Airbnb Superhost Talia and her husband Dave began hosting to help save their small mountainside organic farm and also as a creative outlet. They built an enchanting straw bale cottage and two tiny A-Frames that beautifully integrate into the secluded natural landscape. Its’ all part of their “Jean Marie’s Garden” in the Columbia Gorge area in Washington—an awe-inspiring slice of heaven!
The Straw Bale Cottage
Have you ever stayed in a work of art? That’s what it feels like to stay in Talia’s straw bale cottage. Impressively, it was completely hand-crafted from the reclaimed lumber framing, hand-thrown tiles to the hand-made windows and bed-frame. The D-shaped cottage was designed to feel grounding and peaceful while intimately connecting you to the outdoors. Your eye is constantly drawn to the epic wall of windows and surrounding mountain views. That’s why the interior uses muted earth tones, so the outdoor greenery really pops.“This hand-built cottage is made of strawbale wall with lime plaster, sheep’s wool insulation in the cedar shake roof. This is a true experience! Views of Mill Creek Valley and Mt Hood in both the cottage and private patio. The cottage does not have a kitchen or bathroom INSIDE, however, there is a covered pavilion with (almost) full kitchen, hot shower, and composting toilet 100-yard walk away.”
Straw bale construction is fairly easy to learn (think stacking giant lego blocks), cost-effective, and environmentally pretty much as friendly as it gets. However, like any natural building, it is especially hands-on labor-intensive. Talia points out that it took much longer to complete than expected. Even so, she and her husband, Dave, completed the cottage in about 10 months of part-time building.
Interested in building a straw bale tiny house? Check out these plans!
Tiny A-Frames
Talia also hosts two transforming tiny A-frames, essentially simple glamping accommodations. In each, enjoy a comfy bed with charming indoor/outdoor living capability. Simply lift the semi-transparent sidewall to open up the space and enjoy lots of fresh air! In addition, there’s a patio and hammock for relaxing under the stars or trees.
Does the design look familiar? These were built from Deek Diedricksen’s Transforming A-Frame Getaway Cabin plans.