Tiny House Blog » New York Times

But Will It Make You Happy? Tammy in the NYT

Kent Griswold — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 16:46:33 +0000

I am excited to see my friend and fellow blogger Tammy Strobel featured in the New York Times today. Inspired by books and blog entries about living simply, Tammy and her husband, Logan Smith, both 31, began donating some of their belongings to charity. Eventually giving up their car and using only bicycles for transportation and than leaving her day job and relocating to Portland, Oregon, Tammy and Logan have made some major changes in their lives.

Read the complete article called But Will It Make You Happy? at the New York Times website and visit Tammy’s website Rowdy Kittens and follow her journey there.

Photo Credit: New York Times

Tammy Strobel and her husband, Logan Smith, in their pared-down, 400-square-foot apartment in Portland, Ore

Building with Whole Trees

Kent Griswold — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:15:58 +0000

Benjamin alerted me to this interesting article in the New York Times Home and Garden section. Below is a quote from the article written by Anne Raver of the New York Times.

Roald Gundersen, an architect who may revolutionize the building industry, shinnied up a slender white ash near his house here on a recent afternoon, hoisting himself higher and higher until the limber trunk began to bend slowly toward the forest floor.

“Whooh!” he said, jumping to the ground and gingerly rubbing his back. “This isn’t as easy as it used to be. But see how the tree holds the memory of the weight?”

The ash, no more than five inches thick, was still bent toward the ground. Mr. Gundersen will continue to work on it, bending and pruning it over the next few years in this forest which lies about 10 miles east of the Mississippi River and 150 miles northwest of Madison.

Loggers pass over such trees because they are too small to mill, but this forester-architect, who founded Gundersen Design in 1991 and built his first house here two years later, has made a career of working with them.

“Curves are stronger than straight lines,” he explained. “A single arch supporting a roof can laterally brace the building in all directions.”

This would be a very interesting way to construct a small or tiny home. Go and read the complete article and view more pictures at the New York Times website.

Photo Credit: Paul Kelley

When Home Shrinks

Kent Griswold — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:22:40 +0000

The New York Times printed an article yesterday about a family who cut the size of their house to more than half the size.

Giving up a big house to conserve money can create conflict with children. Even with the oldest away in college many issues have come up regarding this change. The family downsized from 3000 square feet to a 1200 square foot rental.

This is temporary but the new home they are building will be about the same size.

Click here to read The New York Times Article “When Home Shrinks” by Harvey Araton.

Photo Credit: The New York Times

by Kent Griswold (Tiny House Blog)

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