Travelers who’d like to be immersed in Mike Wolfe’s Two Lanes backroad lifestyle can now make themselves at home in his Columbia, Tennessee loft, the Two Lanes Guesthouse. Mike’s Two Lanes Guesthouse is officially open to the public as a unique, Main Street...
Mike’s Two Lanes Guesthouse is officially open to the public as a unique, Main Street loft vacation rental in Columbia, Tennessee. This is the first time that fans of American Pickers get to see picks from the show that Mike has pulled out of barns and sheds across America presented as decor.
“Some people may not know, but for the past 30 years, I have been selling to designers and decorators,” says Mike. “It has been a major part of my business. This is the first time that I’ve been able to utilize that experience inside my own space for other people to enjoy. I’m on the road six months out of the year. I check-in to a lot of hotels and Airbnbs, so I understand what travelers need when they’re looking to relax after a long day in a space that feels like home. This entire project is all about creating an experience not just for a few hours in Columbia, but for a long weekend.”
Here’s a first look inside Mike’s Two Lanes Guesthouse.
The roomy, 1,100 square foot one-bedroom loft is located on the second floor of a building Mike recently bought in historic downtown Columbia. (There’s a bike shop on the first floor!) The guesthouse offers a modern kitchen and bathroom amenities set within the perfectly-sized living space decorated with Mike’s one-of-a-kind style. We are after all talking about a man who has motorcycles inside his own living room! The decor inspiration came while Mike was filming American Pickers out west.
“We were in California picking for about a month finding vintage Navajo style rugs, worn leather goods, original cowboy paintings, and more,” explains Mike. “Looking at the pieces in the back of the van, it hit me — this is the inspiration for the Two Lanes Guesthouse. It just seemed fitting to include the spirit of exploring the wild frontier in this space. I wanted it to represent the grit and passion one needs to chase down the road ahead, whether it’s through the mountains of the west or down a country back road.”
After that trip, Mike came home and started digging through his private collection to see what else he could bring into the space that could create moments that connect to his passions. He wanted guests to see that “as found” pieces, though dirty and worn, are beautiful just the way they are. And indeed, visitors will be delighted to see how Mike has expertly displayed pieces of his collection recognized from American Pickers as home decor.
Visitors will appreciate how Mike has integrated items of different vintages and locales to create one cohesive look. The incorporation of natural pieces, like antlers and bison partner well with the more Industrial rusted picks. Intentionally places vintage signs delineate and organize spaces — like the hand-painted, wooden sign outside the bedroom which reads, “Rooms for Tourists” or the double-sided turquoise “City Cafe” sign, Mike picked in Alabama and now hanging over the kitchen island.
Fans of American Pickers will also spot throughout the loft memorable picks like the model of RCA’s beloved dog Nipper, the giant fire eater circus banner, and many others. The artwork on the walls speaks of Mike’s well-known passions — hand-painted leather motorcycle jackets and 130-year-old wooden bicycles hung like art.
Since it can be tricky to do a full renovation while on the road as much as Mike is he enlisted the help of two of his favorite friends and collaborators, Trinity Shay and Sam Robertson on the project.
“The three of us live in a little village called Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee,” explains Mike. “In a small town like ours, you quickly get to know your neighbors. I was always a huge fan of their aesthetic and ability to see the beauty in distressed, and sometimes discarded artifacts. I was honored and excited to work with them. The first time I was at Trinity’s house, which she is building from scratch, I was blown away by her attention to detail and her loving way of creating moments that are timeless.”
“As a designer, you have to be a little bit of a picker at heart because you’re not always going to find what you need inside a catalog,” says Trinity. “You never know where that final establishing piece will be discovered. It’s great to bounce off Mike’s big ideas and actually make them come to life in the details. The real work to make this come together is rooted in love and appreciation for style, design, and history.”
“What I appreciated about Sam is her free-spirited approach to design,” says Mike. “Sam’s style is well-traveled, bigger than life, yet comfortable and approachable.”
“I believe we’ve created a special space that not only gives you a peek into Mike’s world of motors and rust but also honors the charm of this historic building,” says Sam.
“The three of us worked on the guesthouse for about a year,” says Mike. “I am proud to see how our collaboration of thoughts, ideas, and passions are woven into what you see when you walk in the door.”
Expected to be the most photographed part of the loft is the mint green 1951 Vespa. Mike wanted to create an Instagrammable moment for guests to share, so he parked the ride inside, an invitation to hop on and pose in front of the fire eater backdrop!
Mike has long advocated for small town heritage tourism. He fell in love with Columbia while learning about its transportation history. (He has also been working hard to renovate and preserve a 1947 Chevy dealership and Texaco station on the street he is calling Columbia Motor Alley — just a block from the guesthouse!) Columbia has proven to be a place that keeps Mike connected to the values and community he had growing up as a kid in the Midwest. However, he realized there was something missing — there were no places to stay in the historic downtown area.
“There’s so much to see and experience here,” says Mike .”I wanted to create a space that allowed visitors to experience the charms of staying on Main Street in a small town. One of my favorite things is to look outside the 13-foot windows at the 1905 courthouse and hear the clock in the tower on top of it chime every hour. You can walk downstairs into the street and see the shopkeepers preparing to open for the day — you can even smell the biscuits and bacon Puckett’s is cooking up for breakfast.”
The mission of Two Lanes Guesthouse is to draw people out of the major hotels and back onto Main Streets. Mike’s hopeful the guesthouse will be a getaway destination for families, couples, anyone who wants to retreat and reconnect to what makes small town life so relatable.
“Staying in the Two Lanes Guesthouse is like revisiting your own hometown,” says Mike. “It touches your heart in a way that you may have forgotten since you were a kid. I want everyone who stays here to feel like they’ve walked away with a better appreciation and respect for America’s Main Streets and why they deserve our support. The best part is — you have to travel the Two Lane back roads to experience it.”
FOR PRICING AND RENTAL DETAILS for Mike’s Two Lane’s Guesthouse CLICK HERE
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