My friend and I rode our motorcycles over to the Bighorn Canyon in the Pryor Mountain Range near Lovell, Wyoming. While we were there we took these pictures of these original cabins.

To get to these cabins you need to take Rt 14 A over the Bighorn Mountain towards Lovell, Wyoming and take a right onto 37 which takes you into the Bighorn Canyon Recreation area, you have to go through Wyoming on 37 into Montana and the cabins will be off 37 on the left side.

It was really interesting to see what the pioneers lived in and compare what they had to what we have. Hope you like the pictures as much as I loved taking them. I also have some pictures of Wild Bighorn Sheep and Wild Horses we took while in that canyon.

[View with PicLens]

I started my container business because I wanted one for myself. My goal was a practical, well designed, cost-effective living space. Being an interior contractor, I had the skills for the finish work but never worked with a shipping container.

Everything I saw online was either an extremely expensive “one off unit” or renderings of proposed containers. My research didn’t yield enough useful construction information so I learned as I went along and made a lot of mistakes. The learning curve was a wonderful experience and, after building several containers, am still learning and experimenting with different components and designs.

A shipping container, used as the primary construction unit, has almost unlimited possibilities for any living environment (desert, mountains, forests, etc.) Although the
housing industry is in a major transition – along with our country – I believe there is a future for small, energy efficient, well designed living.

After building a container cabin for myself, I now build for others. My site is www.leedcabins.com and I am located in New Hampshire. I have customers in Oregon, California, Mississippi and New Hampshire.

-Derek “Deek” Diedricksen relaxshax.com

As campground owners in Hayward Wi. we are always looking to bring in new campers to our resort. For 4 years we were strictly RV’s, 5th wheels and tent camping. After doing extensive research we decide to start up Namekagon Cabin’s.

More and more campgrounds and resorts are moving to park models for seasonal sites and rentals.

Namekagon Cabin’s are built to RPTIA standards and we are in the process of becoming a RPTIA Park Model manufacturer. We have built and sold 2 cabins with both being used as seasonal sites at Camp Namekagon. We have had great response on both cabins and have had many others interested in purchasing one of our cabins.

Namekagon Cabin’s are starting at the low cost of $32,000.00 and can be customized to each buyer’s wants and needs. The cabins are stick built construction. 4” walls, 8”floor (for added insulation) and engineered roof trusses. Exterior is 2×8 pine half log siding with a sikkens natural oak stain. Interior consists of ¾” pine car sidings and 5/8” drywall. This particular model is 384 sq. ft. that includes a wrap around deck. We are currently working on a few more designs. For more information please contact us at: campnamekagon@centurytel.net.

Cabana Village builds cabin kits and cottage bunkies to be used as weekenders, lakeside cottages, starter cabins or backyard retreats. They also build pool houses, sheds, garden studios and garage kits. The cabins, cottages and bunkies feature cedar doors, windows and trim and are available in cedar or maintenance-free Canexel siding. All their cabanas have 1/2″ plywood roof sheathing and 2×4 SPF framing. With their sturdy construction and use of quality materials, extensive pre-fabrication, ease of assembly, and attractive design, their possible uses are only limited by your imagination.

An 87″ wall height is standard on Cabana Village’s kit cabins and you have a choice of a 7 in 12 (30°) or an 10 in 12 (40°) roof pitch. These cabin kits are designed with a sleeping loft and come with either a ladder or 15° hardwood stairs (depending on the size of the unit). They carefully pre-fabricate and pre-assemble as much of each structure as possible without making it impossible to handle and overly expensive to ship. The exact amount of pre-fabrication possible will vary slightly with size and design.

They have various sizes for their smallest cabins: the 12 foot cabins (12×12, 12×14 and 12×14 with dormer window) cost between $11,000 and $14,000. The 14 foot cabins (14×14, 14×16 and 14×16 with dormer window) cost between $15,000 and $17,000. They also offer larger kits that run into the $20,000 range.

