Our Carriage Barn
For those of you who have realized you want to live in a post and beam structure, good for you! You’re already way ahead of where I was when the idea of post and beam living came into my life.
As of today, I am a year and change into being a post and beam convert. I’ve lived in a number of architectural styles including a 1700s Colonial, an 1850s Victorian, a seaside cottage and two lakeside townhouses. I’ve seen my share of lathe and horsehair plaster walls (excellent insulation), knob and tube wiring (a home inspection nightmare) and an early attempt at radiant heat installed in a ceiling. Really, who thought that was a good idea????
Needless to say, the Colonial and Victorian homes were aesthetically pleasing and filled with beautiful period architectural details, but they were also endless in their demand for updating and rehabbing. Don’t get me started on replacing a slate roof or trying to find enough closet space. Neither is an easy or inexpensive undertaking in an older home.
However, this is not about older homes, it’s about the dream of post and beam living. Just saying it as I sit here in my new carriage barn looking at these gorgeous beams, makes me want to pinch myself. This was not always the case. I’d be less than honest if I said I’ve always loved them, quite the opposite actually. When I married into the post and beam tradition, I was less than thrilled. An old barn rehabbed? Definitely! A new post and beam structure? No thank you. Or so I thought.
My education of the post and beam structure design and building process is now in the post-graduate level. I can confidently say I possess extensive knowledge on the topic, particularly in the areas of architectural design and décor of and for the post and beam home…
….so now I continue my post-graduate education: living the post and beam dream. I look forward to posting updates along the way. What will the first spring be like in my post and beam barn homes? How will design decisions I made a year ago impact my life in the next 10 months? Will I have any regrets? Did I make any oversights? What decision will I look back on as the best decision I made in the design process? How will I decorate my high ceilings and huge windows for the holiday season? I hope you’ll check in often and join me on my journey of living the post and beam dream. 
