Texas Picker Turns Grain Silo Into Adorable Guesthouse – And We Love It.

Some people are so creative that they find beauty in things others don’t. They could turn a nondescript item into something that has immense value, and that’s what Amy Kleinwachter has done. The owner of Old World Antieks in La Grange transformed a grain silo that she found on her property into an adorable guesthouse.

Amy had her eyes set on a 14-foot silo that was located just down from her home. She had already created an entire farmhouse through salvaged materials, so a grain silo guesthouse was not out of the question.

In order to do this, Amy had to first haul the huge silo over to her 10-acre property. After that, she hired a contractor who went through her “vast inventory of weathered bedboard, sheet metal, and window frames.” In an interview, Amy stated, “It took a surprising amount of geometry to make things work in a circle, but Judy nailed it.” [1]

A Curio Shop Owner and Picker Transformed A Grain Silo Into A Livable Guesthouse

What is particularly charming is that the grain silo-turned-guesthouse has furniture that is either vintage or has been salvaged. The only thing that is considered brand new is the bed for the guesthouse. Amy said that finding an antique bed that was still comfortable to lie in was quite rare and extremely expensive.

The wood in the bedroom came from an old house that was close to where she lived. However, Amy had to ensure that the wood was sealed with Varathine polyurethane sealant so that no one would accidentally breathe in the lead from the paint. 

Read: A GRAIN SILO turned into a GAZEBO

Speaking about her architectural baby, Amy stated, “It’s essentially a tin can and inherently dark. I waded through my stash for window options with ample height and modest width to maximize natural light and still work within the constraints of the circular design. Old windows are one of my favorite things to hunt for, but metal awnings are right behind. I love how they bring depth to a design with a rugged fussiness.” [2]

Amy was also fortunate enough to receive a set of dental panes that she bought from her friend. Her friend had purchased it themselves from a dentist’s office. Overall, Amy made sure that the grain silo didn’t look too random, or too perfect as a guesthouse. She also had to take close notice of details like paint weathering.

This is quite important as they make the building look a lot more organic, and being the owner of a curio shop, Amy is quite adept at finding things in the strangest of places. In fact, she decided to use an old phone nook to function as a flush-mount bathroom shelving. In order to give the guesthouse a weathered touch, she also put in old liquidation signs and champagne crates. 

A Little Advice From Amy

Amy wasn’t done with just a few changes, she also decided to add a little flair to the office space. There, she transformed the old floral stand signage into a new office table.

With grain silos in various parts of the country, this sounds like a fun project. However, Amy mentioned that if one wanted to follow in her footsteps and transform something that looked like a grain silo into a livable building filled with furniture, one should probably get a contractor and a local health department officer to check in first. Since she had been using a sealant, it was important that an inspector came over and checked if lead poisoning would be a real risk here- or not. [3]

And finally, this adorable grain silo-turned guesthouse also has a tiny porch where friends, families, and other pickers would be able to sit, talk, and just have a nice time altogether. Needless to say, it is quite incredible how something that resembled an old, disposed tin can was transformed into a livable space with a bedroom, and an office. 

Keep Reading: These Old Grain Silos Were Converted into a Stunning Bed and Breakfast