It’s high style and family fun at Loco B
Story by Steve Nussbaum | Photos by Matthew Renfro
The Loco B is the ultimate entertainment estate with two large homes, incredible outdoor living spaces and one of the most unique docks on the lake.
Every issue of PK Magazine features an iconic home that local residents show to their friends on boat tours while wondering themselves what the inside looks like, and this time around it’s a “two-fer.”
The Loco B estate in Gaines Bend, one of the most impressive estates on the lake, belongs to Mike Byrd of Abilene, Texas. It consists of two beautiful homes at the end point of Gaines Bend that leads to Hell’s Gate.
The main house at Loco B consists of a sprawling single-story home with a beautiful infinity edge pool and lush grounds highlighted with palm trees that lead down to the water’s edge. The “family house,” meanwhile, is designed for Byrd’s twin daughters and their families. It sits up on a ridge and is a three-story modern design home with incredible views of Hell’s Gate. Both homes have been completely rebuilt to showcase both incredible design and lake luxury.
The Byrd estate features a luxury outdoor space with a beautiful yard, large patios and palm trees, all at the base of Hells Gate.
The large dock features roll up glass doors, huge turf ceiling and room for two boats and two personal watercraft.
View of the entire estate.
The front entrance to Loco B features a metal door and antler chandelier in the portico.
Byrd grew up in Hamlin, Texas, and said he’s been a “lake rat” his whole life. He said he bought his first speedboat at the age of 16 and ran it on Lake Stamford in southeastern Haskell County. After his dad brought him to Possum Kingdom Lake, Byrd said he knew he would want to live here one day.
Byrd has owned three other homes on the lake – two in the Cliffs and two in Gaines Bend – and he also has owned property at Lake Stamford and Lake Sweetwater.
“I bought a house at Lake Brownwood, went three times and hated it,” he jokingly added.
Byrd found his way back to PK and purchased the main house at Loco B in 2018, then bought the house next door six months later. The two homes were owned by two families that were good friends, and both residences had a common security gate and driveway, which made for the perfect family setup for Byrd to welcome lots of friends and large groups. He began the complete remodel of the two homes in 2020.
Byrd started his first business in the oilfield industry at age 19, sold his company in 2007, then started back up in 2011. He’s owned more than two dozen different businesses and currently owns 10 businesses with multiple locations across the US.
Loco B has been an ongoing project for Byrd, who said he’s now able to enjoy what he likes the most: spending time outdoors and watching the Dallas Cowboys play football. Byrd added that he’s always had a love of music, and he owns a music venue in Abilene and one adjacent to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The venue in Arlington entertains up to 3,000 people before Cowboys games, he said.
The two homes that make up the Loco B estate feature eight bedrooms and 7½ bathrooms, and each has its own gourmet kitchen, with a game room in the main house and a children’s playroom in the family house. Barnes Construction was the architect on the project, Susan Simmerman was the interior designer, and Randy Glenn of Abilene’s Extreme Exteriors did the work on the grounds and pool area. Byrd said he worked with each of them to create the vision of what he wanted, and the result is a complex that resembles a five-star hotel. No space was left unfinished, and the design of each house coordinates into a consistent flow throughout the estate.
Guests enter the main house through two large metal doors to a modern gallery space, which then leads to a large open living area and kitchen. The lakeside area of the house is a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the pool and offer incredible views of Hell’s Gate, seemingly at the base of Devil’s Island.
The main living space has a U-shaped leather sofa flanking the modern fireplace that can seat more than a dozen people, while the kitchen features a large island with dark cabinets and gold accent pieces, with the island surrounded by leather barstools. The kitchen also has a huge gas stove, a convection oven, multiple warmers and all high-end accessories, and a copper vented hood that was custom made for the home. The room has soaring ceilings with wood beams, a large antler chandelier and custom metal lights over the island, but it’s the view that draws guests outside.
Adjacent to the kitchen is a game room sporting a rustic barnwood ceiling and brick veneer walls, and the room has great views of the lake and large dock. Inside is a pool table and shuffleboard table, as well as a pinball machine and a classic Pac-Man arcade game, and the space also features a fully stocked bar for entertaining.
Down the hall is a laundry room, with a large pantry enclosed with modern glass sliders. The long hallway also features a well-appointed bunk room, with three beds and large beanbags.
“We used to have bunk beds, but someone fell out, so now they are just regular twin beds,” Byrd said.
