The Nada Barn House Project
Texas Wood. Texas Made. Built to Last.
PROJECT DETAILS
IT STARTED WITH A BEAM
Chris walked into our El Campo showroom looking for something solid for his new barn house. He was in the process of building a barndominium with an open floorplan and wanted Pecan beams strong enough to hold up a loft with a pool table on the top floor.
Here at Tin Roof Kitchen & Home, we don’t pull our material from a shelf. Each piece starts at our sawmill located at Pratka Ranch in Lane City, Texas. After that first visit, Chris kept coming back to us with new ideas. By the time we wrapped up his project, we had built out beams, flooring, stairs, mantles, shelving, a ladder, and a table with family history.
PROJECT AT A GLANCE
CUSTOM PECAN BEAMS, FLOORING, AND STAIRCASE
LIVE EDGE MESQUITE BAR TOP AND MANTLE
FAMILY ELM COFFEE TABLE
BARN WOOD DEBUGGED AND SANDBLASTED
DOG KENNEL AND BARN DOOR STILL IN PROGRESS
PECAN BEAMS THAT HOLD THEIR WEIGHT
We started Chris’s project with oversized Pecan beams. We went ahead and sandblasted them to bring out their natural texture and give them a different finish from the rest of the home. These beams were built to carry the weight of the loft, which hold a pool table. We also wrapped a few steel beams in solid Pecan so the look stayed consistent.
FLOORING YOU CAN SEE FROM BELOW
With an open layout like this one, the bottom of the loft isn’t hidden. It’s part of the view from the kitchen and living area. Chris didn’t want to see exposed joists or a patchwork of materials. He wanted it to look finished from every angle.
We used 2-inch thick Pecan wood for this part, which made it solid all the way through. Whether you’re standing upstairs or looking up from the kitchen, what you see is real wood. No layers, no filler. Just clean lines and strong grain that gives Chris’ space a clean, finished look.
STAIRCASE PIVOT
The staircase was supposed to turn 90 degrees. But when we showed up to install, there was a power port in the exact spot our post needed to go. Instead of forcing it, we adjusted right there on site. We ended up shifting the whole thing 45 degrees. This opened the space up and made it look better, honestly. Just one of those moments where having the right crew pays off.
A TREE IN THE LOFT
Chris had a steel post in the corner of his loft that stuck out like a sore thumb. We hollowed out a real tree trunk and wrapped it around the post. This not only gave it some rustic character but it also made it part of the build. Now it’s doing double duty: holding up the railing and tying in with the rest of the wood in the home. Chris plans to add limbs and hang his duck mounts on it. And honestly, we couldn’t love that idea any more.
MESQUITE THAT MAKES A STATEMENT
Mesquite isn’t the easiest wood to match, especially when you’re working with live edges and slabs of this size. Chris had a picture in his head, and we spent some serious time pulling slabs that checked every box: shape, color, grain, and size.
A 12-FOOT MANTLE THAT
ANCHORS THE LIVING ROOM
CUSTOM FLOATING SHELVES
A BAR TOP AND COUNTER THAT RUN MORE THAN 12 FEET LONG
Every piece had to line up just right to keep the look clean and consistent. It took some digging, but the end result speaks for itself.
FROM FAMILY LAND TO LIVING ROOM
Chris brought in an Elm log he’d cut off his family’s land years ago. We put it through the aging process and learned it was 91 years old. That kind of wood means something. We turned it into a coffee table, kept the edges natural, and added a small plaque so the story stays with the piece. That table’s not just for today, it’ll be around for a long time.
FINAL TOUCHES AND WORK IN PROGRESS
Chris brought in some barn wood that was full of bugs and it didn’t quite match. We kiln-dried and sandblasted it to clean it up while keeping the weathered look he wanted.
WE ALSO ADDED:
RAW CEDAR TONGUE AND GROVE IN THE GUN ROOM TO KEEP THE CEDAR CHEST SCENT AND HELP WITH PESTS
A WOOD AND METAL LADDER THAT FOLDS NEATLY AGAINST
THE WALL FOR ACCESS TO THE THIRD-STORY LOFT
STILL TO COME:
A dog kennel under the stairs,
built to match the railing
A rustic sliding barn door
More floating shelves behind the bar
THE WORK SPEAKS FOR ITSELF
This wasn’t a fast project. It took time to source the right wood, dry it down, sand it, and fit every piece where it needed to go. Chris had a clear idea of what he wanted and trusted the Tin Roof team to get it done the right way.
“Every piece had a reason. Chris knew what he liked and let us take it from there. That’s the kind of work we like doing.” — Tin Roof Team
READY TO BUILD?
If you’re looking for real wood, honest work, and a team that can bring your ideas to life, let’s talk. Whether you need a single showpiece or the whole house, we’re ready to take on your project.
Let’s Build Your Next Project