Tiny House Blog

Guest Post by Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell

The temperatures are dipping and the weather forecasters are predicting frosts – if you haven’t see them already – and it’s time to start cranking up the heat again.

For those of us who live in smaller sized homes and have access to wood to feed the wood burning stoves, though, it’s time to breathe a sigh of relief, as we won’t be paying the high electricity bills for the air conditioning of summer.

When we built our Little House, we intended on using it primarily in the summer, so we didn’t go to the expense of installing a central air system, as we figured we could use a window air unit and a wood-burning stove in the winter – along with space heaters. I did want a beautiful rock fireplace, but given we ended up living in The Little House full time, I’m glad we went for efficiency, rather than beauty.

For four years of using The Little House as a weekend retreat and mainly over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, we never used the wood-burning stove. Even during the first year we lived here full time, we only used a space heater, as the place is so well insulated, it used relatively little energy. As well, having just moved and the transferring of jobs didn’t allow my husband the time to cut wood.
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Kyle just brought to market a new piece of furniture that doubles as a sofa and bed and thought people with small spaces might enjoy seeing what the slide away bed has to offer. Kyle calls it The Ultimate Murphy bed/Wall bed Alternative.

Though not considered cheap this bed offers more than just sleeping. An idea worth checking out in my humble opinion. I’ll let Kyle tell you more about it.

The Slide Away Bed utilizes every square inch of available space. During the day it’s a comfortable sofa and during the evening it converts to a lounger and bed. Traditional MurphyBeds or WallBeds fold up to the wall and attempt to hide the mattress which can waste valuable floor space. Our unique patent pending system allows you to place the Slide Away Bed where fold down beds dare to go. It’s a great home office bed or perfect for small apartments, condos, dens, dorms and vacation retreats. To learn more check out the Slide Away Bed website.

by Kent Griswold (Tiny House Blog)

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Tara, one of our readers brought this cool kitchen idea to me that I thought could be integrated into a small or tiny house design. Here is what the company has to say about there product.

The revolving concept Original Circle Kitchen® offers intelligent kitchen comfort compressed into the smallest space but with a storage capacity equivalent to 12 cupboards and a bench top length of approx. 3000 mm, equipped with refrigerator, dishwasher, ceramic hob, oven with microwave, range hood, sink and waste bin as a conventional kitchen.

This kitchen creation can be placed anywhere in the room, also space saving centrically in between walls and in angled corners or recesses and it can be harmoniously integrated with other key living spaces.

Equipped with sliding doors the kitchen work area can favourably be hidden in open plan spaces and commercial buildings. Especially for architects and interior designer arise new planning perspectives through the new “room within a room” concept particularly where space is at a premium.

Through open style this kitchen concept is easily accessible and extremely user friendly. Deep cupboards and annoying doors in the way whilst working belong to the past. Appliances and kitchen contents are clearly visible. As this is a rotating kitchen, the complete work area may be reached from a sitting or standing position.

Mobile and without alteration, the circular kitchen can easily be taken with you when relocating. The Original Circle Kitchen® is available in different dimensions and models depending on equipment: Model Apartment, Office/Foyer and Motel.

You can learn more by going to the Original Circle Kitchen® website.

Photo Credit: Original Circle Kitchen

by Kent Griswold (Tiny House Blog)

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Kim alerted me to a great deal if you are in the Minneapolis, MN area. If you are looking for a tiny kitchenette unit for your home these are a bargain at $100.

Go to the craigslist listing here to get more information and purchase one.

Pallets are really Michael Janzen’s specialty from Tiny House Design, but I happen to like them too and enjoy seeing what can be built with them also.

Craig one of our readers, sent me a couple of cool links to chairs that are being built with pallets and if you know of any more I would appreciate you sending them my way.

The chair above is designed and made by studiomama, a while back we featured a beach house designed by the same company. As we all know wooden shipping pallets are usually thrown away after each use but this comfortable chair has been designed to recycle them. Plans are available at studiomama so you can make your own. The next chair pictured below is also designed by studiomama.

The chair at the bottom of the article was designed by Andrew Montgomery of Falls Church, Va., a fifth-year architecture student in Virginia Tech’s School of Architecture + Design, did. He designed a chair with a single shipping pallet and it won the Green Stewardship Award from Design Within Reach.

