Sky®

Dulux® Coffee Dust
Wattyl® Brazillian Drums
Taubmans® Sarsaparilla

Dulux® Colourbond® Night Sky®
Wattyl Solagard® Colorbond® steel Night Sky®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Night Sky®

Dulux® Colourbond® Night Sky®
Wattyl Solagard® Colorbond® steel Night Sky®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Night Sky®

Colorbond® steel Surfmist®

Dulux® Hog Bristle® Quarter
Wattyl® Astor White
Taubmans® Graceful White

150ff25f304c17ca80b04a1e6f95bb2cb3cdcb41

Natural Timber

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Natural Timber

JAM2677 MHF 2026 Campaign Dev 4 9 3

Want to understand how colour shapes the Barn aesthetic? Download the Design Handbook for insight into the colour palette from Jenny Li of WGSN.

Download the full Barn Design Handbook

Style variations

While the iconic pitched roof anchors the Barn, variations respond to lifestyle, block size and climate. Material palettes, window placement and detailing evolve to suit context, enabling expressive yet practical homes that balance bold form, comfort, performance and long-term adaptability.

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Urban Barn

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Multigenerational

Image Ratios (7)

Asymmetric roofline

See what differentiates each Barn house. Download the full Design Handbook for insight into the thinking behind each variation.

Download the full Barn Design Handbook

Get the Look

Materials & textures

This is a palette defined by creamy whites and greens, layered with deep bark and soft pink, creating a deeply organic yet expressive base. Raw, clay-like walls, wooden textures with bold green tile accents enable visual depth. The abundance of colours and textures, animated by dramatic light play, enables a space that is both comforting and sensorially profound.

Barn Design Handbook Materials and Textures
Editor Avatar

Hear directly from VOGUE Living Editor Rebecca Caratti on material choices. Download the full Design Handbook for exclusive insights.

Download the full Barn Design Handbook
Large Image1
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Exterior

  • 1

    Travertine Tuscan Stepping Stone, RMS Traders

  • 2

    Rapid Black Wire Mesh Panel, Bunnings

  • 3

    PVC Decking, Vintage Collection®, Coastline, TimberTech®

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Flooring

  • 4

    Exposed Aggregate Polished Concrete

  • 5

    Copenhagen Cork Flooring, Kustom Timber

  • 6

    Cantina, Engineered Timber Flooring, Kustom Timber

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Large Image8

Windows & Walls

  • 7

    Danpalon® Microcell Glazing Panel, Danpal

  • 8

    Bread Crumb Interior Walls Matt Paint, Dulux

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Large Image10

Cabinetry

  • 9

    Laminex Sepia Walnut, Natural, Laminex

  • 10

    Laminex possum, Natural, Laminex

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Tiles

  • 11

    Northbridge Peach Terracotta Look Subway Tile, Tilecloud

  • 12

    Coogee Antique Forest Green Kit Kat Mosaic Tile, Tilecloud

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Textiles

  • 13

    Jefferson Upholstery, Gold, Warwick

  • 14

    Linia Kariega Upholstery, Charcoal, Warwick

  • 15

    Wappo Linen Upholserty, James Dunlop Textiles

Get the Look

Materials & textures

This is a palette defined by creamy whites and greens, layered with deep bark and soft pink, creating a deeply organic yet expressive base. Raw, clay-like walls, wooden textures with bold green tile accents enable visual depth. The abundance of colours and textures, animated by dramatic light play, enables a space that is both comforting and sensorially profound.

Barn Design Handbook Materials and Textures
Large Image1
Small Image2
Small Image3

Exterior

  • 1

    Travertine Tuscan Stepping Stone, RMS Traders

  • 2

    Rapid Black Wire Mesh Panel, Bunnings

  • 3

    PVC Decking, Vintage Collection®, Coastline, TimberTech®

Editor Avatar

Hear directly from VOGUE Living Editor Rebecca Caratti on material choices. Download the full Design Handbook for exclusive insights.

Download the full Barn Design Handbook

Landscaping

Landscaping in the Barn extends the home’s grounded character into the landscape, using native planting, textured surfaces and layered greenery to frame bold architecture. Outdoor zones become restorative, sheltering and sensory, supporting passive performance while strengthening the connection between built form, nature and everyday living.

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JAM2677 MHF 2026 Campaign Dev 4 9 2

Find a detailed, climate specific planting list in the full Design Handbook, with expert insight from Matt Leacy, Director of Landart.

Download the full Barn Design Handbook
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