Our Story

Modern Barn Living was born from our passion for smart, simple design and our love for modern, yet classic architecture.

It all started when we were running our building and renovation company, Wilco Projects, and decided to take on a personal project—building our first home in Warkworth. With our experience in the industry, we knew we wanted to keep the design straightforward and efficient. By sticking to a simple rectangle shape, we were able to cut down on engineering and structural costs, speed up the build, and stay within our budget.

As we shared our progress on Instagram, we were blown away by the response. People loved the modern barn style and began reaching out, asking for homes like ours. That’s when we realised we were onto something, and our business Modern Barn Living was born.

We understand the challenges the building industry is known for, our mission is to prove it doesn’t have to be that way. Building a home should be an exciting and rewarding experience, not a stressful or drawn-out process. That’s why we’re passionate about delivering beautifully finished homes that are ready to enjoy from day one.

We take a solutions-focused approach, embracing every challenge with the belief that nothing is too hard or impossible. By using the latest technology, we ensure every project stays organised, on schedule and within a budget.

We are truly humbled by the growth of Modern Barn Living. We never anticipated that the build of our first family home could turn into a successful business venture, where we now have the privilege of building beautiful barn style homes all around New Zealand.

Meet the Team

Sam Wilson

FOUNDER
Sam leads our team of down-to-earth Registered Master Builders. With a deep understanding of the design and build process and a true passion for making stylish homes more accessible. Sam will help you explore the unseen possibilities in your housing project with creativity, clear communication, and care.
Paige Garner

INTERIOR CONSULTANT + FOUNDER
Paige is obsessed with interiors, from curtains to coffee tables, she can look after all your custom interior needs. Paige’s exceptional people skills and interiors experience make her the perfect sidekick when you’re building sophisticated, modern, liveable homes.

Possibilities are endless.

Our builds are not exclusive to the North Island. We are well connected with building partners around New Zealand, meaning we can form a collaborative approach to build your home in your ideal location.

If you are a builder and would like to discuss building our homes then get in touch.

Contact

Our Process

If you like what you’re seeing, then get in contact with us to chat further about what you are after and what we can offer on your home build journey
If we both think we're a good fit for each other on this home build journey, then we can arrange a meeting to go over your ideas and scope out the site over a coffee.
Now is the time to decide on the design that will suit your lifestyle / needs. You can either choose one of our pre-designed options or start the process of a full design and build
If you decide to go with one of our pre-designed options then we can get a cost estimate to you pretty quickly. If you choose to do a full design package we will prepare a quote for you while our architect prepares your plans for council sign off. Once you are 100% happy with the design and quote you will receive a master builders contract to sign and also a copy of the master builders 10 year guarantee
Now we can start bringing your home to life. While our qualified responsive team is hard at work we can answer any questions and keep you regularly updated with our projects management software. You can access and view progress 24/7 to immerse yourself in the process.
Once the code of compliance has been issued and you are 100% satisfied we will hand over the keys- The most satisfying part of the process for us. You'll be ready to move in and begin your life in your brand new home.