Montgomery said, “Once a pallet is used and discarded, no one usually looks past its original purpose to ship goods. But underneath all the mistreatment during its initial use, there is beauty.” You can read the full article here.

Copyright © 2009 Tiny House Blog

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Paul Butler of Butler Projects offers several tiny and small house plans for amateur and first time builders. According to Paul, his designs have been simplified about as much as is possible, in terms of shape and add-on modules, and can be made very energy efficient. The houses are designed around a main module which can be equipped with power and plumbing and the options can be added on as time or budget allow.  He does encourage modification and customization to fit the builder’s needs.

Paul’s plans have been featured in several magazines including Workbench, Outdoor Life and Popular Science. He also offers plans for wooden hot tubs, small boats, truck campers and barns.

Sauna Cabin

Sauna Cabin
One of the most popular plans is the Sauna Cabin, a Scandinavian dream come true. The wood paneling is really beautiful. Butler customers have built this house mostly for a second home, studio, workshop, and often as a primary residence.

Its about 250 square feet, and the pier and beam foundation can be dug and poured in one day, requiring little but a shovel and a wheelbarrow for mixing cement.

Sauna Cabin

Originally published in Workbench magazine as the “Utility Cabin”, it became popular in many variations including a guest cabin, storage, studio and workshop shape. Designed specially for utilizing rough terrain, the four rebar-reinforced legs elevate the cabin above grade, and deep snow, providing a simple and adaptable foundation system. The hip roof for the small 16 x 16 cabin, with a large skylight in the center, provided an interesting and open interior, which was paneled and trimmed with cedar.

Sauna Cabin

The original Sauna Cabin was equipped with a large traditional Finnish sauna in one corner. It also contained a full bathroom with tub and shower and a solo cedar therapy tub. A greenhouse window facing east provided indoor plant space and welcomed in the morning sun. The large centrally located skylight overhead provided interior light over the 256 square feet of floorspace. A sound system completed the package, making for pleasant early morning workouts.

Sauna Cabin

One of Butler’s customers, Arlen Hoskins, had this to say about his Sauna Cabin:

“This is way too good to waste on just a sauna cabin…I’m living in it! It makes a cool bachelor pad on my 5 acres. I put my little wood stove right in the middle and stuck the stove pipe out where you had the big skylite (sic), and there’s room to keep my canoe and kayaks underneath. Mostly boulders and rocks on my Oregon property anyway so the pier and beam design went up fast and cost a fraction of a traditional perimeter foundation, and I like how it’s designed to use full sheets of plywood. I sided my cabin with rough sawn cedar planks lapped one over the other and it looks like it grew right out of the hillside.”

Grand Cabin

Grand Cabin
The Grand Cabin cabin is about 140 square feet and can be moved around your property on skid beams with a tractor or truck. The small portable shelter makes a unique hunting camp or a cozy weekend vacation cabin. The basic cabin has also been adapted for refugee housing, back yard studios, storage shed and guest houses. Multiple modules of the cabin have been joined together for basic accommodation for fly-in hunting in the Alaskan bush.

For about $1000, a first class version can be built, and about half that amount for an economy version. It can be built to take-apart if necessary, constructed in a back yard and re-assembled on site in the woods. The 8′ by 12′ floorplan plus sleeping/storage loft overhead provide about 140 square feet of usable space. Hollow plywood skid-beams provide structural support and also elevate the cabin above snow, or can be propped level about rough ground. Roof overhangs provide cover for stacked wood, boats, etc.

Interior layout, door and window placement are optional. Optional insulation and a small wood stove provide winter comfort, or if an extension cord will reach the smallest 110 volt heaters will keep the cabin toasty.

Building plans include a step-by-step building manual and blueprints, all written for amateur builders. The plans for the Sauna Cabin and the Grand Cabin cost $45.

Butler Projects also sells two larger home plans that start at about 800 square feet for a two story main module which contains all the wiring and plumbing necessary for civilized living. The DIY plywood beams and floor joists were among the most popular features of those cabins.

Plywood Cabin
The Plywood Cabin is designed as a modular owner-built home with a core module around which could be added any number of options including bedrooms, garage, sunrooms, workshops, etc.

Affordable House
The core module of the Affordable House is 20 by 24 feet providing a total 960 square feet in the two floors. It has an optional sunroom and bedrooms, garages and other spaces can be added to the core as needed. Paul built this house for his family and they lived in it for two years.

