Is smaller the new bigger? A Customer Creates a Tiny Home
April 13, 2016 Customer Stories
The building we are featuring in this post is following the current “Tiny House” trend. It is a 12×24 Cottage with a row of dormer windows running the full length of the building. We insulated the floor with 2” foam and installed an insulated service door. It was delivered to the Dayton area and placed on a post foundation provided by the customer. From there on, everything was done by the customer.
On the exterior rough sawn cedar siding milled from Ohio trees was installed over the existing siding. Windows were purchased at a local ReStore at a greatly reduced price. Sliding barn door hardware and a large window were used to craft a sliding door. Several LED lights illuminate the exterior at night.
The shell as it looked when we delivered it.
Tiny house outside
Interior walls are insulated with fiberglass insulation and are covered with the same cedar as the outside. Lights are LED Edison bulb replicas and draw a total of 30-40 watts for the entire house. Immediately inside the door the center of the living room floor is mahogany wood and native stone with grout and covered with polyurethane. The rest of the living room has hardwood floor, while the kitchen and bathroom have slate floors from a local big box store. A wood burning stove/oven between the kitchen and living room heats the whole house and was provided all the cooking this winter. The wall behind the stove is covered with slate shingle reclaimed from an old Ohio barn roof. Due to the nature of his job, the owner is gone for 24-48 hrs at a time, a propane heater is used as a backup source of heat. A couch, chair, TV/dvd player, coat rack, and some firefighting memorabilia finish out the living room.
A bar/counter separates the kitchen and living room and provides storage for kitchen items. There are plenty of wine glasses for any amount of people you could fit into this house. There is a propane stove top, a small sink, a full size refrigerator/freezer, and shelves for storage everywhere possible in the kitchen.
The bathroom has a composting toilet and a beach shower that is not hooked up yet. There is a holding tank for water that is currently being brought in from elsewhere, but future plans call for a rainwater collection system.
There are identical lofts at both ends of the building. The rear loft above the bathroom is the sleeping quarters and a little storage and the front loft above the living room is the guest quarters.
The house is completely off grid with electrical power coming from a 600watt solar panel system and batteries for storage. This will need to be upgraded in the near future to keep up with the demand. Also in the future plans is an outdoor kitchen and a few small modifications on the inside.
If a Tiny House is on your bucket list, this is one you will want to check in to. I was amazed at what all can fit into a little space and still have enough room to be comfortable. It is very nicely finished and decorated and we are delighted to have had a small part in the project.
From the owner: A question a lot of people ask me is why did I decide to do this, and contrary to belief, it is not just because I wanted to go green, although that does seem to be the side effect.
I wanted to do this for independence, the cabin is self-sustainable on its own, even without the propane or internet access. I was also looking to be debt free, and am working to that goal now, allowing me to spend otherwise wasted money on savings and retirement.
