Their kitchen herbs now grow in the former cow trough, and the former barn door has given way to a huge window. Caroline and Christian have fulfilled their dream of country life and transformed an old cow barn into a modern and open dream home.
In 2016, the two bought the old farmhouse with barn. The property is idyllically located in the Swabian Alb, not far from the highest peak, the 1,015-meter-high Lemberg. "We scoured the area and looked at everything that was for sale or for lease."
In total, the search for the dream house with a suitable plot of land took 15 years. In the end, it was a tip from a friend that led to the discovery of Vogelhof - an old farm built in the 19th century.
With the purchase of the farm, the couple now has 70,000 square feet of land. The grounds provide ample space for Caroline's horses. In her spare time, the biology teacher runs an active stable with her own two horses and other boarding horses. The horses can live here in a herd all year round. This generous space and spaciousness in the heart of the Swabian Alb were the deciding factors for Caroline and Christian to move here. Before that, they lived in an old house in the center of Albstadt. There was no room for animals there. In addition to horses, their animal companions include a dog, cat, chickens and roosters, running ducks and four Wallis black-necked goats.
Before the move, some renovation work had to be done. It wasn't until 2019 that Christian and Caroline moved into the barn. The plan was actually to live in the farmhouse, but due to the low ceilings and Christian's height, the client decided to convert the barn. Here, the height of the rooms could be more easily adjusted to Christian's height. In total, a living space of about 400 m² was created. The farmhouse, which is directly connected to the barn, was also renovated and is now a vacation accommodation.
The barn itself has a light and airy design. In total there are only three rooms with lockable door, otherwise everything is open. The many windows allow a panoramic view of the grounds. In this way, Caroline can always keep an eye on the horses. Traces of days gone by, when the building was still a cowshed and hay store, have remained visible. A feed trough serves as a bench, several troughs as herb pots, a wagon ladder as a stair railing. Under the ridge of the roof there is still an old rail with a trolley that can be moved back and forth by a rope, a so-called hay elevator.
With the purchase and renovation of the barn, Caroline and Christian have fulfilled a lifelong dream: Peace, good air and, above all, space for their animals.
A film by Cécilia Marchat (director, sound), Feline Gerhardt (camera), Oleg Kauz (camera), Daniele Guida (editing). Production: EIKON Media GmbH, on behalf of SWR.
00:00 Old barn becomes dream house
00:52 Living/dining area
02:51 Kitchen
05:26 Library
07:47 Upper living area
09:10 Bathroom
10:02 Dressing Room
10:28 Bedroom
11:30 Second floor
12:42 In the courtyard