Guest Post by Ann Holley
My family is a family of builders. In 1974 my Father and Mother, Stephen and Miriam Holley, began construction on a home they had designed in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies. They spent the next 6 years working with a hammer, chainsaw and a set of chisels to complete the project. They worked in their spare time with the help of friends and family.
During the construction of my childhood home, my parents lived in a 12 by 12 foot cabin. We called it the “chicken coop” because that is what it became after my parents and my brother Ben, 2 years old at the time, moved out.
The cabin had 2 bed lofts, a wood-burning potbellied stove for heat and cooking, a small table with 4 chairs for entertaining guests, an oil lamp for light, and a dresser for clothing. There was no electricity. They hauled up water from a hand-dug well for use in an outdoor sink. They lived a rustic lifestyle in service of building their “dream home.
When I first found the Tiny House Blog it reminded me of my parents beginnings. Their hard work and sacrifice inspired Darren and I to build ProtoHaus. Needless to say, their knowledge and expertise was priceless.