The barndo shell makes an ideal multigenerational home. With spacious, airy designs and open floor plans, the common areas make for roomy, comfortable spaces for relaxing and sharing time together. At the same time, multi-wing or multi-floor floor plans can give multiple generations the privacy and autonomy they need.
In this guide, we will share some of our favorite multigenerational barndominium floor plans with you. But first, let’s explain what multigenerational homes are, and why they are becoming more widespread.
What are Multigenerational Homes?
A multigenerational home is a house that is designed specifically to house more than one generation of a family at the same time.
While you can do this in a regular house, it can pose some challenges as far as keeping everyone comfortable. A home that is specifically designed for multiple generations to inhabit, however, can provide the right balance between shared spaces and private zones.
These types of homes frequently feature separate entrances for each generation, plus individual kitchens and living rooms for both.
Why are Multigen Floor Plans Trending?
Here are the multigenerational living benefits that are leading to the rising popularity of these types of homes:
- Cost of living: One of the biggest drivers of multigenerational living is the soaring cost of living. People’s wages are not keeping up with inflation. As a result, it is becoming necessary for more families to cohabit between generations under the same roof
- Smoother transitions into adulthood: It has become commonplace for young adults to live longer at home than they did in decades past. Having enough space for your children to begin their journey into adulthood under your roof gives them a smoother transition into adult life and responsibilities. Even just a few extra years not having to pay rent can also be a game-changer in terms getting a flying start with savings and investments.
- Care for aging parents: Elder care is easier and more accessible when your aging parents can live with you. It can spare you and them from having to pay for other services, and reduce stress and save time while you perform caretaking duties.
- Enjoy family bonds: Necessity is the main factor driving many people to choose multigenerational living. But it is worth keeping in mind it is also valid as a choice simply for its own sake. Some families may simply prefer living together across generations.
- Option for tenants: If you want to bring in some extra income, you could just rent out the extra rooms in your multigenerational home instead of your family living there.
Multigen Barndominium Floor Plans
Now that you know more about the benefits of multigenerational living and why it is becoming a big deal right now, let’s take a look at some multigenerational barndominium floor plans.
BCO-40081-GS Barndominium House Plan
The BCO-40081-GS is a spacious 4,210 square foot floor plan. It is a single story plan, so perfect if you are planning for aging in place or taking care of aging parents.
The front door leads to a foyer, which includes entrances to an office on one side, and a bedroom on the other. Proceed past the doorways to enter the open floor plan living room, dining room and kitchen.
On one side of the home, you’ll find a 3-car garage, large enough for multiple generations to keep their vehicles. A hallway on that side of the home takes you to master bedroom, master closet, and master bathroom.
If you go back into the kitchen, and continue across to the other side, you’ll find entrances to the pantry, laundry, and powder room. A hallway leads to a second bedroom and bathroom.
Returning to the porch, you’ll notice there is a second door. If you go through it, it’ll lead you to a secondary wing of the house. It features a living room, kitchenette, and a hallway with two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
This wing offers a division of space, perfect for your aging parents or your adult children to occupy. You can gather in the common areas of the home if you want. But if you and they prefer some privacy, the separate entrances and common areas allow you to all enjoy total autonomy while under the same roof.
Why You’ll Love It
The BCO-40081-GS is kind of like two homes put together. You can combine or separate your lives as much as you wish. It’s ideal not only for housing multiple generations, but also for renting out a section of your home while living in the other.
GJ-4404 Wallace Barndominium House Plan
Next, we have the two-story GJ-4404 Wallace Barndominium, which features 2,496 square feet of heated space. On the ground floor, there is a garage and a carport. The garage is fully enclosed, while the carport just has a roof.
Heading inside, you’ll find a combined kitchen, dining room, and living room, as well as a powder room. There is a downstairs bedroom with a bathroom and a walk-in closet.
If you go upstairs, you will find a separate kitchen, dining room and living room for the other generation. Going down a hallway, you’ll find the master bedroom and bathroom, office, and another bedroom and bathroom.
You probably will want to occupy the master bedroom yourself. So, the upstairs suite is for you. The downstairs suite is ideal for aging parents who may not do well with stairs.
Why You’ll Love It
The downstairs bedroom makes for excellent accessibility for older and disabled occupants. Someday, you can move into the downstairs bedroom as well if you need to, and your kid could live upstairs.
