Space Saving Kitchen from Kitchoo
I don’t cover appliances very often on the Tiny House Blog and I really should. Owen brought this one to my attention recently and I thought I would share it with you. If you are going to live in a tiny house a small kitchen is also part of the deal. Now that does not mean you have to settle for a camp style kitchen, there are some very modern ones available too. Kitchoo offers the Mini Kitchen, though not cheap at $7,500 it has most everything you will need.
The Mini Kitchen is a super compact and hyper-equiped kitchen that is also highly functional and stylish. When put away your guests will wonder where you made your wonderful meal. The Kitchoo Mini Kitchen is made in France so I’m not sure that they are available in North America. Go to Kitchoo to learn more.
Ajustable Modular Stairs
Alice discovered these neat stairs that are great for small tight spaces. Called the Mini Plus, the structure is completely modular, this allows easy assembly of the components and makes it easy to adjust for the steepness of the climb. For added rigidity some special lateral supports attach it to the wall.
Made of solid European beech wood with a thickness of 1.5 inches with beveled round edges. It is both attractive and very stable. Steel tubing makes the railing sturdy and it is accented with solid beech wood. A very attractive solution for a small space. No price was listed and more research should be done if you consider using these. Here is the Stairs by Design website. Thanks Alice for sharing this great find with us.
How to Make a Composting Toilet
As my husband and I began mapping out the interior of our rustic shed-turned-cabin in Montana, he knew we wouldn’t have plumbing, and I knew I didn’t want to deal with chemicals or smells. With two small children and weather that can range from -20 to 85-degrees Fahrenheit, we also didn’t want to deal with schlepping outside for potty breaks. Building our own humanure toilet turned out to be our perfect solution.
With only 12x20 feet of living space, the whole cabin is virtually a kitchen/bedroom/bathroom. We had to choose between putting the loo by the hot stove (not safe for children) by the hide-a-bed, or in this quiet corner. While some question the cleanliness of pooping so close to a food prep area, one must remember that this is not a flushing toilet that sprays bacteria into the air with every flush. Your backside seals the toilet while you do your business. There is no splash. Compost debris quickly covers the deposits, and the lid is shut immediately. Also, having water within easy reach is a must for cleaning up "accidents." We hope to adjoin the outhouse to The Shabin in the near future.
We get quite a few jokes from friends and family about our “lovey loo,” but I would take our lovely-loo over a honey bucket any day! It’s a bucket inside a wood box, and we cover – um – the deposits with sawdust. it has a real toilet seat on it for looks and comfort, but it is what it is, and it works very well.
Recycled red outhouse behind The Shabin always stinks!
Lift and Stor Beds
Every bedroom no matter how small has to have a bed in it. Imagine still using all the floor space needed for a bed as storage space. The Lift and Stor platform lift storage bed let’s you use all the space under your bed; space normally going to waste becomes available for storage.
The platform lifts on its own hydraulic shocks and stays up in place until you apply pressure to close. The base is 15” high which means you can fit plastic storage bins, golf clubs, suitcases and other large items in storage area. High quality, durable construction and made in the USA for over 20 years.
Available in King, Queen, double/full and twin sizes. Local showroom in Metro Phoenix and Seattle, available everywhere else through the online store at www.storagebeds.com
Platform lift storage bed was featured on HGTV’s Color Splash: Miami.
The Perks to a Tiny Kitchen
While there are more than a few things that take getting used when making the switch from a full size to small size home cooking is perhaps the most challenging.
Not only does the act of cooking take place regularly throughout the day, day-in and day-out, but also it’s one thing that we assume, “the more space available the better.” Who among us hasn’t crafted a meal in which both sinks and counters were overflowing with dishes? The oven stuffed, the burners full, and the microwave zinging while all remaining counters look slightly like a food fight just went down. If you have not, I applaud you. But, one of my favorite things about bunking down in a small space is the forced transition to very green and eco-friendly cooking which becomes a necessity, whether or not we always like it.
Rather than dread or complain about the fact that your kitchen may now be more of an “idea” than an actual, physical “place,” relish and embrace the new knowledge that you’re about to become one of the greenest cooks on the planet, or in your neighborhood for sure. Here are some of the easiest things to embrace and to look forward to if you’re just in the process right now.
You can’t Waste Much if You Can’t Store Much
Mega fridges and mega pantries are just destined to become sources of waste. We overbuy and overstock. And then things get buried and hidden and eventually expire. Events come up, forcing us to eat out and in turn we eat less of that fresh beautiful produce than we thought we would. And we waste. Small spaces mean small pantries (if you have them) and small fridges. Relish in the fact that you will naturally waste less because you just can’t fit that much in there anymore. You’ll be able to see what you have, and chances are good you won’t possibly be able to buy more until you’ve used what you have. On the other hand, there are perks to buying in bulk. So if you can, consider a small shed or invest in some heavy duty barrels where you can store things like 50 pound bags of flour outside of your home without worrying about damage.
Climate Rite Air Conditioner
I covered the Climate Rite air conditioner about a year ago and Todd Arend recently sent me information about a new model coming out July 22 that is better geared for small small home. Here are the details.
CR-7000 model is brand new to the market starting July 22.
The unit is completely re-engineered. This next generation is much improved (construction of unit, wiring, optimized sensor and thermostat, etc). This unit was developed for bigger spaces than the CR-2500, which is ideal for dog houses, small trailers, etc.
The CR-7000 model suits tiny houses, sheds, man caves, etc. due to its btu power (7000/7500 btu) vs. the CR-2500 being 1800/2500.
The Ideal space footprint for the unit is 350-1,200 cu feet Power consumption averages .5kW/hr for CR-7000.
This item may sell out fast as it was featured on Good Morning America June 20, 2011. The Tiny House Blog purchasers can get a 10% discount by using the Coupon Code “Tiny10“ and the CR-7000 is the recommended unit.
Learn more at the Climate Rite website.
*Note a portion of your purchase goes to help keep the Tiny House Blog running.
