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<\/div>\nIf the answer once lay firmly in the negative \u2013 tucked away behind stable doors, dimly lit, and purely functional \u2013 today\u2019s most compelling examples suggest a decisive pivot. Across polo estates, working ranches and European riding schools, the tack room is being given renewed attention. What was once a utilitarian space for saddles and bridles now reads closer to a private dressing room on Savile Row, or even a collector\u2019s cabinet \u2013 deeply personal, materially rich and, increasingly, designed to be lingered in.<\/p>\n
Leather is polished rather than hidden, brass hardware gleams under considered lighting, saddle racks are arranged with expert precision. And like any well-curated interior, these rooms tell stories \u2013 of horses, certainly, but also of their owners.<\/p>\n
See also: Equestrian Escapes That Let You Travel With Your Four-Legged Friend<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n For designer Lindsay Gerber<\/a>, that sense of narrative sits at the heart of her own compact tack room in San Francisco<\/a>, which moves beyond back-of-house function to become a highly considered space. \u201cThis tiny tack room design evolved in such an organic way and showcases a handful of treasures I\u2019ve collected over the years,\u201d she explains. A deep, mossy green plaster from the Color Atelier<\/a> collection by Douglas Friedman<\/a> \u2013 in a shade aptly named Oil \u2013 wraps the space, echoing the surrounding oak trees, while bridles hang beneath hand-painted BDDW<\/a> cowboy tiles depicting members of Gerber\u2019s family. <\/p>\n Hardware and hooks by Nickey Kehoe<\/a> are illuminated by a vintage pendant sourced from Obsolete<\/a> which casts a warm glow overhead. A saddle from Gerber\u2019s junior hunter days is displayed in front of an 18th-century blanket chest sourced via 1stDibs<\/a>, and even the flooring tells a story, combining Fran\u00e7ois & Co<\/a> limestone in a herringbone pattern with leftover timber planks. \u201cPutting a little effort into the most unexpected places enhances the daily experience,\u201d she says. \u201cI feel transported and so happy every time I unlatch the door and walk in.\u201d<\/p>\n That idea \u2013 of elevating the everyday rituals of equestrian life \u2013 is echoed at a larger structural scale by Blackburn Architects<\/a>, whose work charts the evolution of the tack room from practical necessity to highly personalized sanctuary. \u201cDecades ago, barns were more utilitarian,\u201d says Nancy Easter White. \u201cFunctionality was prioritized over fancy lighting and luxury materials.\u201d Today, however, the brief has broadened. While the horse\u2019s wellbeing remains paramount \u2013 with careful attention paid to airflow, ventilation and site orientation \u2013 the tack room has become a canvas for expression.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no \u2018perfect\u2019 tack room,\u201d White suggests. \u201cThese spaces are reflections of an owner\u2019s personality.\u201d Some read as pristine, show-ready galleries; others lean into a more nostalgic layering of well-worn halters, boots, and blankets. What unites them is a balance between aesthetic and efficiency \u2013 climate-controlled storage, bespoke joinery, even rotating tack walls and integrated lounges. Increasingly, these rooms are designed not just for storage, but for pause \u2013 places where riders might sit, regroup and, occasionally, entertain.<\/p>\n This intersection of heritage and hospitality is beautifully expressed in an equestrian project in California by London<\/a>-born, Los Angeles<\/a>-based designer, Martyn Lawrence Bullard<\/a>. The working barn was transformed into a richly layered entertaining space, drawing on the tradition of English barn conversions. \u201cThe client wanted to use the front part of the barn for entertaining,\u201d Bullard explains. \u201cSo, I created an eclectic look inspired by the barns I knew from my childhood.\u201d Antique horse memorabilia sourced from flea markets and vintage fairs sits alongside comfortable seating, allowing the stable-adjoined room to function as both tack room and salon. \u201cYou could dine and entertain, or sit and read a book in these beautiful surroundings,\u201d he says, \u201cwith a horse peeking in to keep you company.\u201d<\/p>\n Similarly, the emphasis on atmosphere and experience is particularly evident at Reschio Hotel<\/a> in Umbria, where Count Benedikt Bolza \u2013 a trained architect who leads the estate\u2019s design work from the on-site B.B. for Reschio<\/a> studio \u2013 has shaped the spectacular tack room as a social heart, connected to the Teatro Equestre where weekly dressage performances unfold. Here, beneath salvaged wood paneling and shafts of natural light, riders and guests gather around an enormous table \u2013 once a kitchen workhorse \u2013 for everything from post-ride conversation to calligraphy classes. An ancient stone sink anchors the indoor-outdoor room, while a fireplace draws guests in during winter months. Every detail \u2013 from the reused materials to the horse-named pegs \u2013 reinforces a philosophy of stewardship and respect, not just for the horses but for the building itself.<\/p>\n![\"tack](\"https:\/\/elitetraveler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/tack-room-equestrian-style.jpg\")
![\"Blackburn](\"https:\/\/elitetraveler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/blackburnarchitects-tack-room.jpg\")
![\"Reschio](\"https:\/\/elitetraveler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/reschio-hotel-tack-room.jpg\")
![\"st](\"https:\/\/elitetraveler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/st-giles-house-tack-room-horses.jpg\")