During the Tiny House Jamboree I had the chance to visit nearly 50 tiny houses, but there was one in particular I kept coming back to over and over…and I couldn’t figure out why.
The Prairie Schooner by Wander Homes in Lufkin, Texas was not particularly large or dynamic, but there was something about it that really appealed to me (and I think to the thousands of people who also walked through it). It finally dawned on me that it felt “just right.” It also had a large closet in the bathroom. How great is that?
The Prairie Schooner is 268 square feet and includes a 76 foot loft accessed by a staircase. It’s built on a 24 foot Trailer Made Trailer and includes high-quality features like cyprus plank interior and exterior siding and trim, LED adjustable exterior lighting controlled by the Iris smart home system, copper sinks, Tuscany leather granite countertops, and a whole house water filter.
“Our goal is to build each home to meet the unique needs of the owner,” Beverly Johnson of Wander Homes said. “Whether they want to live off-the-grid, or in an area with Internet access. We want to get to know the customer and create a space that is ‘home’ to them.”
Wander Homes was born from T&B Construction Services. The company specializes in pipe, structural and sheet metal fabrication. One of the company’s supervisors, Jimmy Grandgeorge, is a carpenter and has been building homes for 25 years. Early last year, he expressed an interest in building tiny homes. In his own words he was “intrigued” by the craftsmanship involved in building a quality tiny home with an abundant amount of usable space.
Johnson said that their first Wander Home (currently for sale) is unique for its quality craftsmanship. The Prairie Schooner is built to last. The cabinets (including that great bathroom closet) are solid hickory and the outside of the house is trimmed with Genstone which is cast from real stone, but is still lightweight.
“We were overwhelmed with the response of visitors during the Jamboree,” Johnson said. “Repeatedly we heard that the Prairie Schooner was the favorite or in the top three! It was amazing to hear how many of the folks realized the quality of the home. There were comments about how ‘it just feels like home.’ Or ‘I could really live in this.’ We even had another vendor come over and say he had to see what all the fuss was about.”
“We can’t wait to attend other shows, meet more people, and find out what this movement is all about,” she added. “Our whole team is on fire. We want continue building quality custom homes that meet he needs of the folks who want to simplify. And, we know the possibilities are limitless!”
Photos courtesy of Wander Homes and Christina Nellemann
By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]
You’ve hit it out of the ballpark with the spacious and well lit bedroom. The bathroom seems more than adequate, which I think helps make it feel more livable…room to breath, great details and design but the layout is what makes it feel like one could live there. I’m not a fan of tiny houses for permanent living (too claustrophobic and I need all my craft supplies and more than ample storage for too many woolen sweaters) but I’d happily make this my second home in a vacation setting…lakeshore, forest, somewhere remote. Thank you for showing us what tiny living can be.