Colin’s Coastal Cabin
Here’s a little bit of my tiny house building story and some of the things I learned in the process. I hope this information will help or possibly inspire a few future tiny house builders, in the same way I was greatly supported by all you guys who shared your stories before me. The best things about this project were the support I received from friends and family, and getting to learn so many new things this year.
Before I started I had a little bit of experience building. I’d built a shed or two and some homemade plywood furniture. Until a year ago, the stuff I built was almost totally designed from a functional perspective. But a few months before I started my project I had the good fortune to work on a backyard shed with my friend Steve, who taught me all about using salvaged and old materials.
On my first trip to the salvage yard I had no idea how much things should cost, or even the difference between redwood and fir. A few weeks later, the idea of taking a little extra time to find beautiful materials and design things a bit more uniquely was starting to make sense to me. Turns out interesting and older materials (usually cheaper, and almost always more time consuming to get) really impact the feeling of the house.
In order to get from the little experience I had to being comfortable building this thing, I relied on a few key online resources, including Dee Williams “Go House Go“, “The Tiny House Construction Guide” and a great video from Tumbleweed showing the building process.
At first I was hesitant to pay for those e-books, but I quickly came to my senses and realized the cost would more than pay for itself by saving me time and money spent making big mistakes.
I designed the house myself, using Google Sketchup (which I had learned earlier that year for a couple other personal projects.) Of all the computer programs I’ve learned over the years, Sketchup has the best instructional videos I’ve seen, so I would definitely recommend it to non computer experts – a few days of practice and I think anyone could design their own house with it!
A few notes on the design of my house:
- I did a rough design based on the property I was planning to move to first. This was before I had the windows or any other materials. Then, after a month of searching to locate windows and doors that were roughly the correct size, I did a final design with those measurements.
- I chose the shed-style roof because I’m really tall and wanted to maximize loft-space. And I definitely wanted a couple of windows in the loft, so I could gaze out while lying in bed.
- It’s on a standard 8×18′ “car-hauler” trailer. The manufacturer was willing to add some welded on “wings” so I could make my house wider, in exchange for not including some of the extra metal (d-rings, etc.) that usually come with such a trailer.
A few notes on materials and systems:
- Insulation in the floor, walls, and ceiling is wool from Oregon Shepherd, which I read about from Tammy Stroebel’s project built by Dee. It was time-consuming to install, but otherwise a total pleasure to work with.
- Downstairs floor is reclaimed 1 1/2″ tongue and groove fir, upstairs floor is 3/4″ fir – both from a great salvage yard in Windsor, CA.
- Exterior is two batches of T+G redwood. One had been sitting unused in a friend’s landlord’s barn for 30 years, the other from a salvage yard in Petaluma.
- Interior wainscoting is that same 30 year-old redwood, with tongues and grooved ripped off.
- Ceiling, and much of the kitchen cabinet, is reclaimed fir from a house on the Russian River that was pulled apart by a carpenter friend. I re-sawed it in half, from 3/4″ thick down to about 5/16″, thus making a lighter ceiling and giving me twice the material. I used the same technique for the redwood hallway walls and closets.
- White walls are 1/4″ plywood from Home Depot. I went this route thinking that plywood would be lighter and stronger than drywall, and would add more visual light and less all-wood-monotony to the room. So far so good.
- Water heater is 10 gallon RV tank-style heater. My research seemed to say this was going to be more efficient than tankless. It’s still hard to believe that’s true…I might go tankless next time. But this does work well and I can take piping hot 10 minute showers.
- Fridge is high-efficiency Novakool, powered by AC or DC. (currently running on DC)
- Wood stove is “The Hobbit”, by Salamander Stoves of the UK. It’s an amazing stove, and from my research was cheaper (and more attractive) than similar small US-made stoves. Can’t recommend The Hobbit highly enough.
- Water system includes two parallel supply lines: One for “city” water, if I’m hooked up to a friend’s hose, and one for “gravity” water, with an RV water pump to boost the pressure in case the incoming water doesn’t have enough. (Which is the case at my current semi-rural location.)
