A growing number of writers are beginning to cover the small home movement. This is fantastic news for people interested in the small home movement. However, keeping tabs on the wide range of tiny homes being covered could easily become a full-time occupation.
Beginning this week Coming Unmoored will begin recapping the latest homes featured by tiny house writers. Please keep an eye out for this every Friday, and plan on having some fun browsing sites when TGIF fever hits on Friday afternoons!
If you are considering a tiny cabin retreat, you really might want to consider the Metrocabin from Cabin Fever. The Metrocabin is a modular structure that is designed to be highly functional and sturdy. The Maximo unit is 16 feet by 20 feet and has a price of about $32,000 dollars. The smaller Medio unit is 12 feet by 16 feet and cost about $20,000. Cabin Fever can also build larger units on request. The Metrocabin concept seems to offer a lot for the money and also has some nice modification options.
Part of what makes the Metrocabin concept so interesting is it happens to be extremely versatile. Almost every aspect of the design can be modified, and the prices for all the options are easy to understand. Everything from air-conditioning and heating, to wall finishes and electrical packages can be changed and upgraded. Sometimes builders overlook the notion of being able to modify tiny homes. The option to modify a tiny home is especially nice when considering that one needs to be highly satisfied with the interior space, due to the inherit lack of space.
Cabin Fever is definitely approaching the tiny home concept from the perspective of building homes to be tough. Much attention is given to the issue of foundations, structural engineering and roofing. Consequently, their design is pleasant but lacks some of the wow factor of other tiny home models. Still, as a retreat cabin the Metrocabin is a fine concept. Since the Metrocabin is a prefab kit, built in a factory, it can be assembled and shipped anywhere in the country.
It is obvious that they have put a great deal of thought into the concept and have created a solid home kit. Yet, in this increasingly environmentally aware era, it would be nice to see some sort of solar power option, especially as this advantage is so common in prefab housing and small homes in general. However, this fact alone should not deter those who are considering buying a cabin retreat, for Cabin Fever has created a solid product with the Metrocabin. Take a look at Cabin Fever’s website to see if the Metrocabin concept might be a good fit. The overall cost of the kit definitely makes it an attractive contender in the tiny house market.
Tiny Home enthusiasts may take issue with whether or not an automatic dishwasher is a necessity for simple living. Certainly I have lived happily in homes without one. However, in planning out my (eventual) kitchen redesign, I’ve come across some examples that might be viable dishwasher options in even the smallest of homes.
The smallest of the small options are countertop dishwashers, which I didn’t know existed until I stumbled across an example. Several companies including EdgeStar, Danby, Haier, and Koldfront offer countertop options. Here are two of my favorites:
The EdgeStar DWP45ES allows you to wash up to four (10.5″ max) place settings at a time. EnergyStar rated, it uses approximately 61% less energy than other countertop options. Dimensions are 17.1″ x 22.5″ x 18.9″. The EdgeStar retails for roughly $235.
Another countertop option is the Danby DDW 497W. The Danby is also EnergyStar rated and can hold up to four place settings. It also offers five different wash settings. Dimensions are17″ x 22 7/16″ x 18 7/8″. The Daby also retails for around $235.
I could easily see either of these two models being tucked under a kitchen counter in a Tumbleweed or Tortoise Shell tiny home.
Moving up in size, you can also find 18″ models. Danby offers an 18″ portable dishwasher that easily could be built into a small kitchen or stand alongside cabinetry. The Danby features a stainless steel tub, adjustable dishracks, 7 wash programs, and advertises low water consumption. Dimensions are 32 5/16″ x 17 11/16″ x 21 5/16″. The Danby18″ retails for around $380.00.
GE has also begun offering compact 18″ dishwashers. Their dishwasher can either be ordered with a stainless steel front or with a wood cover panel to match the dishwasher to other cabinetry. They are EnergyStar rated and offer five different wash cycles. Dimensions are 32 1/2″ x 17 1/2 x 22 1/2″. These retail for roughly $500.
