Rustic wood and hot pink highlights usually run in separate circles, so it's quite a surprise to spot them mingling so brazenly in this Middleburg, Virginia converted barn. However, a peek into the barn's past reveals that the bold pairing is more about sentimental history than mere shock value.

Southern Living explains that Steven Gambrel returned to his native Virginia to take on his first barn transformation. While many of his choices for the barn's interior— the rustic beams and the clubby furniture— fit right into Middleburg's reputation, the cobalt blue and hot pink accents are highly personal. Gambrel drew them from jockey silks depicted in a picture of the family's favorite jockey. He explains that the, "They do exactly the same thing for this room as they do for a jockey riding a horse....They provide strong color on a neutral background."

To see more of the brilliant barn, check out the full article at Southern Living.

(Images: Eric Piasecki for Southern Living)