wood

Hale for the Ohana

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Hale Ulu

Like other historical homes around the world, the homes of Hawai’i were traditionally very small. The hale (pronounced HAH-lay) were the structures built by 19th century Hawai’i islanders and were made of local wood and topped with bundles of pili grass to protect it from the rains. A traditional hale at the Limahuli Tropical Botanical Garden on Kaua’i. The walls of the structures were kept open to let in the cool ocean breezes and a simple stone floor kept the ohana (family) dry. Several buildings …

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Handmade Endgame Campers Blends Functionality and Art

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Endgame Campers truck camper

No matter what size tiny house you have, what you lack in space, you may find in safety and security. Dave Mason of Endgame Campers might just say it best: “My camper gives me some sense of personal economic security. I always know that I own it and I can fix it, and worst-case scenario, I always have someplace to live.” Learn more about Dave Mason and his campers in the May issue of the Tiny House Magazine. Mason’s homemade truck camper is one of …

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Solidbud’s Tiny Houses in Ukraine

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Solidbud tiny house

Unless you are in the middle of a war, there is no way you can understand what the people of Ukraine are now facing. People all over the world are getting an up-front view of invasion and the strong people of this independent nation. Solidbud is located in the Rivne region of Ukraine. I wanted to profile just one of the many companies in Ukraine that has embraced the tiny house lifestyle just like other countries around the world. Solidbud is a traditional frame house …

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Modular Amish Made Cabins Start at Under $52,000

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With winter on its way, there’s nothing cozier than a little cabin in the woods covered in snow. These said cozy cabins are even better when they can be delivered fully constructed to your site. Amish Made Cabins are modular log cabins that start at under $52,000. Amish Made Cabins is located in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. The company constructs certified modular cabins made of high quality materials. Each cabin is made with hand-hewn poly-coated log siding and have pre-engineered knotty pine interior walls. Each cabin comes …

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Sauna/Bathroom in VIVA Collectiv Tiny House

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Whether we like it or not, winter is here. However, one of the best ways to survive the darker, colder days is to warm them up with a sauna. VIVA Collectiv’s The Spa tiny home has a bathroom with sauna heated by a stove. Most tiny homes barely have room enough for a full bathroom (or a bathtub), much less the epitome of Finnish winter bathing. But Brian Crabb of VIVA Collectiv has figured out a way to fit a sauna and a tub in …

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Smiling Woods Yurt Kits for Round, Permanent Living

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When most people think of yurts what comes to mind are the fabric or canvas options that might feel a little less secure than your average camping tent. While the traditional yurt is made to be broken down, a wooden yurt offers the same spiritual round shape but on a more permanent basis. Traditional yurts made of canvas are made to be moved regularly. Smiling Woods Yurts in Methow Valley, Wash. still celebrates the round shape, but with stronger and safer materials. Their handcrafted yurt …

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SIP-Built, Single Story Tiny Homes in Ireland

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Just like the U.S., our friends across the pond are quickly seeing the benefit of the tiny house. Whether to escape the high city prices or open up a tiny Airbnb, the smart, single story structures by Big Man Tiny Homes make downsizing easier. Big Man Tiny Homes is based in County Cork, Ireland. JP Simpson’s company, Big Man Tiny Homes, is based out of County Cork in Ireland. He builds several styles of tiny homes out of Europe’s leading manufacturer of SIPS (structural insulated …

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The Simple and Useful Beauty of the Raised Platform

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Several years ago I wrote a Tiny House Blog post about American River guides who live for the river season out of their tents or various vehicles. Most of the tents are located on the ground, but to literally elevate your status as a river guide, you can pitch your tent on a raised wooden platform. A simple, inexpensive platform can make a world of difference if you are living inside a world of nylon and polyester. Tents become tiny houses when placed on a …

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Handcrafted Austrian Wohnwagon Cleans Water with Marsh Plants

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Experimental from top to bottom, the Austrian Wohnwagon is one of the first tiny houses on wheels to come from the European country. The Wohnwagon (“living wagon” in German) is built from locally sourced Austrian woods and has sheep wool insulation, solar panels, a living roof and even a water circulation system that uses marsh plants to clean and re-use greywater. The system works like this: rainwater is collected from the roof into storage tanks on the roof and under the ground and used in the …

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Planing Rough Cut Lumber For Your Tiny House

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Using a variety of saws and woodworking equipment can indeed be intimidating. From planers to scrolls to chops to shapers, the arsenal is lengthy. But nothing looks as good (or smells as good!) or presents as well as nice, home-milled, rough cut lumber. In building the Tiny r(E)volution tiny house we used no less than three species of rough cut. We used some beautiful 108-year old Yellow Pine, some Eastern Black Walnut, and a very few pieces of 30-year old Cedar. It was truly a …

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The Tiny House: Planing Your Reclaimed Lumber

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There is something to be said for revisiting experiences. No matter how much progression the tiny house movement makes there are still some fundamental lessons to be learned. One of those lessons is how to properly salvage wood. There is some misconception in just pilfering wood from an old barn and tacking it right up as an interior wall. That very wood has typically been exposed to the elements including mold, mildew, animal effluvium, and the like. It needs to be cared for including a round of …

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