By Terri Barrie
In periodically stopping by the tiny house blog while researching small living spaces, it and other web sources convinced me to move ahead with my little home project. This now splendid studio home was originally a weekend getaway with garter snakes living in the wall. After six months of weekend renovations, it is now a relaxing place where the wildlife lives contentedly, outdoors.
The original structure (12 x 24) was likely a shed kit and is built on sand, which was laid on clay. The building leans a tad to the south. Total living space inside is 280 sq ft, not including the sleeping loft above the kitchen. There is electricity, but no plumbing. An electric Incinolet toilet was installed and works perfectly! The sandy, now snowy, beaches of Lake Michigan are less than a half mile away.
Prior to moving forward on this project, the last seven years were spent mostly outdoors. The original aesthetics were very appealing to 12 year old boys. A couple red riders and they were in heaven. The 12 year olds are now 21. They participated in the structures transformation as well as a core group of (retired) engineers. One engineer friend was there many days, for many months, measuring, cutting and maneuvering the unevenness of the place.
Three engineers from the paper industry came one day with all the necessary tools to build a deck, including a good supply of homemade chocolate chip cookies! Now that they’ve seen the place finished, one compared it to the Harry Potter tent scene at a quidditch tournament where Harry’s team enters a small tent and find a spacious inviting environment inside: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=IMP2zIPc7lc Just what I was going for in my tiny house!
Thank you for looking at my little home.
Terri Barrie
Oh my! this is gorgeous and seems very “do-able.” Love the transformation. It shows what can be done to beautify a starter tiny home. Thanks for including a sketch of your floor plan. I love the white clapboards on the walls. It really gives it charm. Your decorating is sweet, too. Would love to see the front door treatment. Very nice job!
I don’t really have a photo of the front door, which is the patio door. More photos can be found here though:
280 Square ft Shack
http://houzz.com/ideabooks/5988594
Adorable!
What a gorgeous tiny home! I love the combination of the white wash wood paneling and the modern touches.
Hello, what is smart siding?
.lovely place.
This is the description from the smart siding website as to how it’s made:
The process begins with either wood strands or wood fiber. A zinc borate compound is applied throughout the substrate to help protect against fungal decay and termites. Superior exterior-grade resins are used to create extremely strong bonds within the product. Having been tested in laboratory and real-world conditions for more than a decade, LP SmartSide products are proven to withstand extreme heat, cold, humidity and rainfall.
This is very nice and livable. It’s a nice layout, and for once we get to see the inside of one of these homes that doesn’t have that rustic, camping look. I like this a lot.
More images can be seen here:
280 Square ft Shack
http://houzz.com/ideabooks/5988594
Hi. Lovely home. But how is it heated? I live in Chicago and I’m sure its colder in Michigan. And how do you use the clawfoot tub without plumbing? Love the whitewash walls too!
Terri, How adorable! It really turned out wonderful. Can you explain a bit more about the water situation? Do you have a french ditch or some sort of drainage for when you wash dishes or take a bath? We are working on the interior of a tiny house and it too won’t have running water for awhile (maybe someday)so we plan on using a compost toilet and thinking maybe a gravity fed water storage container. Although we haven’t worked out the drainage just yet. Would love to hear your thoughts. By the way, ours is also in Michigan, about 20 minutes from Ludington.
You are welcome to see photos here if you like: http://www.TinyLakeHouse.com
Your tiny home redo is just beautiful. I love the bling that your well appointed chandelier adds. I have a 8 x 24′ tiny house and I have TEN chandeliers total. As soon as my tiny house was set up on my land I painted the interior all white. People flipped out at how I could cover the so called beautiful wood walls in paint, but now there seems to be a big trend to paint tiny homes white. What a difference that makes. Not everyone who dwells in a tiny house has or wants to be a minimalist or get rid of things that do nothing else but make them smile. This is what I see in your beautiful home, and the same shared concept is evident in my tiny retreat. Some things might not be used every day or needed other than to add charm and visual appeal to your lovely home. I like your choices of fabric, textures and natural elements. You did a wonderful job, very inviting, cozy and a feeling of being spacious. Thanks for sharing your sweet home.