Included in the price is:

• everything you need including a wood floor, all hardware and fasteners, and assembly instructions
• pre-assembly of walls, doors, windows and cupolas
• freight to most destinations in the contiguous United States

Not included in the price is:

• shingles (due to the many color and style variations, and weight considerations)
• foundation
• installation

Right now Cabana Village has a few bargains on bunkies, cabins and pool houses if ordered by March 31, 2010.

Cabana Village offers a full color 24 page brochure for $10.00. They will include a coupon for $100 off the price of any structure if you buy the brochure and then purchase a kit.

By Christina Nellemann for the (Tiny House Blog)

My tiny house paintings were inspired by my love of tiny homes and spaces. My husband and I have lived in a variety of small homes from studio apartments to log cabins and tiny cottages. In living small, we continually reinvent our lives insmall ways that have resulted in large changes in our thoughts and habits. We try to live greener, better, and freer.

I have been living in the beautiful southern Appalachian mountains for many years now. After working as a theatre lighting technician for over fourteen years, I decided I needed a change.

Since then, my desire for art has turned into a fulltime profession. I have my artwork displayed in several galleries and have had a couple solo shows in the region. Besides trying to live below our means and doing what I can to grow some organic foods, I embrace making art for these small, comfortable spaceswhich calm my soul. Even a small home has plenty of room for beauty and inspiration!

“Dream big – live small”

Please visit Tracy’s Gallery and if you like what she has to offer give her some business.

Lakefront has sent their cabin kits all over the country including Alaska. They are also working with customers in Canada and Panama. Each standard cabin kit is created from fresh milled logs and then precut by Amish craftsmen in Kentucky. The precutting process takes approximately 3-4 weeks to complete. Lakefront will arrange for delivery of the kit, but off-loading, zoning, permits and construction are up to the customer. Prices for the cabins start at $8,960 for the 12×16 foot cabin to $17,425 for the 18×32 foot cabin. They also offer a smaller 10×12 foot cabin. The prices include:

• All tongue-and-groove white or yellow pine
• Pressure-treated foundation runners
• Two insulated Pella windows
• One steel entry door
• #1 metal roofing with R11 insulation
• Three-year warranty on stain with Watershield and UV protectant
• Caulk, nails, and screws
• Sub-floor and wood floor
• P2000 insulation with R27 value

Electrical and plumbing hookups are not available because of the difficulty of including them in the kits.

12x30 Log Cabin

10x12 Log Cabin

12x24 Log Cabin

A loft for each cabin can be added starting at $648 for the 12×16. The lofts include:

• Tongue-and-groove white or yellow pine
• Support beams
• Railing
• Pre-built ladder
• Trim

Lakefront Log Cabins also offers several new designs including an extended corner porch model and small, home-sized cabin kits. The home-sized cabin kits are 28 feet wide with a front door on the long side. They also include as standard:

• All tongue-and-groove white or yellow pine
• Pressure-treated foundation runners
• Eight insulated Pella windows
• Ttwo steel entry doors
• One rear entry door
• #1 metal roofing w/R11 insulation
• Three-year warranty on stain with Watershield and U.V. Protectant
• Caulk, nails, and screws

When you purchase a cabin kit, you can also get a matching outhouse! The inside of each outhouse is approximately 4×4 feet with dual seats. Buckets are used under the seats for tidy, quick disposal. The price of each outhouse is $925.

By Christina Nellemann for the (Tiny House Blog)

Pennypincher is introducing their own pre-cut timber frame buildings. One is featured in this post and the details follow below.

Nearly complete! Our buildings are designed to accept most types of siding and the cedar lap siding came from a local mill. Pennypincher’s rustic wood windows fit neatly in the dormers. Glass door blanks are installed both fixed and operable to create a wall of windows.

Pennypincher’s pre-cut timber frames can be purchased as the frame only and finished out with your own recycled or purchased materials. We can also design any of our kits using the pre-cut timber frame, shell kit materials and our custom drafted design engineered plans.

