Matt and Shelley Carter transformed a used grain silo into a 500-square-foot tiny home in Hocking Hills, Ohio.

The Silo Cottage is the couple’s third and newest tiny home, which is available for rent on Airbnb for $285 a night, or through their company’s website, Hocking Hills Cottage Company. The home has 25-foot ceilings and a cozy interior for two guests, including one bedroom and one bathroom.

Matt and Shelley Carter of Hocking Hills Cottage Company. Courtesy of Matt and Shelley Carter

“The Silo House was everything we expected and more,” one guest wrote on Airbnb in June. “We couldn’t have had a better experience. It’s unique, extremely well done, quiet, and private.”

Here’s how Matt, 36, and Shelley, 43, built The Silo Cottage.

The Silo Cottage took a little over one year to complete.

The Silo Cottage in Hocking Hills, Ohio, cost around $100,000 to build. Courtesy of Matt and Shelley Carter

The Carters began building the tiny home in July 2021 and finished by September 2022. Matt, a contractor, told Insider that they paid for about 85% to 90% of the project out of pocket, putting the total cost at about $100,000.

Before The Silo Cottage, the Carters built two shipping-container homes, Nova and Luna.

They found the grain silo in northern Ohio, where they got a helping hand from a local Amish community.

A photo of the grain silo during construction. Courtesy of Matt and Shelley Carter

Shelley said they found the used grain silo a few hours north in Ashland County, where farmers are often invested in grain crops. The silo is a large load to transport, so Matt and Shelley asked members of a local Amish community for help dismantling it.

Then, the couple, their parents, and a friend of Matt’s helped transport the dismantled silo to Hocking Hills, where the group reassembled it.

After building two shipping-container tiny homes, Matt and Shelley said they chose a grain silo because they wanted a unique build.

“I regretted it about halfway through because of how much work it was to build in circles,” Matt joked.

Most people think the Carters put a shipping container on either side of the grain silo, but it’s actually stick-built.

The grain silo during construction. Courtesy of Matt and Shelley Carter

Shelley said many people think The Silo Cottage is also a shipping-container home, but she and Matt built the house’s wings — where the bedroom and bathroom are located — with wood frames.

The wood frames help The Silo Cottage match Nova and Luna’s exteriors, giving all the tiny homes one cohesive aesthetic.

Matt said The Silo Cottage is the couple’s hardest build yet because there are no corners.

A photo of the tiny home’s wall studs during renovations. Courtesy of Matt and Shelley Carter

Matt said that the lack of corners meant renovations on the silo were slightly harder than the ones on the shipping containers. One particular sour point was installing studs, which are wooden boards used to frame the inside of a home.

“The silo is by far the hardest build I’ve ever done in my life,” Matt said. “You think you know numbers until you start going in circles, and it makes a difference. It definitely took a toll on my mind.”

He added: “I actually built the walls once, tore them down, and then rebuilt them a different way, just to make it easy.”

Hanging drywall and crafting the ceiling were also difficult because The Silo Cottage is a circle.

Matt in the silo during construction. Courtesy of Matt and Shelley Carter

According to Matt, hanging the home’s drywall was a hassle because it didn’t easily bend around the circular shape. Plus, the ceiling is covered in tongue-and-groove boards, which meant Matt had to make 867 cuts in the ceiling to install each piece properly.

The Carters built the tiny home themselves, which is a process they said they enjoy.

A photo of Matt standing in The Silo Cottage’s front window. Courtesy of Matt and Shelley Carter

Matt said he did the plumbing, electrical work, and other needed elements for a tiny home with the help of Shelley. They haven’t relied on construction crews yet.

“We just really enjoy doing this type of work,” Shelley said, adding that designing and building houses is one of the couple’s favorite things to do.

And it’s paid off. The money Shelley and Matt made from the Hocking Hills Cottage Company allowed them to buy their dream home: a 106-acre farm about two miles from the cottages.

The living room is modern, with hardwood floors and a tiled accent wall in the kitchen.

The Silo Cottage’s main living room. Courtesy of Matt and Shelley Carter

Shelley reiterated that she and Matt built everything a guest sees in the house. While Matt handled much of the construction, Shelley helped design and decorate The Silo Cottage.

The living room has pristine white walls paired with hardwood floors and an exposed-cedar ceiling, where a chandelier hangs above the couch. Behind the couch is the kitchen, which Shelley created with black cabinets and a black-tile wall. There’s a table with two chairs nearby meant for meals.

Shelley said white walls with black and wood accents are her go-to aesthetic.

A TV and indoor fireplace are on the other side of the living room.

The kitchen, right, is in the living room. Courtesy of Matt and Shelley Carter

The smart TV sits above an indoor fireplace, which comes in handy, Shelley said. While their busy season is summer, they also schedule quite a few bookings during winter. Behind the TV and fireplace is black-wood paneling to match the home’s motif.

The Silo Cottage has all the bells and whistles, including air conditioning, heating, an induction stovetop in the kitchen, a refrigerator, and WiFi.

Guests can share a queen-size bed in The Silo Cottage.

A photo of The Silo Cottage’s bedroom. Courtesy of Matt and Shelley Carter

Shelley’s go-to motif continues into the bedroom, where the white walls are paired with a black accent wall at the head of the bed. The wood floors are covered in a patterned rug that matches the bedding.

The bedroom also has a TV mounted on the wall so guests can watch their favorite shows while relaxing in bed. From the bed, guests can also see some of the grain silo’s circular walls, which the couple left partially exposed.

The bathroom is on the opposite side of the house from the bedroom.

A photo of The Silo Cottage’s bathroom. Courtesy of Matt and Shelley Carter

The Silo Cottage’s hardwood floors extend into the bathroom, with one wall accented with gray wallpaper. There’s one shower, a vanity mirror, and one toilet. Like the bedroom, guests will notice part of the grain silo’s shape exposed as a fun feature.

The backyard has ample space and holds fun add-ons such as a hot tub.

The backyard features a hot tub and porch swings. Courtesy of Matt and Shelley Carter

The Carters took advantage of the expansive property by creating a spacious backyard. The space features a hot tub, two individual porch swings, and a gravel walkway that leads to the seating area.

Matt and Shelley said knowing their guests enjoyed their stay makes them extremely happy.

The Silo Cottage. Courtesy of Matt and Shelley Carter

One guest who stayed at The Silo Cottage wrote it was “an excellent getaway” in one Airbnb review.

“A very unique and beautiful place with all the comforts of home, including Hot Tub, Fire Place, His / Her Swing, and Grill,” they wrote. “I would highly recommend this place to anyone who wants to get away and enjoy a quiet, peaceful getaway!”

Shelley said seeing similar reviews made their building experience worth it. Recently, one guest noted that the space felt personal to Shelley and Matt.

“I said, ‘It is so personal because every blood, sweat and tear, that’s me and my husband,'” she said. “It’s been life-changing for us.”