Peter and Donna fell in love with gypsy wagons when they were craftspeople at Renaissance fairs. Many of the fair vendors built the wagons to sleep in and sell their wares from. Peter and Donna built the wagon on a 16-foot Carson car hauler. The entire trailer weighs 3,800 pounds and it took them three years to build. The rafters were made with laminated pine boards and the floor with locally milled sugar pine. It is insulated, contains a small kitchen and electricity. They have a camping toilet in the closet and a solar shower that they keep in their tow vehicle, but the couple usually use campgrounds, friendly locals and universities for their bathing.

Since 1976 Peter and Donna Thomas have worked together making paper, letterpress printing and book binding, to create unique books. Their books have been shown in individual and group exhibitions in the U.S. and abroad, and have been purchased for collections around the world. They specialize in miniature books, one-of-a-kind designs, booked-shaped jewelry, papermaking, and books shaped like ukuleles and accordians. Their love of details made it into their gypsy wagon which they say is like a boat and a fairy tale all mixed up.

Photos courtesy of Wandering Book Artists

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

Lori Marie is an artist/craftista who works out of a tiny house in her backyard in Oakland. She fills it with her crafting supplies, sewing machine and computer, her French bulldog Matilda, and lots of color. Her pretty little studio has a tiny deck and even a tiny garden. She said the prior owners of her house built the studio over an old foundation and fireplace, which no longer works.

“My favorite time of year is when the roses are in bloom on the hillside and the hummigbirds are buzzing around the passion flower vine,” she said. It really feels like a wonderland and is the perfect little place to bring all of my ideas to life.”

Artists’ retreats have been around as far back as Thoreau’s cabin on Walden Pond. The common theme of each seems to be a tiny space, usually one room, just for writing, poetry, painting and other creative skills.

Pollan's Writing Cabin

Pollan's Writing Cabin

Michael Pollan’s desire for his own getaway was so strong that he spent two years building his tiny writer’s cabin and wrote about his triumphs and frustrations in his book, A Place of My Own.

Kristina Lindbergh, the granddaughter of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh also had a 12-ft. by 12-ft. writer’s retreat built for her by her brother and sister-in-law. The tiny cabin has space for writing, a few shelves for books and a sleeping loft. You can see her tiny cabin in the book, The Cabin: Inspiration for the Classic American Getaway

One of the nice things about a tiny artist retreat is that it can be built in a backyard or close enough to a house to take advantage of the convenience, but still feel like an escape from the big house world.

Ideas for Great Backyard Cottages

By Christina Nellemann

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