Tiny House Blog

Seattle Tiny Homes Press Release

“Honey, I Shrunk the House – by 1,377 Percent”

A local Seattle-area family has just built a new home that’s only 159 square feet. They’re part of a national movement toward smaller, more sustainable housing that is taking root in the Pacific Northwest.

Seattle, WA, February 16, 2012 — This week, thousands will converge in Century Link Field for the Seattle Home Show (February 18-26, 2012) to browse the latest trends in building the American dream. However, they’ll likely miss one of the fastest-growing trends: living in tiny homes that are sustainable, flexible, and often mobile.

To learn more about tiny homes, you need to venture a few blocks north to a gathering of fewer than 100 people: the Tumbleweed Tiny House Workshop held the same time (February 25-26, 2012) at the Pioneer Square Courtyard Marriott.

Photo Credit Seattle Tiny Homes

One Seattle-area resident planning to be there is Sharon Read, with a tiny home in tow. She’s just built a new home that is only 159 square feet – 1,377% less than her family’s current dwelling. With classic Craftsman styling, beautiful cedar siding, and lots of windows to let in light, the tiny home has a kitchen, a “great” room, an office, a bathroom with a tub/shower, and even a washer and dryer. The home also features two sleeping lofts that have room for two queen size beds and storage.

The home’s foundation? A sturdy 22-foot steel trailer, meaning the home is portable and can be positioned anywhere.

While Read and her family hope to live in the tiny house as much as possible, the home is also the show model for Seattle Tiny Homes, a company Read founded to build high-quality, custom tiny homes – both portable and stationary – that can be used as primary residences, vacation homes, guest cottages, auxiliary housing for elderly relatives or college students, or an office or studio.

Read and Seattle Tiny Homes are part of a growing movement of tiny home advocates that is spreading across North America – and taking root in the Pacific Northwest. Spearheaded by Jay Shafer, called the guru of the tiny homes and author of The Small House Book (learn more at www.tumbleweedhouses.com), the movement touts the freedom and flexibility that tiny homes offer – plus the “green” advantage of a greatly reduced environmental impact.

The public is welcome at the Tumbleweed Tiny House Seminar. To register, visit www.tumbleweedhouses.com/workshops/seattle/. Classes will be taught by Dee Williams, a tiny house pioneer and co-owner of Portland Alternative Dwellings (learn more at www.portlandalternativedwellings.com).

Photo Credit Tumbleweeed Tiny Houses

Read’s new tiny home – all 159 square feet – will be on display and open for viewing during the seminar. For exact times and location, contact Sharon Read of Seattle Tiny Homes at:

(425) 445-3675
sharon@seattletinyhomes.com
www.seattletinyhomes.com

I just wanted to get a quick note up in case you were not following over at Tumbleweed. Dee Williams is opening her house to share it with you this weekend. If I lived closer and could make it up I would be the first in line to see it. If you can make it, do me a favor and take some pictures and a video so that you can  share it with me next week. I would like to give everyone an update on the Tiny House Blog.

My wife and I will be going south to visit our daughter over the Presidents Day weekend. I hope everyone who is able to make it to this open house enjoys it.

Here are the details:

Photo courtesy of Tumbleweed Tiny Houses

There has been a lot of requests lately for tiny houses on wheels that don’t have lofts. Older people do not wish to deal with this issue and it is an idea that should be taken seriously.

Most of the designs we see out there resort to the loft for a bed. This saves precious floor space for living. However, this is not ideal for everyone. Unfortunately, at this time I only know of a few designs that take an alternative route to the loft – so I thought I would do a post to highlight these houses. My goal is to inspire others to design more homes with alternative sleeping quarters other than a loft.

The oldest version of a tiny home on wheels that I am aware of is the vardo or gypsy wagon. These homes were designed with a bed that sits up high and has storage below. You still need to crawl up a little to get in, but it is nothing like climbing a ladder. There are not many plans out there for this type of home. The only one I know that is available the “Don Vardo” by Portland Alternative Dwellings. While it is not a complete house I think the plans could be extended to make it into one with a kitchen and bathroom. Dee Williams from Portland Alternative Dwellings and I once talked about this revision and she may have even completed the plans by now. You can get an idea by looking at the picture of the Don Vardo here and a vardo picture I have included above in this post.

(Dee just sent word that she has the 12 foot vardo available which features a bathroom and kitchen. The plans are now available here for only $30. They are in the process of having one built out in Florida and I will share photos, etc. as soon as it is completed.)

12 foot Don Vardo Floor Plan

Continue Reading »

Update: Abel sent a picture of his galvanized tub.

Abel Zimmerman a friend and neighbor to Dee Williams from Olympia, Washington contacted me recently about his vardo he built for himself and to let me know he will build them for others too.

Abel says: “I have a family in Olympia Washington. (we use the vardo as a backyard getaway and extra room for now) I plan to do some summer vardo sabbaticals with the whole family — perhaps in the mountains.”

If you would like to contact Abel here is his contact information: dba: Zyl Vardos and Periscopa Lighting zylvardos@gmail.com

Thanks Abel for sharing your vardo and I hope others are inspired to create their own tiny home. Continue Reading »

Dee Williams brings us her latest work. A little ebook called Go House Go – How to Build a Tiny House on Wheels. Dee who has lived in her own tiny house now for several years and is co-owner and builder in her business Portland Alternative Dwellings brings us a little ebook that gives you all the basic knowledge on how to build a tiny house on wheels.

Dee let me preview a copy of this book and I can’t believe all the knowledge she has packed into this little book. Although just 21 pages long, Dee is able to share the engineering basics to help understand how the stresses of a house mounted on a trailer can affect your construction. She gives you size restrictions and permit information along with the basics of trailer construction and how to deal with it. Dee walks you through the floor construction, how to connect the walls and install a gable roof. What is involved in installing the exterior finish and working with vapor barriers, insulation and flashing.

All this for just under $20. Dee’s goal is to help as many people out there find the confidence to jump in and build their own tiny house on wheels. Thank you Dee for making this available and sharing your knowledge and experience.

Click here to learn more.

Dee Williams built her Tumbleweed tiny house several years ago from reclaimed building materials which helped keep the cost low with a final cost of around $10,000. Dee’s tiny house, is an excellent example of how used building materials can be taken and made new again with the right care. My friend Tammy sent me this story which she featured on her blog RowdyKittens. You can read the whole story about Dee Williams on the PBS website.

Be sure to visit Dee’s tiny house website, Portland Alternative Dwellings.

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.