The larger home plans cost around $90-$95.

I was impressed with the thought and design that went into each house to keep the size and expense minimal. Paul even has a free plan on his website for a boat table for tiny interiors!

Paul is in the process of updating his website with new photos and information. Check back on his site and the Tiny House Blog for updates on Butler Projects.

By Christina Nellemann

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Casulo is a complete set of room furniture which can be set up in less than ten minutes and later disassembled and repacked like a standard Euro pallet of 80 cm by 120 cm (31.5 inch by 47.2 inch). No tools are needed in the process. I want to thank Manuel Macias for pointing this cool concept out to me.

A packed Casulo can be transported and stored at nominal expense by any carrier and shipping agent. Not only can a disassembled Casulo unit be packed with one’s personal items. The Casulo itself is sturdy and thus no additional packaging materials are necessary when it is ready for transport.

The Casulo can then either be sent to a prearranged address or delivered directly to one’s flat. Two people can lift, carry, and assemble each piece of furniture within the Casulo. The unit is constructed of durable, long-lasting materials.

A Casulo offers a solution for today’s style of life – “Here today – must move tomorrow.”

To learn more about the Casulo go here.

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One of the questions that comes up often with regards to a tiny house, especially one of the tiny houses, like Jay Shafer’s Epu is how do you do your laundry? Jay says that he uses the laundry mat. That is ok for some, but is there an alternative?

My sister-in-law lives in Thailand discovered a neat tiny hand powered wash machine that I think would work perfectly in a small space, and when not in use could be stored away easily. Plus the price is right at only $50. Here is the company’s description:

If you’re looking for a greener alternative to washing your clothes, it doesn’t get much greener than our hand powered laundry machine (well, laundry washer, it’s not really a machine if you crank it yourself!).

This portable washing machine requires no electricity, which saves money in energy bills. It is also portable, which enables you to use in places that don’t have electricity.

When you’re in a hurry to wash a few items, this washing machine easily solves the problem of having to wait around for your electric or gas washing machine to complete a full load of laundry or feel bad about only washing a few items at a time.

Made of plastic with no mechanical parts, the hand powered washing machine comes assembled. Just attach the handle and go! It can last a lifetime and requires no maintenance.

Because this washing machine is so small, it’s easy to store and move from one place to another. This is an ideal washing machine to have with you in an RV, on road trips, at weekend sports tournaments, in apartments, especially those with limited access to laundry areas, on camping trips and those who want to make their lifestyle more energy efficient.

This small washing machine uses less water and powder detergent per load of laundry. The washing cycle is also extremely fast (from 10 seconds to 2 minutes) saving you an extraordinary amount of time.

If you work in the yard or outside frequently and don’t like to put your really dirty clothes in the wash with your other clothes, this washing machine allows you to easily separate them and get them thoroughly clean without staining other clothes.

How it works:

• Insert your dirty laundry along with a measured amount of water and soap (instructions are included that list the appropriate amounts and temperatures)
• Secure the lid, but do not overtighten
• Turn the handle approximately one turn per second
• Once the washing is done, release the pressure of the lid by slowly turning the knob
• Rinse your laundry either in the portable washing machine after draining the dirty water or in the sink
• Then hang the clothes to dry!

Five pounds of clothes is equal to approximately 10 shirts or 2 pairs of jeans.

This tiny hand powered portable washing machine can be bought from Clean Air Gardening for $50, so if this fits your needs go check it out.

The Crank

Washer with Clothes

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You have seen Steve Newbold’s video and now he is going to share his tiny house story with us along with some great pictures of his build.

I got the idea for the tiny house from Jay Shafer in mid 2007–by way of Oprah, who had a bit on Jay on one of her shows, and my mom, who watched Oprah and pointed me to the link. For some time I have been nursing the idea of building a house one day, so this seemed like a good way to get some practice and a useful structure in the process.

That it is movable made it all the more attractive to me, since I can imagine a number of uses for it over time, including a weekend get-away cabin, a rental studio, mother-in-law bungalow, etc. But the first purpose was to use this project to get some practical building experience.

So I started by attending one of Jay’s weekend workshops in California in early 2008. I had worked out the basic design in SketchUp beforehand, but Jay’s workshop was great for getting extra tips and tricks of the tiny house trade from several people who had already built one.

