Dilapidated barns are an intrinsic part of North America’s farmscape. Landowners leave them to rot and fall down as the cost of demolishing them is often too high. But old barns are often a source of beautiful wood - wood that is too good to waste. Enter John Chrysler, President of Streamside Farm, and creator of miniature barns. John carefully gathers and uses the wood from old barns that are being torn down to make miniature toy barns. We caught up with John to ask a few questions about his handmade barns.
Tell us a bit about the miniature barns you make.
Several years ago, my daughter needed a woodworking project for her 4H Club. She collects model horses, so we decided a stable to house them would be nice. I taught her to do all the things necessary to build it. She won "Best of Show" at our county fair. Subsequently, when people would see her barn, they'd want to know if we built it and where they could get one like it?
I've been working as a builder/remodeler for many years, but after being laid off three years ago, I was searching for additional income without spending a lot of money. I had taken down a 115 year old barn the previous summer and we thought, why not use that wood to make barns to sell? We also thought that this would be a great alternative to the big toy scare last year.
We love history and the history of these barns and type of wood is very interesting, so we wanted to make it more than just selling toys. After doing a lot of research, I wrote a little pamphlet that we include with each barn to tell it's "story". My wife Cindy does all of the marketing and PR for our company and she's done an amazing job.
Where do you get the wood for making the miniature barns?
Right now all the wood I am using came from a barn that had to be taken down a few summers ago. It was 115 years old, made from oak and cork pine.
Are the barns toys?
Up until now, they have been. However, we are concerned that the new enforcement of stringent CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act) testing will force us out of business in that market. We can still sell them for display purposes for model horse collectors, but not for children under 12, unless they truly do exempt natural wood.
Are they toxic-free?
This wood was not treated in any way from the time it was a seedling, 300 years ago.
How long does it take to make a mini barn?
Depending on the design, roughly 24 hours. Custom barns require a lot more time for design. With the regular barns we sell all the time though, I have a system that cuts that time down significantly. However, they are all still hand-made.
How much does a barn cost?
Right now, the cost is $275 plus shipping. Custom barns can be a bit more, depending on the style.
Can people order a custom miniature barn?
Yes, they can order a custom barn. I just recently finished a barn for a family in Pennsylvania. It was a Pennsylvania Dutch-style barn and was a bit bigger than the barns I normally do. I also offer the option of people sending their wood to me and I will make a barn to their specifications.
What I did with this last one was ask for as many pictures as they could send, as well as a diagram of the barn's three floors. It worked out very nicely and I had a blast building it. I delivered it personally and the look on the owner's face was worth the 18 hour round trip. It was a barn that has been in the family for 100 years. The one I built was a gift for his grandson for Christmas.
I also did an even smaller version of the barn for a chocolate shop in Metamora, MI. It's a big horse community and the owner said the children play with it all the time while they're in her shop.
Do kids like the miniature barns?
I think it depends on the child. My daughter loved hers because she loved playing with her model horses. But I think even a doll house lover wouldn't mind having a few horses in the barn out back.
Visit: http://www.streamsidefarm.com/
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