A chat with Lisi – Barns & Yard one year on!

We’ve recently celebrated a year since we held our first wedding! It’s crazy to think how much has changed in such a short space of time, and who better to tell us about it than the very person who designed, created and brought to life Barns & Yard.

Tell us about the Barns and your history with them and the Hall

My family and I have lived in the Hall for the past 6 years after moving back from living in Sydney. We wanted to create a ‘forever’ family home to give our children some roots at the end of their childhood and as part of this, we were required to repair the Barns, due to their listed status. At first, we were unsure what they would become, but during the building process it became clear that they would be the most incredible space to share with others, to give others the opportunity to experience the magic of this place. 5 years of renovations later, we launched Barns & Yard, and the rest is history!

 Why weddings?

When renovating, we were required to keep the Grade II Threshing Barn intact as one big event space. The idea grew from there that the Barns combined with the Courtyard and surrounded by the cottages would make the most perfect private and exclusive wedding setting.

 Who was involved in designing the Barns and cottages?

We were lucky enough to have a team of fabulous builders, architects and artisans, including a traditional timber frame restorer, stonemason and blacksmith all on-site for many months (years!). Many of the unique features were commissioned especially for the Barns -  our stunning light fixtures were custom-made – it was impossible to find big enough (and not twee!) fixtures suitable for such a great space. The cottages were my bit of fun (I love interiors) and I regularly found myself climbing into the building site armed with a cushion or paint samples – I had plenty of time to dream about colour schemes when surrounded by mud!

Have the renovation and past year been what you were expecting? What were the best and worst parts?

The renovation certainly took longer than we’d hoped and was not without its challenges however ultimately the Barns turned out to be more beautiful and special than I could have ever imagined. The response we’ve received has been almost overwhelming at times, and I’m utterly delighted with how it appeals to our couples.

A particular low-point was early on in the renovation process, when my son described us as living in the middle of a battlefield – for a long time we were surrounded by a sea of mud! Happily, we had the help of talented local landscapers, Hollins Landscapes, who transformed the muddy battle scene into the beautiful sculptured grounds you see today.

The best part happens every time we open the doors for each couple to realise their wedding dreams. I love watching couples make the place theirs and personalising the different spaces – it’s exactly what I dreamed of and envisioned for the Barns. Selfishly, I’ve also love working with my sister, Kate. It’s something we’ve always wanted to do and I like to think we make a good team – creativity and efficiency combined!

 What makes the Barns so special?

It’s hard to explain what makes the Barns and surrounding grounds so magical but to put it into words it would be utter serenity and peacefulness. I have been fortunate enough to travel the world and visit some incredible places, but for me nowhere beats home! The feeling of being nestled under the Malvern Hills surrounded by greenery and nature, with not a road or house in sight is just bliss. A well-known chef described the barns as “the most wonderful and tranquil place” and I think this sums it up pretty well! 

What are your hopes/ideas for the future?

Anyone who knows me (and often to my family’s dismay!) knows that I’m constantly coming up with new ideas! We are very excited to be bringing our bar in-house in the near future. The design for this looks amazing and having our own built-in bar will transform the Cider Barn and offer a fabulous sleek service which will enhance all our weddings. Stay tuned for more on this – we will be circulating our designs soon and can’t wait for you all to see them!

I absolutely love our Open Days, however we are going to be so busy next year that we are now dreaming up ideas for Open Evenings, aka “Date Nights.” We hope that these will allow prospective couples to view the Barns and meet some of our fab suppliers, and also provide booked couples to return to the Barns, chat with the team and help formulate ideas for their big day.

A silver-lining for our postponed 2020 couples is that by the start of 2021 there will be a beautiful new bridge leading to the island. Our gardeners are working up a planting scheme for the island and I can’t wait to see the finished result!  Currently, outside ceremonies can take place in the Courtyard for civil or in the grounds for humanist. However, if the regulations around civil ceremonies change the grounds will provide couples with a plethora of choice!

We’re so excited to see all these changes come to life, but it doesn’t stop there. In the long-term, our beautiful unconverted Victorian Barn provides the potential for more accommodation but at the moment we think we’re busy enough!