No overalls are required to spend the night inside this grain silo-turned-tiny home offering the ultimate farm-to-Airbnb experience in Central Saanich, north of Victoria.
It was a project three-and-a-half years in the making and recently, the silo’s door was opened to welcome guests to a three-acre farm located on West Saanich Road, according to hosts Barry McLean and Larissa Kohut.
“I grew up on a farm in the Prairies, so I’ve built a few grain bins. I thought this would be pretty cool,” McLean told CHEK News.
“I didn’t come up with the idea on my own, I did see it down in the U.S. a couple years back and I thought I could definitely do it here.”
So far, a handful of guests have spent the night only to leave behind five-star reviews, including from one man who summed it up as “quirky,” McLean recalls.
“It’s certainly different — it’s in the ‘OMG!’ category on Airbnb. These types of structures or places are not like your typical house,” he said. “Like the one out in Sooke, that bus, you just convert it from a bus and park it. It’s pretty unique.”
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With a diameter measuring 15 feet, the silo’s exterior and interior walls are lined with corrugated steel as a unique spiral staircase featuring shovel handles for railings leads guests to the upper bedroom area.
“So it’s all part of a theme, right? It’s like a theme building. It’s a farm theme,” explained McLean.
Basking in the farm-chic decor, guests can enjoy air conditioning, a smart TV and wifi, plus necessities like a bed and shower, states the Airbnb listing.
“It was quite a project, but it’s finally finished,” said McLean. “I did it all myself, pretty much. I’ve built four houses. I had some help erecting it the day of and putting it together — there were four of us. Of course, I hired an electrician, a plumber and whatnot.”
McLean says that barnyard animals also call the property home and are not afraid to greet guests who give them a snack.
“If guests want, they can feed the sheep, feed the chickens. We always include local honey and eggs with each guest that comes — we have a little guest package,” he added.
“I’m just finishing up the ‘grainzebo’, which is right next to the silo. You can have a fire in there, whatever you want.”
While he realizes vacation season may be slowing down locally and they’re getting into the Airbnb game “a little bit late,” McLean says he and Larissa are happy to get their tiny home up and running.
Ethan Morneau
