“Home” is not the first thought that pops into most people’s minds when they notice a grain silo, yet for a newlywed couple from Phoenix, Arizona that’s pretty much what happened. Architect Christoph Kaiser and stylist Shauna Thibault originally bought the silo so taht Christoph could use it to store his tools, but once it arrived, they decided to make it their home instead. Quite a novel idea, but the result is striking and quite impressive.
Their new home measures 366 sq ft (34 sq m) and they designed and built it by themselves. This took more than a year and a half, mostly since a lot of the cabinetry and furnishings were constructed by Christoph himself, because it had to be custom made in order to fit into the round silo.
They left the interior as open as possible, with only the bathroom separated off from the rest of the space by a cabinet door. The ground level features the living room, kitchen and dining area. The bedroom is located in a sleeping loft below the ceiling, which also gives some privacy. The bedroom is also the couple’s cinema room, and they installed speakers under the bed to get truly amazing sound quality.
They also installed a custom made sliding door, which provides access to the backyard. When open, the door effectively extends the living area, making the home appear larger, as well as providing a nice link between the indoor and outdoor areas. The home also features an outdoor shower, which is a nice touch.
The home has subterranean air ducts, which work to passively offset noise from the air conditioning system. They also installed a skylight in the silo roof, which offers great ventilation, and works to cool the interior.
This silo home is essentially a tiny home, so the couple had to get rid of all their non-essential stuff before moving in. They enjoyed the process though, and Shauna also says that sleeping in a round room, as opposed to a square one, is actually more relaxing. There is also the added benefit of increased intimacy, which is the result of living in such a small and open space.
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