A barn becomes a unique home

PHOTOS SUBMITTED SUBMITTED The front door of the home is fl anked by a mudroom on the left and a dining area on the right. (right) Bentley Coyne helps Grandpa Roger Janak (Jenn’s father) with the new staircase during renovation at the Coynes’ property in Villard. right. (right) ovation at the in February 2017, it had already gone through the barn-to-house conversion. The hayloft portion of the barn has a staircase leading to a deck and the living space. The lower level of the barn still has box stalls where livestock was housed back in the day; it is used primarily for storage and as Willie’s workplace. The original renovation took place in the early 2000s.

“We knew after we were married that we wanted to try to wanted to try to fi nd some-fi nd something thing out in out in the t he country and this property came up for sale,” Jenn said. “It was in our budget, and it worked with what our needs were at the time; we were a young couple without a family.”

Jenn works in Sauk Centre and Willie is self-employed traveling around central Minnesota as a hoof trimmer, so the home’s location fi t their work lives.

For the Coynes, a two-bedroom, one bath home worked both in functionality and affordability.

Looking through a photo album from the previous owners, Jenn pointed out some of the areas in the original layout, like the bedrooms and bathroom, have stayed almost untouched. A little paint, and the use of decor have changed the look. The rest of the space has changed, though, in renovation projects the Coynes have done.

The fi rst couple years the Coynes lived in the house and planned. For them, renovations began in 2020 to accommodate their growing family. They now have two sons, Bentley, who will be 3 and Declan, who is 10 months. “When we found out we were expecting (Declan) in 2020, that pushed our need to change up a

Coynes page 20

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Coynes

from page 18

little bit more,” Jenn said.

One goal was to do renovations cost effectively. With a handyman husband and father, Jenn was confi dent the goal could be achieved.

“We knew going into our project, whatever we wanted, it could be done pretty much by ourselves,” she said. Jenn’s father, Roger Janak,acted as the general contractor, and worked with them in developing realistic plans. He put together his own 2020 remodel book to show the progress. A new layout came into play in the kitchen. Appliances were shifted around and a dishwasher was installed. The sink was moved to a more centralized location. New cabinetry was purchased from a home in Edina, another way to save on costs. The cabinet pieces were then arranged to fi t the Coynes’ space. Pulling the kitchen closer together allowed space for a dining room, now graced by a long dining table. Jenn’s mother-in-law, Lisa Coyne, has a knack for decorating and has helped with decor. She is familiar with home trends and her touch can be seen in the dining table and chairs, among other decorations throughout the house.

Adding another bedroom is a further change. Walls were framed piece by piece, following the curve of the building. The new bedroom became the

PHOTO BY KATE MILLER Jenn Coyne is at home in her kitchen Sept. 16 in Villard. The kitchen features cabinets she and her husband, Willie, purchased used and retrofi tted to their space.

master bedroom, with intentions to put in a bathroom and closet toward the back corner by year’s end.

An additional project involved enclosing the loft. Accessible by a new staircase, the loft has become a playroom that includes an offi ce area and an extra bed for guests. This three-in-one space is a way to combat smaller spaces available throughout the house. Adding a short wall and bench near the front door to function as a mudroom was another way to create space within spaces. The mudroom has different fl ooring to separate it from the open design of the kitchen, living and dining area. With all the projects, Jenn has really seen the house transform into their home. Being able to plan around unconventional spaces is something the Coynes have done well, adapting the spaces for their lifestyle.

“We’ve been really happy with it. We’ve been with this design, this layout for almost a year,” Jenn said.

Future projects include redoing the deck and adding a fresh coat of paint to the outside of their home, in addition to landscaping. The Coynes’ hope is for the outside of the house to match more of what they have created on the inside.

Then, it will be complete.

“We are making this our home for the foreseeable future, it’s worked out very well for us so far,” Jenn said. “There’s a lot of character and we’ve really turned this house into a home we love.”