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Exhibit Mobile Artist Studio

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By Jennifer Pecenka

This movable studio is a live/work space for the artist who seeks inspiration from the land and a vehicle for interaction between the display of work to the public as well as a response to the land and context in which it sits.

In a space as confined as this street legal 8.5’ wide x13.5’ tall trailer, privacy with the ability to utilize nature as a living room allows the greatest flexibility of use and comfort. Claiming outdoor space with the unfolding façade is vital for both functionality and inspiration for the artist in addition to its mobility for tours or living simply off-the-grid. Its operation gives the artist control over daylight, ventilation, and security through means of slatted screens, folding awnings, sliding skin, and extending decks.

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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.

Popomo on Fox Business News

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Fox Business News recently ran a video featuring Tumbleweed’s Jay Shafer and his tiny Popomo house which was parked in the middle of Manhattan. The 172 square foot Popomo was on its way to the East Coast of the U.S. and Jay was interviewed about it and his other tiny … Read more

Modern Sheepwagon

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This beautiful custom sheep wagon by Wizard Wagonworks is based on the original “sheep camp” of the 1880’s with a modern twist. It is designed for both highway and off-road use as well as for durability, comfort and ease of maintenance. Kenny Harris of Wizard wagonworks is in the cabinetry business and built two of these sheep wagons according to a customer’s specifications. One is now being sold for $60,000, but Kenny can build any custom sheep wagon for less than the current price.

The exterior of the wagon contains laminated oak struts, a T&G planked floor and metal roofing. The wagon is insulated and the exterior wood is finished with teak oil. The interior has oak bead board paneling and the benches, tables, cabinet doors and drawer fronts are solid oak. The wagon can by towed by a truck or other large vehicle and handles well on the highway with speeds up to 70 MPH.

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Eddie Bauer Airstream

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If you want a small trailer, but also want to enjoy the outdoors in style, you might want to look into getting the new Eddie Bauer Airstream which combines two respected names into one small package. This stylish trailer can hold you, all your toys and even a dog or two.

The Eddie Bauer Airstream is a 25-foot trailer with the classic Airstream styling and costs $74,000. It has a queen-size bed with an Eddie Bauer Goose Down duvet, pillows, and throw, maple and soapstone laminates, quilted fabrics, and stain-resistant Sunbrella upholstery on the interior, an oversized hatch for loading and unloading gear like bikes and kayaks, and a generous side awning. The panoramic windows and the hatch let in the outdoors and fresh air. Other features include:

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Habitats Hawai’i

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While most of us around the continental U.S. are experiencing the nip of winter cold, these tiny houses on the Big Island of Hawai’i are looking wonderful in their warm, tropical environment. Habitats Hawai’i are tiny homes on wheels created to simplify life and to live in a blended environment with the outdoors. The Habitats are a self contained living space which offer all of the basic necessities which one can then expand by way of arbors, plants, stone and water. Each of the homes are wired for 110 volts and are solar ready.

The Paniola is the first and premier model built with attention to quality and detail. The finishes include Sapele wood custom cabinetry, bamboo flooring, glass raindrop door between the bathroom and the kitchen, full insulation, refrigerator, two-burner stove, on demand hot water heater, a heater for cooler nights, Wilsonart countertops, an office, and an indoor bathroom with a shower and a composting toilet. The ladder is a unique and ergonomic design custom made from beautiful Sapele wood. The dimensions of the Paniola are 16 feet x 9 feet x 14 feet and there is a comfortable sleeping loft with windows above the kitchen. The Paniola is solar ready, wired for 110 volts and set up for a rain water catchment system. This Habitat is available to see by appointment only. Please call Barrie Rose at 808-960-6785. You will have the opportunity to discuss custom designs to fit your individual needs.

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Podpads

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What might look like a small toy village is actually a set of tiny houses used for camping and protection during music festivals in the United Kingdom. Podpads are designed to be a fun, comfortable and secure solution to the less attractive aspects of camping. They are rented out at various festivals for around 350 GBP or $550 a week and can be purchased as a guest house or child’s playhouse.

