Turning A Barn Into A Must See Shopping Experience

Jul 27, 2025

Tenneil Register in Grandview, Iowa.

What do you like most about Grandview?

When my husband and I met back in 2010 we planted roots here in Grandview, Iowa (population 307). We desired a simple way of life where hard work and a good dose of sweat equity could provide for our blended family of seven. Settling in Grandview gave roots to our family that we didn't have growing up.

We call our family R7. There’s 7 of us settled on 7 acres.

What’s your backstory?

Cowboy (my husband), and I threw a leg over my four-wheeler and pointed down the back road. As we came to a slower pace, an abandoned little ranch home came into view. My husband shared his dream of finding a place like that to call home someday.

It was a little window into his ever-hopeful soul. Although we didn’t know when, where or how…we promised that if we were ever given the chance, we would bring a place like that back to life and share it with others in whatever way we could.

That four-wheeler ride was just the beginning of us looking for the unexpected in what might seem lost or forgotten. From homes and rental apartments to chicken feeders and porch rails, we like to walk into a mess and imagine what it could be. Some days, that looks like repurposing projects and barn picking. Other days, R7 is simply a reminder of how we are committed to viewing our messy, beautiful, and often complicated life.

From a reclaimed barn in Grandview we began hosting shopping nights, showing off our handmade furniture, teaching workshops and putting on an annual festival with vendors, food trucks and live music. Sharing our family and our found goods became part of who we are as a family and what we do.

What are your income streams?

We sell in person at our reclaimed barn during seasonal shop hours.

We travel to vendor markets and sell from the "R7 mobile"
We host seasonal events such as "Farm Life Festival" and "Christmas at the Barn"
We also take custom furniture orders, offer Facebook live shopping and have an online site

How have you attracted new customers?

Traveling to markets was a strategic method to increase our circle of reach. First we wanted everyone within an hour of us to know about us. Then we wanted everyone within 100 miles to know. With each increase of the circle we worked to make sure that the experience both visually and the vibes of the atmosphere were "worth the drive."

We wanted each shopping experience for our customers, whether it was for a live sale or a trip to the barn, to feel like they were our guests. We wanted the spirit of hospitality and belonging that defined us as a family to also define our customer experience.

Most impactful in this was the way we formed that experience with our team. We asked ourselves how we could help our customers feel like they were meeting us even if we were not physically present.

This guided how we train our staff, how they greeted customers, and influenced our in store marketing to have photos of us along with tips and stories that we might share with them if we were in the barn to talk with them.

Adding the R7 mobile, gives customers a chance to visit our "home" on wheels to shop and get to know us. And we combine live shopping sales with story-telling and try to make deeper connections with each experience.

What is your favorite product?

Our favorite product has always been and will always be our handmade dining tables. At just seventeen, I bought my first table; and the obsession was born. I love dining tables.

There’s something sacred about the time spent around the table. I crave not just the delicious prepared meals but the time of lingering and talking. So, it was an easy YES at an auction when my Cowboy (my husband) pointed out a metal outdoor dining set to create our first reclaimed table.

With each table we have built, we pray for the memories from family and friends that will gather around for generations to come.

If you could go back, would you do anything differently?

Our family was such an important part of our business that our family identity and our business identity were very intertwined. That has sweet rewards, and we see the skills passed on to our children helping them become successful, kind adults that we are so proud of!

But in looking back, we too often allowed the identity of the business, and our family to also become our identity as individuals and as a couple.

So, one thing we both agree on is that we would have made more time for our marriage to have an identity as a couple - taking a weekend away together or going out for dinner with friends - rather than 24/7 business partners and parents. We look forward to the time ahead to reclaim a bit of that.

What are your goals?

Our business was shaped around our growing family, and honestly, our growing family was shaped around our business. As we are newly empty-nesters, we are refining our business goals and how we want to share R7 in the years to come.

We are letting go of some traditions in our business that we have loved, but that no longer serve our family and our financial goals. We are able to travel more flexibly, and we look forward to sharing more of R7 in new locations.

Additionally, I have more time to write and share about topics our readers love including topics on faith, family and home. I published my first workbook last year, so I hope to grow that aspect too!

Financially, we would like to sustain our retail income and grow revenue in new areas of content creation sharing what we have learned and how we have grown our business.

What platform and tools do you use?

We use Wordpress hosted by Go Daddy for our website.

We have a strong social media presence on Instagram and Facebook.

We use Square as our POS, payroll, text marketing and to host our cart checkout for our online store.

Of course, we love Canva and we use Mailchimp for our email newsletter.

Do you have a favorite motivational quote, recipe, book or podcast?

From the beginning, we have always used the mantra "Teamwork makes ---- the dream work"

We are pretty fond of our tagline, "Found. Reclaimed. Loved."

Favorite podcasts:

Business Made Simple

The Connected Life

Writing at the Red House with Kathi Lipp - (I'm a frequent guest!)

Books:

The Let Them Theory

Think Like a Horse

American Dirt

Recipe:

R7’s Cowboy Breakfast

A hearty breakfast tradition born from budget-conscious days and perfected over time on our blended family adventures

The Story

Breakfast has always been the heart of our family. From our early days when pancakes were a budget lifesaver to cooking for everyone on our wedding morning before a canoe trip, breakfast became our identity. This recipe evolved over time including adding made from scratch hash browns when we bought a 50-pound bag of potatoes during COVID!

Ingredients

Hash Browns from Scratch

4-8 large potatoes
¼ cup of oil (approximately 1 TB per potato)
Salt and pepper to taste

Scrausage (Scrambled Eggs + Sausage)

18 eggs
1 lb hot spicy sausage (we prefer Jimmy Dean)

Optional Add-ons

Apple wood smoked bacon
Sausage gravy (recipe below)

Sausage Gravy

1 lb hot sausage (Jimmy Dean recommended)
¾ cup flour (gluten-free works great)
4-6 cups of whole milk or almond milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Hash Browns

Peel potatoes and shred using a cheese grater (or KitchenAid mixer grater)
Mix shredded potatoes with oil
Heat grill or frying pan until very hot
Add oiled potatoes to hot grill or pan. (This is the key is getting that crispy texture)
Season with salt and pepper
Cook until golden and crispy, flip over and finish crisping to perfection.

Scrausage

Brown the hot sausage in a pan, breaking it into pieces
Drain grease off of the sausage and return it to the skillet
Crack eggs directly into plan and mix with the cooked sausage
Add shredded cheddar cheese for even more flavor

Sausage Gravy (Optional)

Brown sausage in a saucepan, leaving the grease
Add ½ cup flour to the grease and sausage, stirring to create a roux (that yellow, pasty base for your gravy!)
Gradually add milk, stirring constantly
Bring to a slow boil, stirring frequently
Once thickened, reduce heat and salt and pepper to taste

Assembly

Layer the crispy hash browns as your base, top with scrausage, add bacon if using, and finish with sausage gravy for the ultimate indulgent version.

Serving

Serves 7 hungry folks!