These are certainly not the only small dishwasher options out there. However, hopefully, they’re enough to get you started researching options that may be appropriate for your own situation.
Don’t tell me that you don’t have your days where you think about just leaving it all behind. If only you could get in your car or truck and tow your house away, start over somewhere a new…
Well, guess what? You can do just that. There are many tiny houses that you can quite literally hitch up to your truck and drive away with. Lodge-On-Wheels does exactly what you might expect from the name, it is a tiny house that is on wheels.
The concept behind Lodge-On-Wheels was born out of the great American tragedy that was Hurricane Katrina. Before Hurricane Katrina, the founders of Lodge-On-Wheels specialized in restoring historic homes. After Hurricane Katrina, founder Julie Martin felt it was time to head in another direction and begin building small, portable homes.
This tiny house measures in at about 10′ x 20,’ but has much of what you would expect and hope for out of any house. There is a surprisingly decent sized kitchen and bathroom, and a really fun sleeping loft in the rear of the home. One of the main aspects of Lodge-On-Wheels that is bound to please, is how much like a “real home” the Lodge-On-Wheels concept feels. The all wood interior design really does look like a lodge and the fact that there is enough room for a bed, table, couch, kitchen and bath is a testament to how much can be done with the available space.
The homey feel of Lodge-On-Wheels, combined with its $38,000 price tag, makes it a definite option to those looking to join the tiny home movement. This is certainly a very green alternative to building a summer home, for example. Many people are using Lodge-on-Wheels as an innovative Summer home.
Since its inception after Hurricane Katrina, Lodge-On-Wheels has been in numerous newspapers and magazines and even covered by the BBC. See what all the buzz is about at www.lodge-on-wheels.com. They also have some great photos, and include a glimpse into the building process itself.
Bill Kastrinos at Tortoise Shell Home has been working on a new design–the Zen Tortoise.
The Zen microhome was designed with the assistance of a feng shui master. The home is 8 feet x 12 feet in dimension and can be built using either a wood or steel tech frame. The home features a 30 Amp entrance panel, 1212 Romex wiring, Pex plumbing, a Lakso ceramic heater, and Hardee Panel silica siding.
The home (without kitchen) starts at $28,500.
Additional information can be found on Tortoise Shell Home’s
Hillary is hoping to use the forum to help like-minded aspiring tiny home owners connect, particularly with supportive landowners, and begin planning actual communities across the United States. She writes: “Though many laws prevent us from manifesting this vision, we are actively creating a commons as a response to the escalating housing and debt crisis.”
I’ve been on the forum for a few weeks now, and it hosts a pretty fascinating mix of people.
If you’re looking for a way to meet and interact with other tiny home enthusiasts, I encourage you to check the forum out!
When you think about small housing and making the most out of a tiny amount of space, it is natural to look to Japan. The island nation of Japan may appear fairly large on a map, but consider for a moment that much of the nation is too mountainous to build upon. Add to this the fact that much of the remaining land is allocated to farming, and you begin to understand the Japanese obsession with maximizing small living spaces.
With this obsession in mind, many Japanese architects are building upon the Japanese tradition of “going small.” Much like the elegant Bonsai Trees, these architects are paving the way with some very innovative and tiny homes.
The Schemata Architecture Office’s entry into the small houses world is definitely a striking one, not soon forgotten. Schemata’s outrageous 63.02 house in Tokyo is a stellar example of how to build a home big on character and style in a surprisingly small space. You would never guess by looking at the 63.02 house that it is only about 260 square feet.
You may be wondering where this strange name originated. The 63.02 derives its name from the fact that the house is inclined 63.02 degrees. The 63.02 is a stunning piece of architecture and design inside as well, proving once again that much can be packed into a small space. Check out Yanko Design to learn more about this fantastic concept.
Another tiny home coming from Japan is the ‘Atelier for calligrapher’ by the Japanese architecture firm of Kochi Architect’s Studio.
