Structure & Story

02/16/2026

Our library is getting filled with old books!

A lot of work has happened the past couple of weeks. We had to move our office space to make way for framing the new guest rooms. We will be sharing the construction progress on our next episode. We hope you will enjoy some filler content!

We’ve officially moved our filming location—and my office—into the building itself as construction pushes forward. In this episode, I set up shop inside what...

12/16/2025

This building has been many things over the years—but for the last several months, it’s been an active construction site.

In our latest video, we recap the full journey so far: how we found this abandoned library, what it took to get it cleared out, and everything that led up to the final phase of demolition. This episode is the foundation for what comes next as the project transitions from demo into construction.

If you’re interested in historic renovations, adaptive reuse, or how a forgotten building can be reimagined into something new, this is the best place to start.

Watch the full episode here 👇

This episode brings you fully up to speed.Before construction begins, we’re recapping everything that led us here—from discovering this abandoned library to ...

11/30/2025

Our latest video is live over on YouTube! We have been sifting through the books that will fill the shelves of The Bookend Hotel and we can't wait until we can sit back and enjoy a read once we finish construction!

Welcome to Episode 1 of our Missouri Vintage Book Haul Unboxing Series!During our trip to Missouri to source antique and vintage books for The Bookend Hotel,...

11/19/2025

We have a fun little video that is now live on YouTube! Check out what we found hiding behind a wall!

In Chapter 10 of Abandoned to Boutique, we make one of our wildest discoveries yet — a dumbwaiter hidden inside the walls of our 100-year-old public library....

11/17/2025

We have gotten the opportunity to start sharing our story! The Oklahoma State newspaper, The O'colly wrote an article about The Bookend Hotel. We are grateful to share our project with our community!

Layton Johns walked through Stillwater’s abandoned library and said six words: “I have to have this building.”

11/02/2025

📚 We’re turning Stillwater’s 100-year-old public library into a boutique hotel.

This is where it all begins. The floors are dusty, the shelves are empty, and the echoes still sound like storytime—but soon, it’ll be The Bookend Hotel: 15 rooms, a speakeasy-style bar, and design inspired by the building’s literary past.

We’re calling this series “Abandoned to Boutique”—our journey to give this forgotten library a second chapter.

What would you keep if you were restoring a place like this—the history or the modern comforts?