TINY HOUSEmagazine

Issue 14

Redefining The American Dream

Going the DistanceLive, Laugh, Love

The 5x5 Garden Challenge

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CONTENTS

TINY HOUSEmagazine

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTSEditor’s NoteMonthly ReviewsReader’s CornerFor SaleMarketplace

Live, Laugh, LoveBig Love in a Tiny HouseTreeHouse TrailersRedefining the American DreamThe 5x5 Garden ChallengeGoing the DistanceLearning How to Learn

Editors NoteFor Sale

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A l t h o u g h w e ' r e s t i l l constructing our tiny house, our favorite part thus far is the angular loft extension. We love how it gives us extra loft space for a dog bed and will allow us to have a narrow staircase on one side. The funny thing is, it was actually added as an afterthought. You can even run y o u r f i n g e r s o v e r t h e woodwork where the original loft ends and the extension begins. The addition gives our loft its own story, like a brand new branch of a growing tree. So, until we create another happy accident, our angled loft is the best place to swing our legs and think about constructing the next piece of the puzzle.

I love the emotions that come along with building and (eventually) living in a tiny house. The feeling you get knowing that it is entirely yours, and the fact that it is far more than just a home. A tiny house of any kind is a journey, full of experiences, and I love nothing more than an adventure of my own design.

~Meghan Wolfgram, Adventure Wolf

Live LAUGH LOVE|| ||Where we love is home - home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.

~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

For every tiny house builder there is first a dream. And for every dreamer there is first a moment of love and desire. Fortunately that love never fades. In fact, it only grows. And for those who are

recognizing their dream of a tiny house existence or who are living in their tiny house there is that cultivated and fostered love; be it mental, spiritual, financial, or material. For the following tiny housers

that love is tangible and something worth sharing.

I have always loved gazing at the moon and the stars at night. When I camped in the wilderness, I loved sleeping under the night sky. When I became an architect, I dreamed of a house with my bed underneath a tree canopy so I can watch the moon.

When I found the t iny house movement, I was thrilled to design and build my own house. After one year of building with my boyfriend, my dream was realized! Through a giant skylight and round window, I can finally gaze at the moon and the stars from my bedroom loft.

Other features that bring me JOY: lots of natural light, cozy fireplace, and a large covered deck. Beyond the tangible benefits are the intangibles: a profound connection to nature and a special bond with my boyfriend Cliff.

~Vina Lustado, Sol Haus Design

Although we're still constructing our tiny house, our favorite part thus far is the angular loft extension. We love how it gives us extra loft space for a dog bed and will allow us to have a narrow staircase on one side. The funny thing is, it was actually added as an afterthought. You can even run your fingers over the woodwork where the original loft ends and the extension begins. The addition gives our loft its own story, like a brand new branch of a growing tree. So, until we create another happy accident, our angled loft is the best place to swing our legs and think about constructing the next piece of the puzzle.

~Guillaume Dutilh and Jenna Spesard Tiny House Giant Journey

A l t h o u g h w e ' r e s t i l l constructing our tiny house, our favorite part thus far is the angular loft extension. We love how it gives us extra loft space for a dog bed and will allow us to have a narrow staircase on one side. The funny thing is, it was actually added as an afterthought. You can even run y o u r f i n g e r s o v e r t h e woodwork where the original loft ends and the extension begins. The addition gives our loft its own story, like a brand new branch of a growing tree. So, until we create another happy accident, our angled loft is the best place to swing our legs and think about constructing the next piece of the puzzle.

My off-grid cabin in Vermont is made of a REALLY significant amount of free salvaged material, all hiked into the site, assembled with barely any power tools, and the entire project began when I was 22-years-old. I look back, and it’s satisfying to think of how much hard work went into this place, how much character it has (the inside more than the utilitarian exterior), and how much fun we had creating and problem-solving the whole build—one in which the "blueprints" amounted to a quick sketch on a Wendy's napkin. My own full-family house is quite small, but this Vermont place has a story behind each piece of wood, each found furniture item, the family-discarded and street-found decor, and every success, or failure, than went into it.

~ Derek “Deek” Diedricksen Relaxshacks

Our home is a perfect representation of the both of us! We both love the outdoors, rain or shine, so the many windows almost puts us right out into the world, while keeping our home bright and cozy. We find joy as we cook meals together in our tiny kitchen and share stories of our lives and future together. We snuggle up to each other and enjoy one of our favorite movies. We collaborate on projects that help strengthen our talents and relationship. We both make the climb up the ladder, to the loft with ease, as we both drift off to sleep, happy and lucky to have each other there by our side. We wake each day with a new feeling of freedom and happiness, and that is why we love our tiny house!

