Tiny House Blog

The Home & Garden Centre in Monmouthshire, Wales has a large selection of garden cabin kits that are currently only delivered to Wales, England and the Scottish Lowlands, but I saw that some of the designs and styles of these kits contains some details not seen in other kit structures and which could be translated over to other stationary tiny houses.

Some of these finished kits have built-in decks and covered porches, large windows, double doors and sit well in a garden or on a deck. The company sells kits for traditional and contemporary style log cabins, log cabins that will fit into the corner of a piece of property as well as smaller structures like saunas and and tool sheds. The packages come in complete kit form with detailed instructions for installation and optional extras like insulation kits and underfloor heating. The sizes of the cabins range from about 50 square feet to about 215 square feet. They range in price from $2,200 to just under $5,000. Continue Reading »

Cars have carports, why can’t a house have a house port? Designer Hally Thacher was looking to build an eco-friendly home and was inspired by the structures that sheltered hay, alfalfa and farm equipment in the area of northern California where she had grown up. Her House Port and PopUP House designs make for a very interesting concept in home building.

The PopUP House is available in several configurations which are prefabricated and shipped flat-packed to the building site. The PopUP House consists of interior/exterior insulated panels. Over the top of the PopUP is the prefabbed House Port (the large freestanding roof) that protects the home against weather, keeps a consistent temperature throughout the hot summer and offers a covered outdoor area. Several smaller versions of the PopUP, called Cubes, can even be purchased and placed like a small village under the House Port. Continue Reading »

For anyone who is looking for an affordable, modern style frame for a tiny house, ala Cabin Fever, take a look at the Aston Shed by Yardline and Costco. From now until November 11, this shed will be on sale for $1,000 which includes delivery. The shed is 10 feet by 7.5 feet and Costco is selling it as a storage shed or as a small office or living space.

The shed weighs about 1,100 lbs, is 9 feet high at the front peak and contains three transom windows and a 64 inch double door. The front deck shown is not included, but it looks like it might expand the house nicely if you were to build it yourself. Heck, at this price, I would buy two of these sheds and put them next to each other.

The structure comes delivered pre-cut and includes 2×4 construction, a sold wood floor, pre-hung doors with piano hinges and wall vents. There is also a 15 year warranty. The shed will take two people about two days to complete with a hammer, cordless drill and screwdriver. The owner will need to supply their own caulking., interior and exterior paint and roof felt and shingles

Costco and Yardline recommend checking your local building codes before ordering and they don’t deliver this particular shed to Florida at this time.

Photos by Yardline

By Christina Nellemann for the (Tiny House Blog)

by Cory Hagen

Good evening,

I want to start by thanking you for laboriously keeping me up to speed on the tiny house movement ever since I started reading your blog in 2008. Yours was the first tiny house resource I found, and I’ve been a loyal follower ever since!

A bit about me: My name is Cory Hagen. I’ve been designing houses since I was very young, and I’ve been designing tiny houses since 2008. My husband and I are both Iowa natives and currently reside near Iowa City, Iowa – the unofficial cradle of the tiny house movement. While I definitely see the romantic appeal of small, rustic structures and simple living, I know there are many couples out there who want to downsize, but aren’t ready to give up the conveniences of modern living.

The Tiny Glass House is my response to those who want a simple, modern house that is compact and portable, but not lacking in amenities. I sought to include:

• A full kitchen with residential refrigerator/freezer, dishwasher, oven, cooktop, pantry and abundant prep space.
• Kitchen cabinetry and storage that is primarily made from off-the shelf components.
• Full-size washer and dryer.
• Main floor bedroom with full access around the bed.
• Guest sleeping accommodations.
• Bathroom w/ full-sized facilities (larger shower, flush toilet, etc.).
• Open plan design that allows for passive heating/cooling and abundant natural light.
• Flexible design that can be easily adapted to suit.

The Tiny Glass House is 8ft 6in wide by 38ft long, and can be permanently attached to a trailer or transported via semi and lifted into place. The flexible layout allows one side of the house to remain open to views and nature, and the glazed side of the house can be positioned to take advantage of passive heating/cooling. Modern homes are not everyone’s cup of tea, but this layout could easily be incorporated into a traditional style. I hope you will be able to post the attached photos on tinyhouseblog.com. It would be a great honor to contribute to something that has brought me a new way of looking at the world!

All the best,
Cory Hagen

P.S. I also included a few photos of a swedish modern cabin design that is a reinterpretation of the Dwelle.ings prefab system in the UK.

[View with PicLens]

For lovers of clean, efficient, modern design with an eye toward outside living, ClearSpace Homes has come up with a few designs to appeal to people who want a tiny house. ClearSpace has been selling their prefab homes in the Austin, Texas area for several years and some parts of each design can be customized by the buyer. Their homes are offered in several colors and the interior can include reclaimed or new materials. A customized ClearSpace home will run about $125 per square foot which does not include site work, the foundation or shipping.

The first of their tiny homes is the ClearSpace Casita. This 432 square foot home includes a studio space that can accommodate a murphy bed/storage wall, work area, or built in display/book shelf. There is also space for a compact kitchen, a 3/4 bath and a generous sleeping/storage room. The best feature of the Casita is the protective enclosure that allows the owner to enjoy the outdoors. The interior space of the home has sliding glass doors which can be opened to allow for cross ventilation and there is a skylight above the loft. The base price of the Casita is $51,240.

Continue Reading »

Bellomo Architects, in Palo Alto, wanted to design an IKEA-like house, only easier to put together. Just like the Swedish company’s famous furniture, this 150 square foot modular structure can be flat-packed and delivered in a box that is only 4x10x3 feet in size. When complete, it only weighs 3,000 lbs. and can be used as shelter after natural disasters, as a backyard studio or office, or as a tiny house.

The House Arc is made of 90 percent recyclable lightweight steel tubes and is designed to be totally off-grid. It has a solar roof and large windows to capture natural light and create a cross-breeze through its curvy shape. The shading trellis limits heat infiltration and the unit is is raised up to permit air flow beneath the framework. The entire unit has been constructed to withstand tropical winds and weather. Several units housing differing rooms can be placed together to create a larger structure. Continue Reading »