A Bag Designer’s Eclectic Dream Barn House in the Louisiana Countryside

updated Jul 19, 2019

A Bag Designer’s Eclectic Dream Barn House in the Louisiana Countryside

updated Jul 19, 2019
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Bedrooms
Square feet

2200

Sq ft

2200

Name: Kelly Moore Clark, husband Kelly and daughters Posey, Chapel, and Esther
Location: West Monroe, Louisiana
Size: 2200 square feet (of the wing of the house they live in)
Years lived in: 3 months, owned

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After turning off a busy highway, driving down a couple of small two-lane roads, and kicking up dust down a long dirt road, you’ll find the dreamy barn house and land known as K Squared Farms. Kelly and her husband Kelly (he’s affectionately known as “Kelly Boy” to decipher between the two) are a brave and adventurous duo who have three little girls. And together, they sat down with her dad to draw out the exact dream home they wanted: a large industrial structure that had enough room for their busy family, a guest suite, a shop for Kelly (Boy), a big breezeway and more, all on 15 acres of bucolic land in rural Louisiana.

Kelly is a photographer and owner of Kelly Moore Bags, a concept she came up with after hauling around an ugly camera bag and a big baby bag; she wanted something that could do both. Kelly says, “We have bags for women, men, professional photographers, and students. We have bags that will carry cameras and lenses, laptops, iPads, baby gear and just about anything else you can dream up to put in your bag! We create beautiful bags that will protect your stuff and will keep you organized.” Much like her company’s bag designs, the home she and her husband designed is roomy, stylish but also really functional. Not everyone has the space to stretch out like this family does, but it’s refreshing to see every detail so thoroughly thought out, and to see a home that fits a family perfectly.

You can visit the Kelly Moore Bags headquarters (and very first store) in a beautiful 100-year-old building in downtown Ruston, Louisiana or find one near you.

Apartment Therapy Survey:

Our Style: Modern + eclectic

Inspiration: Three things: Barns, old dogtrot house style homes, and LIGHT! The way we built the barn, we left the center completely open with roll-up glass garage doors on either end. It’s perfect for the kids to ride their bikes, roller skate and play, OR to have parties or an occasional concert or workshop.

Favorite Element: Ah! Hard to say. I think the concept of the breezeway really makes this structure unique. Essentially, instead of putting porches on the outside, we turned it inside out and put them in the middle.

Biggest Challenge: Probably trying to get my subcontractors (we were the general contractor for this project) to understand my vision. Subs are used to doing things a certain way, so when you ask them to do something different, sometime they are resistant. You just have to know what you want and stay diligent so they won’t talk you out of your ideas!

What Friends Say: “I’ve never seen anything like this before!” and ” I love the light!”

Biggest Embarrassment: How much I change my mind! My poor subs! I can’t tell you how many times they had to repaint a room, or take shiplap down and redo it, or change a light fixture THREE TIMES!! Sometimes, what you had in mind just doesn’t work once it’s in place. So yes, I changed the light fixture in my room THREE TIMES! My husband was about ready to fire me.

Proudest DIY: Designing the barn!! My dad and I sat down and drew out the whole structure. It was really fun to decide exactly where we wanted things to go. We really built this as we went along. Once the structure was framed up, I went from room to room and decided exactly where I wanted the windows and doors. It was definitely a very organic way of doing things.

Biggest Indulgence: There were few: The stove, the bathtub, and doors with transoms above them.

Best Advice: Purchase your splurges FIRST! I know that by the time we got to the point in the build to hang light fixtures, install sinks and faucets, and buy a tub… the budget was dwindling! I purchased those things first so we wouldn’t get to the end and have to cut them out.

Resources:

PAINT & COLORS
My bedroom — Sherwin-Williams Gauntlet Grey
Kitchen Cabinets Lowers — Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn
Guest Suite — Sherwin-Williams Cyber Space
Everything else — Behr, Aura Paint Base white, no tint

LIVING ROOM
Grey Sofa, Throw pillows — Paul Michael Company
Leather Chairs, grey ottoman, wool rug —West Elm
Jute Rug — Overstock
Gold Sconce in Living Room — Morland Sconce by Savoy House
Globe sconce — School House
Tapestry — Etsy
White Floor Lamp — IKEA
3 Tiered marble side table: Target
Letter Press Cabinet — Vintage find!
Overhead Garage Doors — (we had them powder coated Black)

DINING ROOM
Table — Paul Michael Company
Bench — DIY with Hairpin Legs from Etsy
Pink Chairs — World Market
Pendant over Table — World Market
Art — Lola Donoghue

KITCHEN
Pendants over Island — West Elm
Sconces over Sink — School House
Faucet — Amazon
Sink — IKEA
Dish Drawer — DCS Ranges
Range — DCS Ranges
Freezer — Sears
Fridge — Sears
Trim Kit (to make it all look like one unit) — Sears
BauBuche Countertops — This was something that was sourced locally, and I have not been able to find anywhere on the web that sellss this!
Quartz Island countertop — Calcutta Grey
Steel Brackets to make floating shelves — Etsy
White Tile for backsplash — Discount Glass Tile Store
Vent Hood and cabinets — Custom
Brushed Bronze Cabinet Latch — My Knobs
Rug under Table — Lonesome Pine Mercantile

BEDROOM
Bed — Walnut Grove Panel Bed: Wayfair
Side Tables — The Penelope Nightstand and the Mid-Century Nightstand from West Elm
Lords Prayer Canvas — Chenderson Art via Instagram
Brass/ Black Sconces — World Market
Throw Pillow — Target
Turkish Kilim Rug — Kaya Kilims
White Rug — West Elm

KIDS BATHROOM
Toilet — Kohler
Trough Sink — Home Depot
Faucets — Home Depot
10″ Hex Tile — Discount Glass Tile Store
Mirror — Target

MASTER BEDROOM
Mirrors — Target
Clawfoot Tub — Vintage Tub (I custom ordered it black on the outside)
Tub Faucet — Vintage Tub
Shower Faucet — Vintage Tub
Toilet — Kohler
Vanities — Custom
Pendant — West Elm
Sconce over Vanity — Crate & Barrel (our electrician hard wired them)
Runner — Lonesome Pine Mercantile
Stone on vanities — White Macabus Quartzite, via Houzz

KIDS’ BEDROOM:
Bed — Custom
Yellow rug — Land of Nod
Floral rug — Dash and Albert

BREEZEWAY
Pendant lights — Millennium Lights from Build
Wall Sconces — Millennium Lighting

Thanks, Kelly and Family!


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