Tiny House Blog

Kent, this was tough- ALOT of good contributions, and I tried to keep in mind that while I’ve heard and seen some of the applications before, others might have not. Some tips are “tried n’ true”, but often overlooked by others….I really had to read through the entire thread of almost 120 entries THREE times and take so many things into consideration (my eyes are going to fall out of my head!)- “newness” and creativity, uniqueness, actual potential and logic, and so forth…..man, this was NOT easy….

The one’s we’ve picked (Kent and Deek) Kent will be contacting the winners today and shipping the books.

So the winners……

Leigh- storage in pull up floor spaces…..I’ve always wanted to do this in a home, and have contemplated it in my Vermont cabin- it just makes alot of sense if done properly, and if insulative factors are still preserved.

Nik- old ladder on the ceiling as a pot rack, or the back of doors as a coat, mitten, etc holder…I own an old ladder that I’m going to make into a wall hung bookshelf.  The ladder can be used to stow/stack containers/items too, if fixed in place (not hung from a chain). I see wooden ladders tossed ALL the time too, so this project is basically free! Same ballpark, but Nik has a cool, door-storage spin on it- and the pot rack, while not a new idea, would make for a great conversation piece.

Photo Credit Dairy House

Alison Joyal. I based this choice on the sheer volume of good, practical tips- one’s that she’s actually applied in her situation/camper. I felt her entry had more than a few tips that people could truly put to use and learn from. Not rocket science, but some really good advice that makes perfect sense- and saves space in not ONE case, but in ten or more.

Again, thanks all! Some of your tips may just be shared, so that many more can learn and benefit from them, in some of the upcoming Tumbleweed Tiny House Workshops I’m teaching- one in Miami (April 14-15), and another in Boston, MA that will soon be announced. Tumbleweed Cambodia is also in the works! No, not really….I’ll also be at the Seattle Tumbleweed and I look forward to meeting some of you out there perhaps.

Thanks again to all who submitted ideas, congrats on winning a copy of “Humble Homes, Simple Shacks“, and we’ll have more copies to give out down the road- and Thanks Kent!

PS- anyone can email me if they want a signed, doodled-on (tiny cabin sketches- each one different) copy of the book. kidcedar at gmail dot com. If you buy an amazon copy and send it my way with a pre-stamped return, I’ll gladly sign it (thereby lowering the value of the book) for you. Not sure why you’d truly want my signature, but a few have asked, and I’d be more than happy to do it.

Also- Both my book and Lloyd Kahn’s have been doing VERY WELL- thank you all, and him and I, when we’ve spoken, both can’t believe how this scene is growing, and how very supportive it is. THANK YOU!

-Deek

Photo Credit Dornob

Treehouses, homemade canoes and Labrador Retrievers. What more can you ask for in a radio show?

Eric Rochow of GardenFork recently spoke with Deek Diedrickson, microhome builder and author of the new “Humble Homes, Simple Shacks” book in an episode of GardenFork Radio.

Deek and Eric (two men cut from the same cloth) discuss the merits of publishing your own book, using recycled and curbside found materials for tiny homes, how to build and anchor a treehouse and how Deek is able to make a living with his various building, music and drawing hobbies.

They also talk about Deek’s future plans which include teaching a few of the Tumbleweed Tiny House workshops, building a houseboat, a treehouse workshop and writing and publishing another book.

You can download the episode from iTunes or you can listen to it on the GardenFork website.

Photos courtesy of Relaxshacks.com.

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

Jeff H. sent me this email about a challenge for the designers and builders in the tiny house world to consider. Here is what Jeff had to say:

I have a favor/challenge/request for this year for you and the builders of these tiny houses. I have my own ideas that I want to incorporate in my tiny house design and here is the reason. I have a neurological disorder and do not handle stairs very well, and require a hand rail to climb stairs. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it is a huge deal for me.

I rarely see any houses on this site with a hand railing at the entry let alone a Murphy bed type sleeping arrangement or a bed that is a dual purpose design. Climbing up into a loft is do-able, but I would never design anything like that at all for me. Climbing down to use the rest room at night would never appeal to me even if I was as strong as a bull.

So if you agree with me I think it would make for a good discussion and maybe get a few builders thinking a little more about design and dual purpose possibilities. I think a whole new range of people would be interested in the tiny house movement.

I have mentioned this to a couple of builders I know and they think it is a good idea. One or two even have such a design in the works and I’m hoping many more of you will step up too. If you already have such a design please list it in the comment section below and share a link if you have one. If you have other ideas and suggestions please also bring them up in the comment section.

Let’s help people like Jeff and others have the ability to have a tiny home that they can enjoy just like everyone else. If you have a website with your design please list it in the comment section below. If not please email photos and/or floor plans to tinyhouseblog (at) gmail.com and I will pull together a post with your designs so that everyone can see.

