I think it could be beautiful to treat it as a 'ruin'. With vines growing up, a secluded place to go. Put some wrought iron table and chairs on the foundation and it could be a romantic get-away place for you and your SO. Or, a great place for the children to play hop-scotch. If you're looking to save it, vines may not be the best choice. In that case, I would mow around it and plant native wildflowers. Tons of them. And native grasses, so you won't have to mow but perhaps once or twice a year. It depends on what you want to do with this barn, and what would look best with your home. So many possibilities!

Thank you for your gracious comments regarding the old barn door. We delivered it this weekend and here is a pic of it's location for now. It's at the front of my daughter's farm home. She's started gardening a bit but also teaches school and has a new baby. So this is where the door will stay for the winter! Next summer, it may be moved. Jeanne S.

You may not want to prime it. You may want to stain it with a solid color stain. Those are usually self priming. Is the wood in sound condition? Is it clean? You can choose a variety of wood stains in various colors. My daughter painted a roughsawn cedar patio room with Cabot Solid Color Siding Stain in cream and it looks gorgeous. It's called PRO. V.T Solid Color Acrylic Stain. Michael

If you take into account is that a building that's been sitting unused for 10 years is definitely going to have some leaks and problems, you may find that demolishing it for the salvage timbers pays off the best. I look at this building and see nothing but nightmares.