Details:

• 196 Square Foot Moutainberry Cabin Kit
• 6’ Shed Dormers, designed for future loft
• Pressure Treated Wood Foundation
• Pre-Cut Timber Frame ~ 4 x 4 Roseburg Eased Edge Timber
• Douglas Fir T&G Roof
• Locally Cut Cedar Lap Siding

The timbers were pre-cut at our shop in Rochester, Washington.

The small Mountainberry is 14′ x 16′ and is 196 square feet (because it narrows up at the prow).
You can get it with a 14′ x 12′ loft but they opted for “loft ready” on the one in the pictures. When the loft is added we include both the loft and a pull down stair.

Basic Shell Kit Price in Timber Frame $4,499

As shown with upgrades: (pressure treated wood foundation & flooring system 2 x 6 T&G roof sheathing, (2) 6′ Shed dormers, (2) triangular front and (4) wood dormer windows, sub-siding & house wrap) $7,939. Owner supplied gravel, door blanks & local milled cedar lap.

A footing was dug and the pressure treated wood foundation was buried and back filled with a load of 5/8” minus gravel and the wood flooring system was installed.

Next, up goes the frame which has been pre-drilled and will be secured using a special lag bolt screw that is super strong and has a great rustic finish.

Next goes on a layer of sub-siding. Our timber frame kits are design so that there is a space between the timber frame and the sub-siding. This is so that you can easily slip your interior wall finish, like T&G pine, behind the frame leaving your timbers exposed.

Material upgrades are available. On this cabin the roof sheathing was upgraded to Douglas Fir T & G. Eventually, the interior walls will be finished in vertical T&G and the entire interior stained. When possible, we recommend pre-staining the frame, interior finish and siding so that by the time your shell is up all the messy work is done.

Optional shed dormers let in extra light and will create more room when a loft is added at a later date. To learn more be sure and visit Pennypincher Barn Company’s website.

Recently I was contacted by Michelle from Storey Publishing asking me to preview a book that is coming out in December.

The book is called Compact Cabins and subtitled Simple Living in 1,000 Square Feet or Less. It is written by Gerald Rowan has taught art, ceramics, architecture, and graphic design for more than 30 years. He is currently a visiting professor in the art and architecture department at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. He has a strong personal interest in “building small,” and he lives in Pennsylvania.

Okay this is one neat book and really covers a lot. Besides having 50 unique designs that will inspire you, the book is full of useful construction information and the book is divided into three sizes of cabins. Micro, below 300 square feet, mini 300 to 500 square feet and compact from 500 to 1000 square feet.

• It covers ways to include RV materials into your small cabin to make it more efficient.
• The book has a section on using shipping containers in your cabin construction.
• Another section on living off the grid and cabins/houses designed to take advantage of off the grid design.

“Most of us dream of having a small place on a lake, in the mountains, on the shore, in the woods, or even in our back yard. Some dream of a place for privacy and solitude.”

Below are a couple of examples of the cabins and artwork in the book. Floor plans for each cabin are included. You can also pre-order the book from Amazon and will be available December 6, 2009. There timing is perfect for a gift for the tiny house lovers library. Pre-order here: Compact Cabins: Simple Living in 1000 Square Feet or Less; 62 Plans for Camps, Cottages, Lake Houses, and Other Getaways

This tiny cabin is based on ideas gleaned from the travel trailer industry to utilize space very efficiently. In a cabin this small, electric space heat makes sense. This is a 162 square foot Micro Cabin.

380 Square Foot Round House Cabin. A round cabin – how unique! Curved cement blocks are available for building cisterns and farm silos and adapt well to building round cabins. This design calls for a custom-built curved sofa and fold-up table to make the most of the interior space.

Off-The Grid Passive Solar Cabin A

This cabin is only 322 square feet, but the loft ceiling height makes it feel much larger. The passive solar feature is a large glass window opening into the living space. Space heating is provided by a wood-burning stove.

Reprinted with permission from Compact Cabins, published by Storey Publishing, LLC., December 2009.

by Kent Griswold (Tiny House Blog)

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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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