Tiny House Blog

Like an Amish barn raising, Evan and Gabby’s tiny Tarleton house is going up piece by piece with the help of friends and family. The Illinois couple were inspired by the Tumbleweed houses and decided to downsize their already sustainable lifestyle even more. With no prior construction experience, they have been working on their tiny home for just over a year and plan to move in (along with their two cats) soon.

The couple also plan to move around the country, staying in campgrounds that offer year-round rates. They then want to purchase some land where tiny house living is more acceptable.

Their 117 square foot Tarleton, built on a car hauler trailer, will have a great room, a sleeping loft above the bathroom and kitchen, another storage loft above the door and a bathroom with a custom shower and composting toilet that vents to the outdoors. The kitchen has four feet of stainless steel countertop, a two-burner stove, a bar sink, a toaster oven, a small fridge and – rare for a tiny house – a combination washer and dryer that they got from a family member for free. Continue Reading »

Fox Business News recently ran a video featuring Tumbleweed’s Jay Shafer and his tiny Popomo house which was parked in the middle of Manhattan. The 172 square foot Popomo was on its way to the East Coast of the U.S. and Jay was interviewed about it and his other tiny designs.

This video shows some nice interior views of the Popomo’s “great room”, bedroom and kitchen (with or without the antics of the reporters). Fox Business News focused on the Popomo being an alternative living option during the housing crisis.

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

On my last trip to Sebastopol, California. I was able to visit Jay Shafer’s Epu. He has moved it to a new location within town, but still offers open house tours on the first Saturday of each month from 2-4 p.m. My husband, Harry Thomas, a semi-professional photographer took a few photos that I thought were a interesting and different view of Jay’s sweet, little house. The sleeping loft is a great place to hide.

By Christina Nellemann for the (Tiny House Blog)

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My hometown of Reno was the first stop in Jay Shafer’s Fencl cross-country tour. I counted about two dozen people who stopped to visit Jay’s newest build, some who were visiting from other Western states.

I was impressed with how many of us could fit into the 120 square foot house. It smelled like freshly cut wood and let in lots of afternoon light and air from the numerous open windows. The great room was a nice place to hang out and chat.

I think what Jay does best with his tiny homes is the space planning. I mentally began to fill the numerous shelves, closets and cubby holes with my own things and kept coming up with spaces to store stuff. I was really impressed with the space below the kitchen sink and the depth of the two great room closets.

The window seating area was my favorite part. It was large enough for a puffy chair and even a small table or bookshelf. The placement of the fireplace was right next to the seating alcove, which I like better than right in the middle of one of the walls the great room. This gives you more wall space for additional seating or a dining table.

Two ladders on each side of the entrance to the kitchen/bathroom area are used to reach the loft. Some people found them a little difficult to maneuver, but they seemed safer and more utilitarian than a moveable ladder.

The loft housed a fairly large bed, more than enough for two people. There is a small cupboard at the foot of the bed. The Fencl loft seems to have more privacy than other tiny house lofts I have seen.

Jay answered numerous construction, space and living questions and was very approachable and gracious. He seemed to enjoy meeting people from all over the area and was impressed with the visitors who had come from long distances.

How much fun would it be to be able to take your house on a tour, to show it off and meet interesting people along the way? It just goes to show that the smaller your house is, the bigger your world becomes.

By Christina Nellemann

The great room, loft and peak of the kitchen

The seating alcove and detail of the loft ladder

View from the loft

View of great room from loft

View of loft

Kitchen sink

Two-burner stove and refrigerator

Kitchen shelves

RV toilet

The shower

Storage area above the alcove and front door

Alcove seating area

Jay and one of the Fencl visitors

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