~ Malissa and Christopher Tack Tiny Tack House

I love the tiny house for what it r e p r e s e n t s : p e r s i s t e n c e , f r eedom, and love . The problems that we faced in building the house and in life during the build forced us to be tenacious and gave us a goal, something to get up and put our feet on the floor for every morning. La will never be homeless with this house, and to me that is a priceless gift. There is a lot of love from the rafters to the floor, and it is so much more than just a house.

~ Suzannah Kolbeck

I absolutely love my kitchen and reading nook. I am excited to make brownies in my house because I will be making them in a house I built myself. The reading nook is bright and airy and has windows on two sides. I am excited to live day-to-day in my own house.

~ Sicily Kolbeck La Petite Maison

I built my tiny house as part of my thesis for my Master’s degree in Environmental Policy & Management. I borrowed money from my father to complete the project, both of us agreeing to sell the house in order to pay back the loan. Despite not having the physical house anymore, there are many things I loved and still love about it: the sense of accomplishment in building it myself, the smack-in-the-face need to simplify my life and all my “stuff”, the warmth of the wood throughout, the expression of respect for the environment by making it as eco-friendly as I could, the collaboration involved in the build itself with friends and family, the quirky design elements due to using secondhand materials, and most of all, I love the lingering impact my tiny house has had on myself, my family, friends, and even strangers who got to experience it.

~ Sarah Myers Small House, Big Adventure

I love how my tiny house completely changed my life. I never expected it, but after moving in our 120 square foot house I suddenly felt more connected to everything I do. I began to recognize the ways in which I could live more deliberately. I changed not only the way I work but the way I integrate work into my life. I am able to build connections to the greater tiny house community and people in my own town. I always said building a tiny house would be an adventure but I had no idea that living in it would change my life.

~ Laura LaVoie Life in 120 Square Feet

Going against the grain to build this sweet little home has opened my life in so many beautiful ways. It brought me to the ocean, led me to my soulmate, and showed me so much about myself and how I want to live. I love my kitchen and my bathroom and my window seat and my loft. I love that I lose far less belongings, keep things uncharacteristically tidy and catch my burning dinners before they turn completely black because I can only take so many steps away from the stove. There aren’t very many things about my house that I don’t love, other than perhaps taking out the trash, which I expect to hate in any house. Little Yellow came about as a unique combination of both exactly what I wanted and exactly what I needed, and for that I am grateful every day.

~ Ella Jenkins Little Yellow Door

I love our tiny house most because it is filled with people — not literally, of course, but spiritually and emotionally. From the time shared with my dad building to the sweat spilled by my brother-in-law when installing the custom kitchen cabinets. Crystal and I poured everything we had into the house for almost two years so I love knowing that every screw, line of caulk, and piece of wood was an investment of time, love, and energy.

~ Andrew Odom Tiny r(E)volution

I LOVE coming home to my tiny house in the evenings, feeling safe and secure in a space I made! I love being able to clean everything top to bottom in 20 minutes flat. I love having everything I want and a little extra. The best part is when it is cold and wet outside and I get to step into a warm, dry area that was created from my mind and built with MY hands! It's a feeling that is hard to describe but amazing.

~ Macy Miller MiniMotives

I absolutely love how the tiny house gives me the liberty of enough. In some places I have felt like I had too much. In other places I have felt like I didn’t have enough, especially when it came to community. With the tiny house I feel in harmony. I don’t have everything I want but I have what I need including the time and money to contribute to my community. Further, I love how the tiny house makes me feel like a kid going camping. I notice where the sun rises, how hard its raining, and where the wildlife is around my house. I love how I feel intentional about my choices and don't feel insulated from the world.

~ Logan Smith Smalltopia

Going against the grain to build this sweet little home has opened my life in so many beautiful ways. It brought me to the ocean, led me to my soulmate, and showed me so much about myself and how I want to live. I love my kitchen and my bathroom and my window seat and my loft. I love that I lose far less belongings, keep things uncharacteristically tidy and catch my burning dinners before they turn completely black because I can only take so many steps away from the stove. There aren’t very many things about my house that I don’t love, other than perhaps taking out the trash, which I expect to hate in any house. Little Yellow came about as a unique combination of both exactly what I wanted and exactly what I needed, and for that I am grateful every day.

We love our house because it has really good energy. We built it to fit our needs instead of fitting ourselves into a typical home or apartment. Building it by hand allowed us to put our love and attention into each detail, and the result is a very peaceful home that brings us much joy. There’s a still a bit of heartbreak as we make the transition to living in the smaller space, but overall it’s been such a wonderful blessing. We didn’t start out as tiny house people, but we’ve made the adjustment so easily, we think anyone could successfully adopt this lifestyle.

~ Alek Lisefski and Anjali Krystofiak The Tiny Project

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