The other end of the house has the large master bedroom, with floor-to-ceiling sliders leading out to the lake and a luxury master bathroom. All the bedrooms have custom furniture and textured accent walls, so none of the bedrooms look alike, but they all flow with similar style that build on the home’s high-end resort look and feel.
The star of the show is the pool space, which features numerous outdoor living areas to relax and enjoy the view. The huge infinity pool appears to disappear into the lake and is anchored by two large fire features, while the back of the yard features tall palm trees that require some wrapping and extra care in the winter. Off to the side of the property is one of the most stunning docks on the lake. It’s fully enclosed with glass and metal sliding doors that open up to the whole dock space, and Byrd’s children and grandchildren love to hang out at the dock and fish.
The boathouse stores two Sea-Doo watercraft and two incredible boats. One is an Air Nautique Paragon surf boat, while the other is Byrd’s favorite: a Trifecta tri-toon with two 500-horsepower motors. Between the house and the dock is an outdoor kitchen perched above the lake that’s a fantastic spot to cook a meal for guests.
The family house is a modern gem that was totally rebuilt. Byrd and his architect kept the modern ceiling design that has been a trademark of the house from the beginning, but in the home guests will notice an open-floor-plan layout and the huge floor-to-ceiling corner windows that offer the best views of the property. The family house sits on a slight cliff, so the whole property has great views of the lake and the entire estate, and the living room, kitchen and dining room were all designed with the same high-end finishes in the main house.
The family house has a little more relaxed feel to it because it’s where the children and grandchildren stay, but it still is all luxury. Byrd’s twin daughters and their spouses each have two children ages 4 and 2, so this will be a busy lake house for years to come, and the downstairs basement has a fun playroom for Byrd’s four grandchildren.
The dock on the family house proudly displays flags for both Texas Tech and Texas A&M, so it’s a house divided that proudly supports both schools. One of the more memorable family events was when one of Byrd’s daughters graduated from Texas Tech in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her graduation festivities took place in the back yard, and she jumped off the dock to celebrate.
Over the recent July 4 weekend, Byrd hosted a large group of about 60 friends and family, because for him it’s all about the outdoors and enjoying the lake.
He said he’s been asked many times if he would sell his property, and his response has always stayed the same.
“No,” he said. “I want my kids to be able to inherit
The grandkids playroom in the Family house is the ultimate playroom
The master bedroom in the Family House has a fireplace and great views
The master bath features luxury tile, marble counter tops, stylish wall paper and a touch of whimsy.
The second master bedroom in the family house has great views and neutral modern color scheme.
You enter the family house with some of the best views on the property. The home was taken down to the studs and rebuilt. The signature ceiling from the original home is incorporated into the design.
The family home features an open floor plan with gourmet appliances and of course those incredible views
The Mike Byrd’s dock houses his two high end boats and personal watercraft. The garage doors along the end of the boat house are a great feature.
Even the dock and boat house offer the ultimate in style and comfort.
The large estate feature lots of different outdoor spots to watch the kids and lake activity.
The outdoor patio has several seating spots and is the ultimate entertainment space.
The infinity pool just flows into the lake with awesome views.
Spa, palm trees and Possum Kingdom Lake are the ultimate relaxation spot.
Every bedroom in the main house offers tons of style and texture.
Spa like bathroom in the master bathroom.
The master bedroom features an incredible marble fireplace.
The master bedroom in the main house is modern, unique and features access to the main outdoor space.
The bunk room in the main house is the perfect luxury space for kids or adults.
The pantry has modern sliders and the ultimate organized space for family and guests to grab a snack.
The gameroom bar has pinball, and old school Pac-Man game, plus a fully stocked bar.
The pool table and shuffleboard table are right off the outdoor space and offer 180 degree views.
You enter the main house foyer and get a sense of the modern style you will see throughout the property.
The Great room offers floor to ceiling windows, vaulted ceilings and wood beams. The entire house was taken to the studs and rebuilt in 2020.
The gourmet kitchen is totally custom, from the modern leather barstools to the custom-built metal vent a hood. No space goes untouched with style in this house
The kitchen has dark custom cabinets with copper accents.
The outdoor kitchen overlooks the adjoining cove and dock. Every lake house needs a gourmet outdoor kitchen space.
The entire Byrd clan celebrating the Fourth of July.
It’s always a party when the Byrds and friends celebrate the fourth of July in one of the best locations on the lake to watch the iconic PK fireworks show.
Mike Byrd and his grand kids getting ready for fireworks and another fun lake weekend.
