handmade

Amazing Spaces Shed of the Year

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Shed of the Year

Leave it to the Brits to have a competition for sheds. Not only are these diminutive buildings an everyday part of garden life in the UK, but the ones that are featured on Shed of the Year are some really special. Sheds in the United Kingdom are not just for … Read more

Gypsy Getaway Wagons

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During childhood, at least some of us wanted to run off with the circus or a band of musicians. The dream of living out of a colorful, handmade vardo or “gypsy wagon” was the start of many tiny house dreams. Gypsy Getaway Wagons, based in Reno, Nevada, is bringing that dream … Read more

Flat Pack Tiny House on Etsy

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When you think of Etsy, you usually think of handmade jewelry and clothing, antiques and vintage items. Now you can also buy a tiny, flat-pack house built by Jacob Triche of the Revival Supply Co. shop on Etsy. This very tiny home only comes in at 96 square feet but … Read more

Güte Shepherd Huts

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The useful, mobile and beautiful shepherd hut is slowly making its way over to North America. Thanks to the Pixie Palace Hut Co. and now the Güte Shepherd Hut from Canada, tiny house lovers in the U.S. and Canada can have their own modern shepherd hut on traditional cast iron … Read more

Handmade Matt’s Truck Camper

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The December issue of the Tiny House Magazine has a story about handmade, wooden truck campers in it and one of most talked about versions on the Web is the whimsical truck camper designed and built by Handmade Matt. Matt is a craftsman and tiny house enthusiast from Surrey, England … Read more

Russ-Stick Farm Tiny Houses

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Russ and Sherry may be familiar to anyone who reads the farming magazine and blog, Grit. The Michigan couple are known for the Russ-Stick Ramblings column which was named after their 40 acre Russ-Stick Acres farm where they live with their Alaskan and Siberian sled dogs in a small cordwood … Read more

Surf Shacks

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As the ultimate place to hang out during an Endless Summer, surf shacks reflect the easy, breezy lifestyle of people who live near the beach. They are usually hand-constructed shelters used by surfers, but some have become part of the vernacular environment or even historical landmarks. Also known as beach … Read more

The Tiny Houses of Black Rock City: Fertility 2.0

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The theme of this year’s Burning Man had a few people scratching their heads. However, the idea of fertility taken to the next level describes the burgeoning annual event very well. Burning Man is a completely fertile location where spontaneous creativity and ideas are allowed to naturally flourish without any … Read more

Built by Friends: Evan and Gabby’s Tiny House

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Like an Amish barn raising, Evan and Gabby’s tiny Tarleton house is going up piece by piece with the help of friends and family. The Illinois couple were inspired by the Tumbleweed houses and decided to downsize their already sustainable lifestyle even more. With no prior construction experience, they have been working on their tiny home for just over a year and plan to move in (along with their two cats) soon.

The couple also plan to move around the country, staying in campgrounds that offer year-round rates. They then want to purchase some land where tiny house living is more acceptable.

Their 117 square foot Tarleton, built on a car hauler trailer, will have a great room, a sleeping loft above the bathroom and kitchen, another storage loft above the door and a bathroom with a custom shower and composting toilet that vents to the outdoors. The kitchen has four feet of stainless steel countertop, a two-burner stove, a bar sink, a toaster oven, a small fridge and – rare for a tiny house – a combination washer and dryer that they got from a family member for free.

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Sarana House

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Sarana House is named after a word in Pali, an ancient Buddhist language, that means “safe place” or “refuge. It will be the ultimate refuge when moved from its current location in Los Angeles, where it’s being built, to its final home on a private 23 acre forest retreat, named Sarana Park, in Northern California.

The tiny house on a trailer is being built by Juko and Jerry, not only as a new home, but as a way to respond to the Great Recession. Following the foreclosure of their home in Santa Monica, the couple decided to downsize and live more simply. Their first tiny house, the Huling Halfway Hut, was featured in  a Tiny House Blog “Tiny House in a Landscape” post. During this time, Juko and Jerry became stewards of Sarana Park and wanted to make this new land a place for reflection, restoration, and transformation. They think of it as a “re-boot camp” – a place where their friends and guests can take some space to recharge, rest, and be inspired.

Sarana House is being built with as many reclaimed materials as possible. They are using reclaimed white pine from Ohio (Juko’s childhood home) and Pennsylvania; and Juko is building a larger kitchen by re-furbishing an IKEA freestanding kitchen. A long bench will be the focus of the dining room. It will be large enough for several people to sit or for one person to sleep. Bamboo flooring has been installed and  a stock door from Lowes has been cut down to fit the entrance.

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Joseph’s Gypsy Wagons

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Joseph Crowell has been building buses and vans for many years, but was recently inspired to build his first gypsy wagon by Sunny Baba, an activist and spiritualist who has built dozens of gypsy wagons.