Hornby Island Caravans bed

Dan Louche from Tiny Home Builders is going to be offering a unique workshop starting in March and I wanted to make sure you all new about it. I’ll let Dan tell you about it below.

Building a tiny house by yourself can be intimidating, especially if you have limited construction knowledge. But imagine if instead of doing it alone, you were part of a community of people with different levels of knowledge and experience working in tandem toward the common goal of building and living in a tiny house. In this community there would be an experienced instructor who was there to guide you and answer all of your questions along the way. This is the idea behind the Tiny House Build Along.

At the end of six months you could be living in your own tiny house. A house that is mortgage free, environmentally sustainable, that you built with your own hands. Beginning on March 1st 2012, I will be building a tiny house, and I invite you to build yours with me.

Participants will get access to an online community where each step of the build process will be broken down and scheduled to allow ample time for completion. Illustrated instructions and videos will be provided for each step so that you understand exactly what needs to be done. There will also be a discussion area where you can post your questions which will be answered by your fellow builders and myself. For each step there will be an opportunity to call in and ask your questions with the instructors answers broadcast live over the web to all participants (these sessions will also be recorded for others in the event someone is not available at the specified call time). My personal number will also be provided for a limited number of immediate answers.

The total cost is $849 and includes your choice of one of the Tiny Home Builders tiny house plans (Tiny Living or Tiny Retirement), the Tiny House Construction Guide, and unlimited access to the Tiny House Build Along online community.

You’ve dreamed of living in a tiny house, if you’ve thought of building your own home, but didn’t know where to start, then this is it! This is your start!

Reserve your spot today for $99.
Learn more at tinyhomebuilders.com/buildalong.

Happy New Year and a warm welcome to 2012 from the Tiny House Blog.

I wanted to thank you for continuing to support and visit the Tiny House Blog in the year 2011. The blog continues to grow steadily and it is because of you sharing your stories and ideas with us that it continues to be a popular destination on the internet.

Here are some stats from 2011.

1. Almost 10 million pageviews (9,568,072)
2. Almost 2 million visitors (1,874,141) We have an average of 10,000 visitors a day.
3. Just shy of 23,000 facebook fans

10 Most Popular Posts for 2011

1. Ten Tips for Decorating a Tiny Apartment
2. The E.D.G.E
3. The TB Trailer
4. Simon’s House
5. How to Arrange a Teeny Tiny  Apartment
6. Diana’s Innermost House
7. Little Cob Cabin
8. Small Cabin Plans
9. Build a Small Log Cabin
10. How To Start Living in a Tiny House

Looking ahead to 2012

There are a couple of neat new books coming out real soon. Lloyd Kahn’s new book called Tiny Homes Simple Shelter and Deek’s new Humble Homes Simple Shacks book. I will be reviewing both real soon. My goal is to continue to bring great content, so please keep sending me your stories and ideas. I also want to clean up and streamline the blog so it is easier to get around and loads faster. There are now over 1,400 posts from the past four and a half years and I want them to be easier to find.

Thank you again and Happy New Year!

We would like to inform you that we have launched the Puresalvageliving.com website.

This will incorporate the big picture of what Tiny Texas Houses has been able to accomplish over the last 6 years.

While still under development, Puresalvageliving.com already has loads of content and some great opportunities including a free membership that will soon allow access to plans, videos, a blog and forum and much more.

We are in the works of creating our first salvage mining expedition (a.k.a building deconstruction seminar) and need some participation in a brief survey. You can Click here or visit either website to participate.

Our goal in the up coming year is to transition into the Pure Salvage Living Movement through our membership sight and by teaching the hands on skills that will empower anyone who cares to make a difference.

In the months to come we hope to start a monthly newsletter that is full of anything and everything that is Pure Salvage and/or sustainable. From our projects and seminars that are open to members and the public, to links with bits and tips of info from insiders that are willing to share the latest new idea or think-tank with this ever growing movement.

Texas Tiny Houses contacted me to remind you that the deadline is drawing near to enter their Tiny House Contest. December 3 is the cutoff date so if you plan to enter please do it soon. Here is a quote from their entry page:

December 3rd, 2011 is the final deadline, so sharpen your wits and get that essay in if you have not done it yet but have been dreaming of the possibilities.

Thanks for being part of this inspirational offering that hopefully will seed great things in everyone’s lives just through the positive visualization and realization that they can help inspire others to do something like this in their parts of the country too. Thanks for being a part of the dialogue that may help make the transition to Pure Salvage Living possible.

Click here to enter now: http://tinytexashouses.com/?page_id=131