- Electricity is 100% solar, coming from two 225 panels and six Trojan
- T-105 batteries. House has AC and DC lighting. (Water heater, fridge, and RV water pump are also DC.)
- LED tape lighting around the upper part of the walls is super-efficient and can’t be beat for creating a comfortable ambience.
The schedule of my project was roughly:
2011:
- September 2011 – research and design
- October 2011 – gathering materials (especially lumber, windows and doors, and the trailer)
- November 2011 – January 2012: building the outside and getting waterproof
- February 2012 – March: researching plumbing and electrical
- April 2012 – plumbing, electrical
- May – June 2012 – interior
I did most of the building myself – but early on I decided that while my pride wanted to be able to say “I did it all myself,” that was actually a recipe for loneliness. So I begged and traded for as much help as possible, and was blessed to know incredibly skilled people who sped up my learning curve immensely. In order to feel any degree of confidence that my house wouldn’t fall apart, my contractor friend’s advice made all the difference. Tony sacrificed his back-health to get the four walls up, and freely offered consultations on everything from solar to framing to, well, everything. I would have imploded or gotten totally stuck on the electric and the plumbing, without help from Jim and Michael. Bruce and Duncan shared tons of amazing cabinetry and furniture-making wisdom, as well as the use of some pretty deluxe tools. I had a great time working with both of my parents, who each stepped in and helped me with many crucial aspects of the project. And four amazing angels shared with me their beautiful property on which to build my house, and gave me a room to stay in until my house was liveable.
I’ve tried to keep this story brief, highlighting practical information for future tiny-house builders, but I did a ton of research (thank you tiny house community!) and I’m happy to share more about anything. Ask any questions you like in the comments section below if you’re building or thinking about building your own tiny house.
123 Responses to “Colin’s Coastal Cabin”
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Truly, a tiny house worth emulating
I really like this house. Thank you for sharing how you made it.
Hi Colin,
Your small house is one of the finest examples that I’ve seen on this blog. I’ve been in the building trades most of my life and it looks to me that you’ve done an excellent job in designing and building your house
Jack
Hi Collin,
As everyone has already said, great job, and I hope you are enjoying the satisfaction of living in such a wonderful homemade home. I’m in the middle of my own tiny house construction project and was wondering about your choice in wall covering. Specifically, how did you deal with the seams in the plywood? I really like the look, but have always been concerned about expansion/contraction issues and how to hide the seams.
Thanks,
Paul
hi – indeed the seams are a bit of an issue. i used a type of caulk called novaflex. (because i was going to paint the wood with an old fashioned type of paint called “milk paint” and was told by the seller of that product that it needed to go onto a non-vinyl surface.) if you’re just using regular paint, i would guess that vinyl spackling compound would be a good solution – easier to sand that what i used. in any case, you’re right that it was difficult to hide the seams and indeed some of them do show up a little bit.
Stunning! Great job!
Great house and fantastic finish work! Is the porch cover the solar panels?? Does it fold down against the side of the building for transportation?
hi – yes, the porch awning does fold down for transport, or it could be removed…it’s only held on by 3 brackets. (last time i moved the house we folded it down and left it on there.) and yes, the solar panels are affixed to the awning. that way the doors and big windows on my house can face the sun, but also the panels, sloped the other way, can face the sun.
wow! this is a great great tiny house! i love your sunburst wood details (loft/toilet). is the house standard height? and is the bed fit left to right rather than front to back? great ideas! i’d LOVE to see more pictures
yep – the house is standard height. (about 13’5″) and the bed does indeed to left-right. so my head is by the window and the good view.
Very nice look and style! You have done your research and created a great design for living. My hat is off to you. Love the design quality in the woodwork!
Love this! We are in the design stages now and see many features of your home we like. Thank you so much for sharing.
The radius’ you put behind the bed nd the face under the toilet are a great look. I’ve angled boards like this on a table saw, screwing them to another board askew and running the overlap thru the saw. Not sure if that makes sense. Is that how you did it?
hi – thanks! as for how i did it – your idea sounds about right, but i was really lucky to be working at a woodshop where they had a “sliding table saw”, which has a whole half of the table that slides, thus enabling you to just hold the wood against that half at whatever angle you want and cut it, without using a second guide piece or anything.
