Celebrate any special occasion at this unique home in a barn surrounded by 80 acres of farmland and just minutes from the best beaches, boating, fishing, and farms throughout the state of Michigan, according to experts at trips.
The barn itself is almost 70 years old. Built in the summer of 1956 as a functioning dairy barn by “Grandfather George”, it has been the source of countless memories for Brian Keim and his family.
“When my wife and I returned from college 25 years ago to buy and occupy Grandpa George’s former farm, one of my biggest priorities was to do something with this barn,” he said. declared Keim, creator and host of Airbnb rental of the house in a barn from Grandfather George. “It has special childhood memories for me, so it was a priority for us to save. It was about 15 years ago when we actually started the project. We started by putting in new steel. on the roof and the front of the barn and adding some windows on the front which you can see in the photos.
After starting the project, the barn stayed for a while until Keim and his family decided what they wanted to do with it. Then they came back to action.
“I did some of the work myself,” Keim said. “People will appreciate this with lumber prices as high as they are now. I found one out of two-by-fours at the local lumber yard and bought 100 two-by-four for 89 cents a piece. Then I read a book on how to build walls. I built it after my day job at a local school district. I went there in the evenings and on weekends, and it was kind of like therapy for me. I had to do some manual work on something new and challenging. It was also a creative outlet. We need to bring Grandpa’s barn back to life in a new way for our children and a new generation.
All major renovations to the barn house were completed in 2019. After going through the process of getting the proper permits to bring the rental property up to standard over the past few years, Keim was able to launch Grandpa George’s House-in – a-Barn as an Airbnb rental property this spring.
And they’ve hosted four or five rental groups already.
“We have a family that is currently staying there for a full eight days and a few more bookings coming up this summer and a few booking requests until next summer. So that’s been pretty exciting, ”Keim said. “As you can imagine, the decorations and objects we have there evoke story after story. I could stay in one place for two hours and just show off different relics collected from Grandpa’s farm.
So where exactly did the relics come from?
Located in Bay Port, Michigan
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“We found all these collectibles that Grandpa collected on the farm. He was a famous auction enthusiast and local collector, ”Keim said. “We looked at things and kept what we wanted and threw away the rest. Over the years, we’ve wondered what to do with all the cool stuff to honor him and share some with others. This is a bit where the idea to include collectibles in the house came from.
Keim said the barn sits in front of his grandfather’s old 80 acres, surrounded by farmland.
“You come out in the back and you have the bridge with a nice scene behind you looking west over the 80 acres around it,” Keim said. “This year it’s planted with beans. The tenants actually have a stunning view of the sunset over the lot and there are additional acres of woodland beyond the field. It’s quite beautiful. The patio sits about 8-10 feet off the ground and you can grill in it We also have a place for a campfire there.
The interior space consists of a coffee / kitchenette area with a bar-height farmhouse table, a large room finished in weathered barn wood and antique steel, a private bedroom with a unique ceiling covered with old doors and a handmade quilt to match, an adjoining bathroom with shower made of a sheep waterer and a loft area with more places to sit, visit, play games or take a nap. Renters can climb the old wooden ladder, play board games in the cafe, or have a game of pool with a favorite movie.
“We were looking to do something barn in a relatively small space in the bathroom and I got the idea for a shower made from a sheep waterer,” Keim said. “We had to work pretty hard to find that. Eventually we reached out to a Nebraska cattle supplier to find the correct shape and size to use for our shower. The ring around the top we made from a campfire wood stand. We cut the steel rings to hang from the ceiling and support the shower curtain to wrap all around the trough.
Named after Grandpa George’s old newspaper column, the “By-Gone-Days Cafe” is an important gathering space in the house with a richer history.
“Grandfather was also a writer. He wrote a column for many years called “Recollection of Bygone Days”. And, we named the cafe after its old column. We had a little sign made above the counter that you can see in the photos, ”Keim said. “One of the things Grandpa always wanted was for his chronicles to be compiled in one place. So my two aunts went out and visited all these different newspaper offices and gathered all of his articles before he passed away. One of the last things they could do for him was give him this book of a compilation of all his articles. Guests staying in our barn can read a copy on one of the tables upstairs.
Plus, there are various hidden gem beaches and outdoor recreation areas around the property, according to Keim.
“Caseville Beach has been named one of Michigan’s 10 Best Beaches. It is beautiful and clean. They’ve done even more with her since she was named one of the top 10 beaches. There is also the port of Caseville which is an excellent destination for boaters, ”he said.
On the shore between Caseville and Port Austin are some great little roadside attractions, like McGraw County Park and Jenks Roadside Park, with their own unique little beaches, Keim said. It also makes kayaks available to its tenants for a small fee which includes tips for launch points in the area.
Do you want to book a stay? There are still a few weeks of opening in August at the house in a barn of Grandfather George. And, the fall session is wide open.
“I highly recommend fall,” Keim said. “It’s a good time for boating and a good time for the color tour. The M-22, in the western part of the state, is the subject of all the publicity for its beautiful color tours, but the M-25 which runs around the thumb, in my opinion, is equally attractive to the ‘fall.
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