Now the ‘Atelier for calligrapher’ could sort of be described as the slightly evil twin of Schemata Architecture Office’s 63.02 house. Both tiny homes take advantage of the visceral use of unexpected angles and slightly off-balanced, yet paradoxically harmonious shapes. Two big differences do exist between these two small wonders. ‘Atelier for calligrapher’ has a dark exterior whereas 63.02 has a white exterior. The second most striking difference is that the ‘Atelier for calligrapher’ has a rougher exterior, where the 63.02 is smooth. ‘Atelier for calligrapher’ and several other very innovative designs can be seen at the Kochi Architect’s Studio.
Both of these homes are impressive examples of both what can be done with a small spaces, and how Japanese architects are addressing the issue of space maximization. With these talented architects, the tradition of building elegant and small structures is in good hands. 63.02 and ‘Atelier for calligrapher’ are definite inspiration for anyone wanting to build a standout home with a small footprint. These Japanese houses have a small footprint both in the amount of land used, as well as in their overall impact upon the environment.
Thanks in part to the economy, the small home movement is receiving increasing attention in the media. For those who are a little less obsessed than I am about the small home movement, it’s growing increasingly difficult to keep tabs on everything that’s going on. So, beginning with this week, ComingUnmoored will begin offering a weekly index every Monday of recent tiny home coverage in the news. (I’m a little ahead of schedule with the first listing due to Twitter announcing this post before I had intended.)
There are also a growing number of wonderful writers covering tiny homes. Starting this Friday, we will also begin providing a weekly summary of blog entries on tiny home options. Stay tuned!
There seems to be growing interest in the small home movement to use steel or concrete pipes as the shell of a tiny home.
There is an interesting discussion on the subject that’s just begun on the Tiny House Forum.
Alex on the Tiny House forum is exploring the idea of using a T shaped section of corrugated pipe as the shell for a living space. I think the idea has some interesting potential and would fit right in to the modern architecture aesthetic. (Can’t you just see lovely round windows or a funky curved doorway at the end of each section?)
There also seems to be a lot of interest around Scotty’s vertical design on the Tiny House Forum using a concrete pipe.
As part of planning how to better use the available space in my tiny bathroom, I’ve been spending a lot of time looking at bathroom fixtures. Ikea has just come out with their new line of sinks and cabinets and there are a couple that I think would be of interest to people building or remodeling their own tiny homes.
I’m really excited about Ikea’s new LILLÅNGEN sinks and cabinets. I think they are very clever in their use of space including their inset soap dish and towel rack. The smallest model (featured in the picture below) is 15 3/5″ x 16″. I have a feeling that I’m going to be using the next largest size (23 5/8″ x 16″) in my own bathroom.
It looks like Ikea doesn’t have the smallest size of ÅNN sink available for purchase on their website, but keep an eye out because it should be appearing shortly. I think this would make a perfect sink in something like a Tumbleweed or Tortoiseshell tiny home bathroom.
The Lagan sink is 17 3/4 ” in diameter and comes with both sink strainer and stopper.
If you’re looking for a slightly larger stainless sink, the Boholmen is 18 7/8″ x 19 5/8″. There is no pre-drilled hole in the sink unit, giving you free choice in placing the faucet. (Which is great news if you wish to place it in the corner.)
I’m sure these are just a start in terms of what’s out there for do-it-yourself tiny home builders. Has anyone else out there found anything they’d like to recommend?
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A growing number of writers are beginning to cover the small home movement. This is fantastic news for people interested in the small home movement. However, keeping tabs on the wide range of tiny homes being covered could easily become a full-time occupation.
sturdy. The Maximo unit is 16 feet by 20 feet and has a price of about $32,000 dollars. The smaller Medio unit is 12 feet by 16 feet and cost about $20,000. Cabin Fever can also build larger units on request. The Metrocabin concept seems to offer a lot for the money and also has some nice modification options.
Moving up in size, you can also find 18″ models. Danby offers an 
GE has also begun offering 
historic homes. After Hurricane Katrina, founder Julie Martin felt it was time to head in another direction and begin building small, portable homes.
Bill Kastrinos at 