I love this Tiny Home. I learned of 2 new products the stove company and the wool insulation. I have been looking at Roxul insulation for our cabin build. I really like the use of reclaimed lumber. I think that is very good for the environment. It is great to be in an large populous to find access to such products. We reside in South Dakota, not a great deal of easy access to reclaimed good. But we have looked into it. Congrats.
Absolutely out standing, the use of solar, the interior details- Fantastic job
I love your little house and your story, I wonder if you would be willing to share you budget. I am often inspired by these projects but knowing how much the supplies cost would be helpful. Of course time and effort is the biggest investment I’m sure!
It is beautiful!
This is the first tiny house on wheels that has inspired me to comment. I love the starburst designs on the loo and on the window wall.
You’ve done an exceptionally awesome job with design and with using scavenged wood.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Hi Colin,
Really nice job, your house looks like it would be a joy to live in. Some questions for you, you mentioned LED tape lighting and there is a link to the manufacturer, but could you tell us what model you used and whether you would go with that again or switch to another model? I’m really intrigued by this idea. In the past I’ve lit rooms with xmas tree lights and really liked the even distributed light they provide, but this seems much classier and more efficient. Less of that college dorm room look.
Thanks much,
Scott
hi – regarding LED lighting, i’m not totally sure which version it is (my electrician friend picked it up for me). i am pretty sure it’s the “fluid view” strip light, in the warm color, and i am sure i got the lowest wattage available. (i think it’s 1.6 watts/foot). it’s really great – and all you need is a little piece of trim up near the ceiling, and then you stick the strip light on top of that, and it creates a perfect amount of light without any bright source to catch your eye anywhere. it runs on 12 volts, so you need a little driver to switch over from 120V AC…anyway – a couple of things (the trim piece and the driver) that need to be factored in when wiring your house.
Makes me want to get out my tools and get building. Is the shower in the same space as the toilet?
Also do you find the floor insulation enough for the winters under your feet?
hi – the shower is outside. plumbed through the wall from the same room as the toilet. i’ll try to get some pictures of that up here one day. the insulation seems to be plenty in the floor. on cold mornings the house is cold, simply because the stove doesn’t go all night – but i’ve never felt the floor to be the source of that cold.
A simply amazing tiny house and I love how the reclaimed wood looks and how you were able to do what I will call “rising sun” like patterns with the wood. I furthermore love the fact that you put a window in the loft.
Thank you for Sharing!
Colin,
Stunning Job! Why did you choose to run double plumbing lines rather than just a short valved “bybass circut” for the water pressure pump?
Nice Guitar!
hmm, perhaps i didn’t state it clearly, but indeed a bypass circuit is what i’ve got. not two complete sets of plumbing.
Bravo – this house has everything – interesting, reclaimed materials, solar, owner built and STYLE!
I was thinking that the site got taken over by people trying to sell things and was getting pretty boring – then this!
I am impressed. Thank you for sharing.
Hi I am in the beginning stages of my tiny house and wondering what kind of budget you had for your tiny house.
I really like your tiny house. Could you send me more pictures of what the inside looks like.
Sincerely,
Elliott
I’ve always found wood toilet seats to be a little… unhygienic. Wood is so porous!
If wood is good enough for food preparation – cutting boards, it good enough for taking the browns to the superbowl…. I think varnishing the wood should cover your concerns.
Stunning house. I really appreciate your sharing the fascinating links. I live on the Mendo. Coast and some of your referrals are nearby. I will check them out. Thank you.
Love it!!! Wish I could see where the shower is…
Wow, great little house. I love it. This is definitely the way of the future. Congratulations on the article too. Informative and entertaining.
Nice job on the sunburst pattern. Very nice little home! Thanks for sharing.
hi – regarding LED lighting, i’m not totally sure which version it is (my electrician friend picked it up for me). i am pretty sure it’s the “fluid view” strip light, in the warm color, and i am sure i got the lowest wattage available. (i think it’s 1.6 watts/foot). it’s really great – and all you need is a little piece of trim up near the ceiling, and then you stick the strip light on top of that, and it creates a perfect amount of light without any bright source to catch your eye anywhere. it runs on 12 volts, so you need a little driver to switch over from 120V AC…anyway – a couple of things (the trim piece and the driver) that need to be factored in when wiring your house.
