Kathi Emery who lives on Sand Mountain in North West Georgia, decided to design and build her own tiny home. Kathi calls her home the “Doll House.” I’ll let Kathi tell you more about it.
I had followed the beginning of the tiny house movement but was appalled at the cost of the structures in the articles. I set about to create the most efficient use of space in a 12’x20′ structure sized to maximize typical building supply dimensions. Originally, I planned to use 12′ t-111 siding but ended up with 1.5 sheets on the side instead. The cabin has a 5′ x 7′ bathroom w/ tub/shower, etc.
The kitchen is slightly wider and I used a 20″ stove and a 24″ wide refrigerator to save space. The area under the stairs is completely open and forms pantry and storage. The upstairs has 2 identical 7′ x 12′ bedrooms separated by the stair landing and a large (6’x4′) closet. One bedroom has 2 twin beds and the other a double. The ceiling height downstairs is 7′ which is plenty for me – being a short person – and upstairs it is around 8′ in the center tapering down to 4′ on the sides. The couch in the living room folds out so it sleeps 6 if need be. The side of the cabin faces due south and the roof pitch is 8/12 for solar down the road.
If you take into account the stair, the square footage is about 450sf and my family and I dried it in in 11 days in 2007. The cost of the structure, fixtures, cabinets ran around 8k with some bargain shopping to find a leaded glass door, windows, etc. on the bargain racks. That doesn’t include the septic system or getting the electric and water to the house.
It does not seem cramped at all and other than the stove and fridge, no special ‘tiny’ things were needed. The stair is a little steeper than “normal” stairs but are not more steep than a spiral metal stair.
I heat with econo-heat panels but it looks like they’ve changed the design a little. Mine look like this on Amazon, and the new ones are at eHeat. They take a while to heat up but if you are living in the house and keeping it warm it is very comfortable. Also for space and energy savings I put in a demand water heater that I’ve been very pleased with.
The little yellow cabin I call the Poetry Cabin. It is set down in the woods but has no plumbing. The actual inside is 8’x12′ with a 6’x12′ screened porch. I had in mind that some of my 4 kids might like to not be crammed into the main cabin when they come to visit and it is a very nice peaceful setting.
I have a very large garden next to the house although it’s still just getting started for the year.
Thanks,
Kathi Emery