A Sense of Place: The Tack Rooms of David Sloan

BY JILL NOVOTNY

Tack rooms are the heart of a barn. It’s where we find the coffee, the supplies, the stories, and the camaraderie. Often, tack rooms are only briefly glimpsed when we run in and out with the tack in hand. But, what makes a great tack room, and by extension, a great barn? The horses certainly play a role, but they’re the reason the barn exists, and most of the time they aren’t even in the barn. A remarkable barn is one in which you linger. It has a story. It offers a sense of place. Big budgets, high-end materials, and custom stalls look great, but all too often the big budget barns have the same look of sterile efficiency, and the tack room can be the least impressive room of all.
For designer David Sloan, a great barn tells a story, and the tack room plays a big part in that. Under David’s educated eye, finishes, doors, signage, built-ins, and miscellaneous details all work together in a tack room to create an ambiance and atmosphere reflecting the tradition and history of life with horses while also providing the working space needed to keep a barn running smoothly.

David avoids the newest and the “best.” Rather, he seeks out historic doors, period cabinetry, salvaged light fixtures, and remnants of classic woodwork sourced from pickers, salvage yards, antique stores, and warehouses specializing in architectural remnants. He weaves these elements together to compose an atmosphere unlike any other. The ideal salvage was once part of a former school, a long-lost church, or various industrial sites built and designed as public spaces intended to take the knocks and abuse of daily hard use. Each piece has a distinct look and unique history and is specifically selected for its ability to add form and function to the room.

Given the diverse backgrounds of the architectural elements, David looks for pieces of similar mass and scale and works to standardize finishes, coordinate trim, and incorporate strategic lighting to provide balance and harmony to each individual tack room. According to David, “My goal is to create bold, curated, and functional spaces. Large pieces for storage and tack grab the eye and take the abuse of daily use, but the details define the space and give it depth and personality. I’ve spent hours in working barns watching how a barn team communicates, how the tack is accessed, where the grooming products are stored, down to how often the tail extensions get used, all to design a space that is memorable for both its ambience and its dayto-day functionality.”

As we completed our tour of his latest project, David reminded us of the importance of every detail. “Each element contributes to a story of tradition and history that we can integrate into our life with horses,” said David. “These architectural elements are incorportated because they play a distinct role in helping a barn run efficiently. At the end of the day, isn’t this what we value most for ourselves and our horses?”

DAVID SLOAN and his wife, Judy, are residents of Millbrook, N.Y. and Wellington, Fla. An avid polo player, David is nationally recognized for his design talents. He creates barn interiors, gardens, and tailgate trailers, using repurposed items and architectural salvage to establish an aesthetic that sets him apart.