studio

Joyful Paws Cottage

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Barbara Techel is a writer who recently finished her first adult nonfiction book in memorial to her wheelchair-bound dog, Frankie. Frankie’s story and other stories about animals who have changed Barbara’s life were envisioned and brought to life in Barbara’s 10×12 foot writing studio which sits just behind her 1,100 … Read more

Green Home/Studio Space

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So, I live and work in a ‘green’, semi sustainable workshop space that was a shell of a buliding in which I built water systems, heat, and toliet/shower…..

The place is a ‘workshop’ basically, a commercial space that I use for my art/music studio and to live in. The place is in rural Colorado, no address (not on the city’s map), it was a shell building, a large garage basically…the house/studio is heated with a west bay door that opens to a homeade acrylic glass window that in the morning let’s the east sun in for heat, there is also 3 large south facing windows for all day passive solar heat, the ‘running water’ is all carried in (usage is around 5 gallons per day or less) and the sink is made from a water container with a spigot attached (properly) with hose clamps and gasket.

I fill the sink with water as needed but it runs on gravity, the toilet is a composting toilet inspired by the humanure compost toilet system, so I use either peat moss or good pine sawdust for cover material, I also have another toilet just for urine (number 1), the shower is a little less luxurious and is a large plastic basin that I use either a hung solar shower or water jugs with holes drilled in them. I have a small copper quartz heater for at night mostly and a wood stove for heat, the studio is about 1000 sq ft (so not exactly tiny), (but not a large ‘house’ either).

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Free Art of Living Everywhere

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The FREEDOMKY is a well-conceived smart living solution with the advantage of well organized space, quality construction, and ecological parameters. It provides all comfort you need. It is cheaper than common flats and it makes you completely independent of local utilities. With the FREEDOMKY you will become free. All you … Read more

Folding Shower for Small Spaces

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For a tiny house or small studio apartment, a folding shower just might be the answer. This shower when folded up looks like a built-in cabinet. It is easy to install and remove and comes in several different colors. The shower uses thermostatic valves to pour hot and cold water … Read more

The MorHaus

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The MorHaus approach was to develop a highly functional basic form and provide clients with the ability to configure the structure to meet their needs.  We are hoping to not only provide a Garden Structure for extra Office/Studio space, but also the opportunity to install to help with Emergency or Homeless Housing.

The trusses are shipped pre-cut and pre-drilled. Then they are bolted together on-site.  The MorHaus method locates a truss every 4 feet with panels that are used for floor, wall and ceiling/roof structure between each truss for enclosed sections and a straight forward deck framing for porch sections. This allows for a high degree of flexibility in the system as any number of enclosed or porch sections – in any configuration – can be used.

Two people can assemble/disassembled the trusses, move them into position and erect the building with the instructions provided in a single day.

Our shop is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina; as such we obtain most of our materials from the Southeast. This venture was born out of a keen interest in efficiently sized structures and the lack of interesting designs in the marketplace. The structure’s modular designed is flexible enough to meet many needs with a single unifying form. Customers can select from many options including assembly, insulation, interior finishes, electrical and plumbing. The structures are built from pre-fabricated modular components and can be assembled over a weekend by a crew of 2 or 3 with basic carpentry skills.

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SLR Architecture Tiny Studio

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Guest Post by Steve Reilly

I found myself in fall of 2009 looking for a work space for my newish architecture firm, SLR Architecture. We had a baby that needed my then current office space as her bedroom so I was on the street. I was faced with the dilemma of shelling out $1,500 to $2,000 per month and commuting someplace else or somehow building my own work space.

I was always intrigued by small structures, especially well designed ones. So being an Architect, I started to draw. I thought long and hard about much space I actually needed, how I would build it, what materials I would use, where would I site it etc. And of course, what the best economic solution was for my business and family.

I liked being close to my family, hated commuting, and I liked to design and build things so the decision was made! I ended up designing a structure that was only 9’x13’ or 117 s.f. reminiscent of Henry David Thoreau’s cabin in Concord, the size was significant because anything over 120 s.f. in my town required a permit, below that nothing. More importantly both the side and rear setbacks to the property line on a structure less than 120 s.f. were 5 feet, anything over that was significantly more. This was a big issue on a postage stamp size lot like mine!

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How To Organize Your Tiny Home

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Kirsten Dirksen from faircompanies sent me some more videos to share with you and I thought this one was great on organizing a tiny space. Felice Cohen lives in a 90-square-foot Manhattan studio, but she doesn’t see it as a sacrifice. What keeps it cozy and not cramped is in … Read more

How to Arrange a Teeny, Tiny Apartment

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Tiny apartments, especially tiny studio apartments, present a set of challenges to the dweller. Storage is one challenge: With the exception of the handful of lucky folks who score rent-controlled apartments and stay for years, it’s not worthwhile for most renters to buy built-in storage units for their apartments. Creating a separation between the living space and bedroom space is the other major challenge. I live in a studio apartment, and I’ve learned how to stay organized and to maximize my space. I’ll tell you what works for me, and a few other tips that I picked up from Linda Merrill, a fabulous and pragmatic interior designer who I work with.

How to Maximize Space in a Studio Apartment

  • Multi-tasking furniture is your best friend: Instead of trying to squeeze a couch, a guest bed, and a linen closet into my apartment, I bought a daybed with a storage space built in under the mattress. I store my sheets, towels, and (oddly) scrap paper in the hidden compartment under the mattress.

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