Hi Colin,
This has really inspired me! It’s beautiful — like a a great piece of furniture. Would there be any way that I could come over and see it? I live in Walnut Creek but could be there almost anytime that might work for you and I promise to be respectful of your time. The thing is I went to the Tumbleweed seminar in Sonoma last Oct. but honestly came away a bit intimidated. I have some construction experience but this just seemed to daunting. SO I was inspired by how you got it done and would really like to see it in person and maybe ask you a couple questions. Let me know if you would want to do that! — THANKS! – Shawn PS: I will bring you lunch or beer or your snack of choice!
Need one STAT…how much? Need to transport it to mountains and to ocean….we live in NC and we have both. Maybe it’s tax deductable even as a second residence?
Linda
Are the plans available for purchase? I want!
Awesome work and awesome design!
I am in the process of designing a mobile dwelling and was looking for tiny wood stoves. That one is solved now
.
What I am curious about, is what type of toilet did you install?? I can speculate, but am probably off by a mile, because I was thinking worm/earth toilet.
Could you please enlighten me?
Regardless, thank you for sharing a part of your life with others. I feel truly inspired by what you did.
Mack
Great tiny home I have just two questions. What is the slope of roof? and roofing material? It’s hard to tell from the pictures.
hi – the roof sloop is roughly 1:12, and it’s made of standing seam metal.
Love the creativity! Can you tell me more about how you set up the house for solar electricity? Any issues installing, getting permits or downsides living on solar that you have experienced so far?
hi,
the house has two solar panels on the awning. the batteries, inverter, charge controller, etc are all in the small storage cabinet on the tongue of the trailer. the batteries (which are configured at 12V) feed two different systems: 1) via an inverter they go to the AC electric panel, which feeds some lights and the receptacles, and 2) the batteries directly feed the DC electric panel, which powers the fridge, water pump, and some lights. that’s basically how it works.
there were no permits necessary. i was fortunate to have the help of an experienced electrician in choosing the equipment and setting it all up, so there were no major issues. living on solar power is great – but this winter has been really sunny. my setup can handle about one week of clouds before i run out of power, and that hasn’t happened yet. but in case it does, i do have a generator on the property to re-charge the batteries. (i would be fine just living on candles for a while, but the batteries need to be charged regularly to stay alive.)
hope that helps a little. freesunpower.com has great tutorials which can help you get into it a bit more.
Hey awesome job. I looked through the comments to make sure there wasn’t already an answer to my question but didn’t see one.
Is your toilet composting? What’s the “maintenance” like?
Is your water supply “off the grid” or do you just hook up to existing systems?
Thanks for your time!
I really like your tiny house, could you send me more pics and possibly send me the dimensions. I would really like to model my tiny house with some of the same features.
Sincerely,
Elliott Peart
Beautiful job on your tiny home, I’m really inspired!! Building my own “gypsy wagon” style trailer and I’m wondering about how you have dealt with ventilation. Is there a fan for cooking inside?
hi,
there isn’t a fan inside. just a window above the stove, which seems to work fine. i don’t have an indoor shower, which also helps avoid ventilation issues.
Colin,
I am COMPLETELY new to all of this, and I was wondering if you can guide a “newb” on where to start. First off I would like to know is it possible for one to purchase some land, and just place the home on the land with out code restrictions? I am wanting to move to Colorado and would love to start on a project like this, but do not want it to be in vain.
Also any websites or plans or instructional videos etc..(the cheaper the better) that you would recommend? Thanks for any all information, and anyone else that has experience or can help please feel free to respond also!
Thanks again!
Joshua
[...] was living in the Bay Area. Even more surprising is that her friend turns out to be Colin, whose post I had loved on the Tiny House Blog and that I had recently forwarded to some other friends interested in building a tiny [...]
Awesome! I’ve been looking at these on this blog for a while now and this is a favorite – really think I could live here for a time. very inspirational. thanks for sharing!