PL-71011-HGS Barndominium House Plan
This barndominium floor plan measures 4,162 square feet. Like the first floor plan we shared with you, it features a separate suite. It is a 1-story layout, keeping everything accessible at the ground level.
The house has a U-shape, with the garage on one side and the separate wing/suite on the other side enclosing a small area leading up to the porch. Entering the front door will take you to a foyer, with a hallway branching off to the right. Going straight through the foyer will lead you to the combined living room, dining room, and kitchen, which includes space for a kitchen island.
Turning right from the foyer and taking the hallway that runs alongside the front porch gives you access to the powder room and pantry, before continuing on to the master bedroom, master bathroom, and master closet. There is also a mudroom and laundry room leading from this hallway to the 6-car garage. The master bedroom has its own private rear porch. There is another rear porch connecting to the living room.
Both the foyer and the front porch have doors leading to a hallway on the left side of the home. From this hallway, you can reach two other bedrooms with their own closets and bathrooms. Plus, there is another bedroom in the rear left corner of the home that is accessible via the living room, also with a bathroom and closet.
Coming back to that same hallway, if you follow it toward the front of the house, you will reach the generational suite. It opens on a living room, which is attached to a small kitchenette and laundry room. A very small hallway leads to the bedroom, bathroom and closet. There is an entrance to this suite directly from outside, so the occupant does not need to use the front door of the home.
Why You’ll Love It
This is a suitable choice if you need a large home for your nuclear family, and just want a little extra space for your parents or an adult child. It also works great if you want to have a tenant, since they will have their own little zone.
PL-60707-KGS Barndominium House Plan
This two-story barndominium house plan features 5,462 feet, making it one of the most spacious and accommodating plans we’ve included. It’s aimed at people who know they need a lot of space, but who may not be sure entirely how they want that space to be distributed over the decades to come.
The first floor is ready for two generations. There is a 3-car garage on one side of the house, which opens to a hallway. On the left is the laundry room and pantry, though the pantry is only accessible from the dining room. Between them, a shorter hallway leads to the generational suite. It includes a kitchenette, powder room, bathroom, living room, and bedroom with a walk-in closet.
The master bedroom, master bathroom, and master closet is across the hallway from the generational suite, but it is only accessible from the living room, not the hallway. It includes an additional storage zone as well.
The living room, dining room and kitchen are all combined. The front door leads from the porch into the living room. The porch is covered and wraps around three sides of the home.
A doorway on the right side of the living room takes you to a recreation room. There is a flight of stairs leading up, and hallways leading to either side. These take you to the other bedrooms and bathrooms (four bedrooms total, two bathrooms). Each bedroom has its own closet.
If you go upstairs, you will find a loft and two large unfinished attic spaces. It is open to below above the dining and living rooms, and above the garage.
Why You’ll Love It
This floor plan deliberately leaves the upper floor unfinished. That way, you have numerous options for how you develop this space over time. You could leave it unfinished and use it for storage. Or you could finish it later, adding one or more common areas, bedrooms, or flex rooms or home offices.
If you don’t know how your family might grow or change yet, this floor plan maximizes your freedom.
PL-82001 Fowler Barndominium House Plan
This two-story multigenerational barndo home features two floors with 5,975 square feet of heated space, six bedrooms and four bathrooms. The house has a U-shape with a central courtyard separating two wings of equal sizes. The design is completely symmetrical. The two garages form the back of the home, with the living spaces on either side.
Each wing includes a family room, kitchen, and master bedroom, bathroom and closet downstairs, as well as a pantry, hallway, laundry room and powder room. The upstairs floor of each wing includes a sitting room, a small storage closet, two bedrooms, and a shared bathroom.
Above the pair of garages, there is a game media room and a hobby room, which both generations can share.
Why You’ll Love It
Most layouts we have shared only have a small section for the older/younger generation that will be cohabiting. This floor plan emphasizes equality, giving the same space/benefits to each.
Along with using it as a multigenerational home, you could just use it to house two interconnected nuclear families, related or not. It may be a good choice for someone looking to build a non-traditional household.
Get Started On Your Own Multigen Barndominium
Multigenerational houses are helping families save money, care for each other, and enjoy each others’ company. If you are excited to build your own multigen barndo home, choosing a floor plan could be your next step. Click any of the links in this post to get our recommended multigenerational barndo floor plans.