What is a tack room? Simply put, it’s the term used for a room in or attached to a stable for the storage and maintenance of riding tack, namely saddles and bridles. In a small barn tack room, one can also display any prizes or honors of the stable in a tack room. This makes it the pride and joy of anyone who is into equestrian pursuits. Want to know how to build a barn tack room without having to break the bank? We’ll show you how.

Why Is it Called a Tack Room?

You’ll have to go back to the early 1900s to find out the origins of the tack room. The tack room became a word for the storage room of stable gear in the early 1900s. The term “tacking up” refers to the equipping of a horse using saddles, stirrups, bridles, halters, reins, bits, and harnesses, hence why a storage area for horse equipment is called a tack room.

Coincidentally, equestrianism became an Olympic sport as well in time for the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris, France. While it was dropped from the 1904 and 1908 Olympic Games, it returned in 1912. It has been featured at every summer Olympics since then.

We may not have Olympic gold medalists in our barn but we will for sure benefit from the tradition of a good ol’ tack room!

DIY Tack Room Ideas

You might want to consider how you want to organize your tack room and choose a theme. Pictures of barn tack rooms can be found on Pinterest and you can develop a mood board. Some may want a more rustic look for their tack room, while others may want something more modern. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with having a classic or traditional tack room. It all depends on your preferences, needs and how much space you have.

Depending on your space you may be able to add cabinets, storage chests, or shelves. Because Trevor is a master builder and is able to transform materials we have had around for a while we used a combination of both new and reclaimed materials. We added new and thrifted décor as well to give it a modern feel with a touch of cottage-core!

Our Tack Room Transformation

We really didn’t know if we wanted to go with a moody, dark theme for our barn tack room or a bright, white theme. We decided on moody and dark and we actually ended up cleaning out the room we wanted to use, framing the walls, hanging the shelves, and started painting before we changed our minds!

We ultimately went with bright and white, and we are so happy with how spacious it feels. After the walls and shelves were up, we installed the cabinets and painted them as well. Trevor then went around the room for the finishing touches. He added the countertop, the pegs, the trim, and the brackets. Those were all painted to match the shelves and the walls. We also installed this adorable fridge that gives the room a pop of color.

I am absolutely in love with these terra cotta planters that we placed up on the shelves as well, they really give it the rustic vibe we were going for. Check out the video below to see the full transformation!

If you have a tack room, what does it look like? If you’re looking at building one, are you planning to build a rustic, modern, or classic/traditional tack room? Let us know in the comments below!

Hugs,

Christina & Trevor