Tiny House Blog

In response to shifting fundamentals in the ways people are wanting to live, Texas-based Kanga Room Systems has created a variety of tiny portable buildings that can be used as tiny homes, personal or office spaces, and investment properties. These eco-friendly kits are shipped ready to assemble into well-designed, well-engineered and aesthetically-pleasing tiny structures that Kanga describes as “dream-sized”.

Kanga chose the kangaroo to symbolize their company and product because of its strength, agility and the ability for a kangaroo mother’s pouch to be a natural portable home. Because of this, Kanga is also committed to using sustainable materials and energy efficient products whenever possible while still keeping their structures affordable.

Kanga currently offers several options: the Kanga Studio is available in the The Modern and The Country Cottage styles and the Kanga Cabin is a larger structure that can be constructed to accommodate a bathroom, kitchenette, a separate bedroom and a loft.

The Modern design offers clean lines, a progressive style and can be constructed to sizes large enough to accommodate a bathroom and a kitchenette. The Modern comes in eight sizes: the 8′x10′ for around $7,150, the 10′x12′ for around $7,900, the 12′x14′ for around $9,200, the 12′x16′ and the 14′x14′ for around $9,860, the 14′x16′ for around $10,670, the 14′x20′ for around $11,999 and the 14′x24′ for around $13,400. Continue Reading »

Pat Crowe of Echo Reclamation recently sent some photos of a modified Tumbleweed Lusby he completed using reclaimed materials. He wanted to let me know that he is offering the materials for sale to tiny home builders interested in completing their homes in this way.

Pat is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The client who contracted the Lusby contraction wanted all reclaimed wood, so the interior ceiling, loft floors, walls, doors, cabinets, closets and shelves are all made of antique pine (pre-1930) that Pat brought from Texas, his home state. The exterior is of pine siding salvaged in Texas from a c. 1915 house that was slated for demolition. This is southern pine, much of it longleaf, and is beautiful material.

Pat says that using this type of material is more expensive to purchase and requires more labor to use, so it’s not a money-saving deal. But, if someone is looking for character and the satisfaction of participating in the salvage of wonderful old wood, it’s worth the extra cost. Continue Reading »

We would like to inform you that we have launched the Puresalvageliving.com website.

This will incorporate the big picture of what Tiny Texas Houses has been able to accomplish over the last 6 years.

While still under development, Puresalvageliving.com already has loads of content and some great opportunities including a free membership that will soon allow access to plans, videos, a blog and forum and much more.

We are in the works of creating our first salvage mining expedition (a.k.a building deconstruction seminar) and need some participation in a brief survey. You can Click here or visit either website to participate.

Our goal in the up coming year is to transition into the Pure Salvage Living Movement through our membership sight and by teaching the hands on skills that will empower anyone who cares to make a difference.

In the months to come we hope to start a monthly newsletter that is full of anything and everything that is Pure Salvage and/or sustainable. From our projects and seminars that are open to members and the public, to links with bits and tips of info from insiders that are willing to share the latest new idea or think-tank with this ever growing movement.

This week’s Tiny House in a Landscape was taken by Eric Jacobson who lives in Austin Texas. Eric says:

This past weekend I rode in the LiveSTRONG Challenge here in Austin. Actually, the ride takes place in Dripping Springs just west of Austin. I usually ride the same route, but this year I decided to ride a different one and I was pleasantly surprised by the scenery, especially this little gem. It sits just off the road with a small stone fence in front, large pasture surrounds it on the sides and back and a river running in front on the other side of the small country road. It was a great Fall day for a great ride with fantastic scenery.

Photo Credits Eric Jacobson

Guest Post by Tracen Gardner

I came up with the idea for Reclaimed Space when I needed a living space on my ranch outside Shiner, Texas. There was no electricity or running water on the site, which is located 15 minutes from the nearest hardware store. I did not want to use all that energy driving back and forth and was concerned with not only with time constraints but also the confusion involved in meeting sub contractors in a remote area. I was afraid of not completing the project in time and that it would take too long to “dry-in” if I worked only on weekends.

I decided to build my Reclaimed Space to fit a “shipping envelope.” Not so tall that it would hit bridges, but wide enough to be usable. I also incorporated sustainable practices I learned at UT like cross wind ventilation, single pitch roof optimized for rain water catchment, solar compatibility (orienting the space long way east/west preventing too much sun), over insulation, and the use of piers. The piers eliminate the need for a lot of concrete and are able to relocate easily if needed.

Since I painted my way through college, I knew where most damage would occur from the sun and rain. To compensate for this, I placed galvanized tin on the bottom 1/3 of the north and south walls, and almost all of the east and west walls. The structure was built with eaves for the same reasons.

Next came style, for years I had collected 100 yrs old material with great appreciation for it’s structural strength, historic value, rich colors and textures. I was happy to do my part to save landfill space. Continue Reading »

*Brad sent me some interior photos, be sure and check them out.

Brad Kittel, of Tiny Texas Houses, is having a Essay Contest. The grand prize is a prototype of his newest sustainable home design, valued at $38,000. Brad wishes to show that there are healthy ways to build a sustainable house, to prove that building a sustainable home can be done with local resources and labor, to illustrate a sustainable home with a nearly zero carbon footprint, and to demonstrate the beauty of a sustainable home built using the highest quality woods, hardware, doors, and glass.

What you need to do is write a 300-word essay addressing “How having a Tiny House could change your life” and submit it with a $50 entry fee. The entry fee will first and foremost help pay for the house itself, but also allows us to pay our the judges, the web support, editing, advertising, and the administration costs associated with running the contest. Continue Reading »