Barndominiums

trending  with  high  style

Story by Steve Nussbaum

Pictured above: The trend in todays barndos are sleek and contemporary. This one was built by local builder Klassic Building Solutions of Graford.

Pictured left: The metal frame construction allows for wide open spaces and luxury living.

The term “barndominium†is used to describe metal- framed buildings that have been an affordable home style for country living for decades, and over the past few years these modest structures have become more popular and luxurious than ever.

The modern-day barndo is where country meets contemporary style, and the demand for these structures is thriving at Possum Kingdom Lake, where some of them could rightly be called barndo mansions.

Local businessman Kent Ragle’s Klassic Building Solutions has been building metal fabricated structures such as these since 1999, and his company has since expanded into metal docks, too.

Ragle, who began working with his dad in 2002 before buying him out in 2017, said he noticed the trend for higher-end metal homes about five years ago, adding that the trend has really taken off for his company over the past three years.

Ragle said these metal-framed homes are now bigger, sleeker and more modern in design than the traditional metal-framed homes his company used to build, and Klassic is now building about six to eight of these luxury barndos around PK every year. He said these structures make for a great, high-style lake house.

The design of today’s barndominiums look nothing like the earlier designs, either. The modern rooflines are contemporary and can offer a more industrial look – and, because of the high rooflines and large open spaces, they provide homeowners with a blank slate to get creative.

Ragle said modern-day homeowners are looking for plenty of room for big family gatherings, with sleeping accommodations for a bevy of guests. He said his company recently finished a barndo mansion that measured more than 8,000 square feet, and he added that these new barndos are perfect for creating modern spaces with an emphasis on outdoor living. To him, they are the perfect design for a modern lake property.

Luxury barndos tend to be more affordable than a traditional framed home, too. A luxury barndo can range from $115 to $250 per square foot to build, and Klassic does double- spray-foam insulation on all their homes, making the structures very energy efficient. The homes also tend to have lower insurance premiums because of their use of metal frames and storm-resistant materials.

The construction time on these types of structures is much faster, too, Ragle said. Once the metal shell is completed, the interior can be finished more quickly than a traditionally built home. He added that one of the bonuses of a barndo is the ability to incorporate a shop area or large garage into the design, which is perfect for housing boats, all-terrain vehicles, personal watercraft and other lake toys.

Local real estate agent Lars Hanssen currently represents two luxury barndos on the market. One is the Next Gen lodge, a 6,800- square-foot, custom-designed home that has 10 bedrooms, 8½ bathrooms and a 20-person hot tub, making it either a modern family resort or a potential corporate retreat. His other listing sports almost 3,000 square feet of living space and a 1,200-square-foot garage.

Hanssen touted these modern barndos as great lake properties or perfect vacation rentals.

“These homes offer lower maintenance and appeal to a creative, practical person,†Hanssen said.

One downside is that some homeowners associations around the lake do not allow for these types of residences, but many areas on the peninsula and west side of the lake do not have any restrictions for metal-framed homes. The modern barndo mansions, where country meets modern contemporary style, are gaining popularity at Possum Kingdom, and they can be the perfect luxury lake home.

This luxury barndo is currently on the market and listed with Lars Hanssen of Possum Kingdom Real Estate and features wide open living spaces and can sleep up to 30. Barndos make for the perfect modern lake front home and there are several on the market around Possum Kingdom Lake.