Local Stays: The Sleepy Silo

By RJ Walters

Just a few miles from I-4 and less than five miles from Downtown is a piece of farm livin’ that might make guests think they took a wrong turn and ended up in Waco, Texas.

Waco is the home to the farm chic revolutionaries of the Magnolia Market—the brainchild of reality TV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines—and Lakelanders Laura and Richard Kiddey have created a retreat on their 12 acres in North Lakeland that rivals those aesthetics and comforts.

The couple transported a silo frame from Arkansas along I-75, with the original grain storage container measuring more than 18 feet tall.

“We try to leave them cattle cubes so they can interact with the cows, and it’s a big hit with them,” Richard says. “Especially those coming from the city, not having cows, if they can feed a cow, man, that’s made their day!”

The home includes Blue Stain Pine from Montana, reclaimed barnwood from Missouri and eye-catching cabinets built by Richard’s brother, Clayton, a Lakeland Fire Department employee with a gift for woodwork.

Depending on the time of year, guests might see pigs and other animals alongside the staples, cattle and chicken.

The couple, who has two sons—RL, 9, and Boone, 6— has thoroughly enjoyed helping visitors find respite, giving them a first-hand look at farm life without the long to-do-list.