Designed and developed for Glastonbury Festival 2005, the podpad will stand up to the most severe of weather conditions. They are comfortable, weatherproof, cool, soundproof, secure, and safe with optional extras available to increase comfort. They are also a possible solution to a group base camp, on-site storage, as well as live-in accommodation.

The podpad is designed to accommodate two adults comfortably on either a double or twin beds. In exceptional circumstances, they can accommodate a family of three. The podpad is 8 feet by 6 feet with a wooden floor and a fitted carpet. They have raised beds with mattresses, shelving, windows with curtains, a mirror, light and a 12V socket. Podpads are also solar powered by a panel outfitted as a sunflower on the roof. This can be used for low usage items such as charging cell phones, laptops and iPods.

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Tonke Campers

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If a utility vehicle married a gypsy wagon, a Tonke Camper may be the result of this unusual union. Tonke Campers are hand-built by craftspeople in Holland who were inspired by the classic yachts created by Dutch boat builders in the 1920s. There are two models, the Explorer and the Fieldsleeper, which both meet the Euro IV emissions regulations. For overseas customers, Tonke ships the living unit and the steel platform that supports it. Then each unit can be carried by Renault Master, Volkswagen Crafter or Mercedes Sprinter (Dodge Sprinter in the U.S.) trucks.

What makes this camper unique is not only the style (polished wood fittings, teak floors, porcelain sinks and chrome faucets), but that fact that the trailer portion can be dismantled and be used as a guest room or a tiny house. Each unit includes a bed, kitchen and eating space, a small bathroom and storage for bicycles. They also include a large water tank, a combination boiler with hot water and heating system, an on-board battery, a spacious fridge with freezer and a gas stove.

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Indian Tents

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To send this summer off in style, I thought I would profile these colorful Indian tents. Most of them are primarily used for temporary purposes such as weddings and parties, but they are so well made and are so beautiful that they could be used as a tiny house – and you would be living like royalty.

Traditional Indian tents were often used as royal structures for the Maharajas and their courts. Ceremonial tents became the symbol of wealth and rank and the centerpiece of religion and society. Tents were often the most precious possessions – dwellings of both utility, luxury and mobility. The history of tents is long and widespread, mentioned in holy literature, recorded in poetry and depicted in art. Today, these tents are still used at palaces, private properties, gardens and resorts.

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Sir James

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At this year’s Burning Man, I was thrilled to find this modified gypsy caravan right next door to my camp. The builders of this unique rig are Christy Horne and Michel Olson, and they were kind enough to give me more information about their comfortable, tiny house which they named Sir James.

Sir James started his life as an 8×12 dual axel car trailer from California Custom Trailers. The trailer came licensed with brakes and everything for $1,700. The house was made with a welded iron “cage” and then wood, tarpaper and plywood layers were all bolted into the cage. It’s 7 feet wide by 12 feet long and it took 4 months to build. Sir James is Michel’s second of four original designs.

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Mike Jordan’s Tiny House

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Mike Jordan had fallen in love with the idea of a tiny mobile house about five years ago. After a divorce, and becoming the primary caregiver of his young son, he realized that his chance had come to simplify and streamline his life. Mike originally looked at small RVs, vans and Airstreams, but decided to go with a small mobile house built by the Oregon Cottage Company.

Mike, who rides a bicycle instead of owning a car, appreciated the green aspects of the tiny mobile home but was a bit concerned about having to pick it up from Oregon and bring it back to his home in Connecticut. So, he looked at it as an adventure, bought a van sight unseen in Washington and towed the house across the country with his son.

“We had a hell of a good time,” Mike said. “It was the best time of my life”.

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Gypsy Rose

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Because of their size and aesthetics, tiny houses lend themselves to being named: weeHouse, Tumbleweed, Box Turtle. Rarely do you see a 3,500 square foot house with a name. Kevin Rose named his mobile house Gypsy Rose, after his last name and the fact that his lifestyle in this tiny … Read more