Steve's Design

I started the actual building process in March 2008. The building site was in my folks’ front yard in Florida. I live in Washington DC, so this meant I had to fly to Orlando whenever I wanted to work on the house. Not ideal for making fast progress, but it became something of a family project and it allowed me to spend a lot more quality time at home than I usually get to do over the course of a typical year. My brother and mom and dad pitched in quite a bit with advice and free labor (thanks everyone!!). I also hired a professional carpenter who has tons of experience building regular homes to help for the difficult phases and a professional electrician to install most of the wiring. So while I did a fair portion of the construction myself, certainly enough to satisfy my main objective of getting some good hands-on experience, it was pretty much a group effort. I’m sure I would still be scratching my head over something in the very early phases if it weren’t for all the help I received.

Trailer and Wall Framing

The construction proceeded as you see in the photos. I made a total of 7 trips home. The first and last were 2 week trips, and the remaining trips were long weekends, 3 to 5 days at a time. I estimate that I have put approximately $18K and between 600-700 person hours into the house so far. I tried to cut costs whenever possible of course, but a few things didn’t work the first time and I splurged on a few items that were not strict necessities. So I’m sure it could be done a bit cheaper than this, especially if one were to use a lot of salvaged material. If I had the luxury of more time and a more convenient work site, perhaps I would have done that. Maybe next time…

House Framed

If I had learned about the tiny house possibility in college or grad school, I could definitely see living in it for an extended period in that earlier phase of life. But I recently moved into a nice row house with my significant other, Michelle, and with any luck we will not need to downsize to the tiny house extreme.

So my immediate plans are to find a spot to park it, ideally near the ocean within driving distance of Washington DC, and use the tiny house for weekend get-aways. I would love to find someone with free space in their yard or on the edge of a farm etc to rent or lease, something rather informal to start would be great. I am willing to negotiate a reasonable monthly rental payment, and possibly a profit sharing arrangement if the site is suitable for renting out to other vacationers when I otherwise wouldn’t be using it.

Interior and Loft

If I find a suitable spot to park it for an extended period, I would like to experiment with solar power, perhaps a composting toilet, maybe some rainwater collection, etc. In the meantime it will be usable and comfortable with standard 120 V AC wiring, a small electric fridge, and a propane water heater.

So if any of your readers are interested in hosting a tiny house I can be contacted at steves.tinyhouse@yahoo.com.

Steve installing Windows

Interior

Loft

Bathroom Tile

Kitchen counter under construction

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Darrell pointed me to these modern Murphy beds that would work really great in a very small space.  These are European designed, functional change furniture. They use a unique “intuitive Lift Mechanism” and are easy and safe to operate. They are made of strong metal and wood frames support a comfort mattress.

These modern Murphy beds are made in Italy and shipped to Denver, Colorado at a company called Flying Beds. These Murphy beds are not cheap but would be a very worthwhile investment for your small space.

The Tama Desk Bed above is made of embossed aluminum metal frame houses wood slat foundation for mattress. Just one simple movement without moving anything from the swinging shelf, lowers the bed. (Even the computer can rest while you sleep.) Wall fastening is mandatory. It comes in Double and Queen size.
 

Mr. Hide Sofa

The most unique Sofa in Europe. Comfortable to sit on or sleep in. The sofa seats three comfortably and transforms into a bunk bed when required. A simple intuitive and safe mechanism permits super imposing the second bed on the sofa.
Cushions come with fully removable fabric covers for easy cleaning. Embossed aluminum color metal structure has slatted base and incorporated ladder. The sofa features a practical storage compartment for bedding.
 

The Twirly Bed

This is an amazing bed that stores into only 22″ depth! That allows for 9″ deep shelves. When the table is lowered, it becomes almost 5 feet in length! The mattress is European in firmness. Shown here in Walnut melamine.
Straight from Hollywood. Queen bed disappears and becomes an extra length work table. Bed is stored away fully made. Inutitive lift system is fingertip ease operation.Wall fastening mandatory. 

The Computer Bed "The Tale"

The Computer Bed “The Tale” is in the popular computer bed format. The advantage of a metal bed frame and wooden slat foundation. Operation is from gas assisted pistons often referred to as intuitive in nature. In reality the gas piston dampens the natural action of weight transfer from bed to desk to bed. We love this transfer of responsibility. It is the Murphy Bed concept to perfection.

To view more Murphy beds go to FlyingBeds.com.

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