Bunkhouse
Although he doesn’t think he’ll always live in the tiny houe, Lisefski thinks it will be a part of his life for a long time, and he will never regret building it. “Maybe someday it will be a guesthouse or my office,” he says. “I’m really glad I had the experience of building it. Just a few generations ago, most people built their own houses. It’s a great skill to have.” Next: See more tiny homes
The kitchen, at the back of the home, provides the greatest spatial challenges. “The main challenge is having two people in the kitchen making two different kinds of food. That can be hard in a normal house but is even harder with such little space,” Lisefski says. “That and having so little floor space can be difficult at times. Anjali has to schedule yoga time when I am out of the house, so she can fold down the table and move the chairs to make enough floor space.” When constructing the house, Lisefski carefully measured the appliances they had to have, such as the Vitamix blender on the counter.
Two other built-in tables serve as a dining room table (foreground) and a desk for Lisefski. “We watch television and movies on the computer or prop an iPad on the tabletop,” he says.
A panel folds down from the wall to make a standing desk for Krystofiak.
The built-in sofa has storage underneath, and this is where the couple keeps all of their files and items they don’t use every day. “In truth, we have more storage than we need,” says Lisefski. “We have empty spaces on our shelves.”
Lisefski found that a lot of windows (10 in all, mostly facing south to take advantage of solar gain) are key to eliminating claustrophobia. Getting out of the house also helps. As he writes on his website, The Tiny Project: “Inhabiting such a small space forces me to live in a simpler, more organized and efficient way. I’m forced to spend more time outdoors, in nature and engaging with my community.” The highly textured and colored wood paneling is Beetle Kill Blue Stain Pine, which is Ponderosa pine that has been cut and milled after it died from insect infestation. Wood: Sustainable Lumber Company
The house’s exterior is covered in cedar planks and metal panels that are also used on the roof. “I wanted something modern,” Lisefski says. “Cladding the exterior with two different materials makes for a different look.” Because the house is on wheels, Lisefski says it is considered more of an RV and is not subject to building codes. Instead it’s regulated by the Department of Transportation; it had to be no wider than 8½ feet and no taller than 13½ feet. He estimates it cost him $30,000 to build.
Horwitz and Olson hung an old twin bed frame they found on the property above their bed in the cabin. The frame serves as a sort of canopy when draped with sheets, scarves and linens.
The newlyweds didn't have much of a budget for this project. Luckily, they came across an old barn slated for demolition on Olson's family property. They took down the barn themselves, saving almost all of the wood, studs, nails and roofing. Their careful demolition allowed them to spend very little on the project — just about $500 for additional reclaimed windows and other building materials.
Horwitz and Olson, shown here, built their glass house on family land that holds several other buildings, including a main farmhouse, which Olson's great-grandfather built.
The homeowners wanted an old-world Victorian aesthetic for the interior. They gave the wood a light wash to help give the new redwood structural elements the same tone as the aged redwood. Contrasting corrugated steel wraps around the interior walls in an updated take on wainscoting. Mirror: Joss & Main
AFTER: The team drew inspiration for the exterior from birdhouses, especially those that are round or octagonal with lots of detailed trim. Smeenk added gingerbread scrollwork trim to match the aesthetic of the main house. The original red exterior paint was left untouched. Picket planters, settee: Joss & Main
The concrete pad was in already in place. There was a pipe coming out of the tank right where they wanted the door to be, so they rotated the whole thing about 3 to 4 feet around so they could both cut the door and keep the pipe. They removed the solar panels on the roof and the nearby water tank structure.
This fantastic home office was designed in Austin, Texas, built offsite, shipped in parts and assembled in five days. The entire process took six weeks and resulted in a stunning 96-square-foot backyard space. The designer charred the sides in shou-sugi-ban style for its interesting look, but the exterior finish process also makes the structure resistant to fire, rot and pests. See more: Ecofriendly Home-Office Shed in Austin
This little grain shed behind an Ohio farmhouse was the perfect size and shape for a backyard getaway. The owners moved it to a better location with clear countryside views, then refinished and decorated it with era-appropriate antiques. Colorful accents and an awesome antique Quick Meal stove give it even more character; now the little shed is comfortable and cozy enough for an afternoon nap. See more: A Backyard Getaway Emerges From a Grain Shed
Imagine waking up in the morning, fresh air coming filtering through on all sides, the sun rising over an ocean view and whales breaching on the horizon. That's the vision this designer had in mind for this hideaway on the California coast. Salvaged redwood bark siding and a native living roof allow it to blend with its surroundings, while hinged sides and a retractable glass door open for natural ventilation and a view on almost every side. See more: Great Escape: A Tiny, Off-the-Grid Hideout in the California Woods
The solid top, bottom and ends of the Bunkie are made from insulated sandwich panels mounted to structural plywood ribs. The panels are ribs that are prefabricated offsite; the 15 pieces can then be connected onsite with nuts and bolts — with the glass and furniture, the Bunkie can be assembled in two days. More: Microunits Are Coming to NYC: See the Winning Design Browse the Houzz Small Homes section
The opposite wall is where the oh-so-important Murphy bed can be found.
The extra space created through the chimney-like extension is hardly wasted. The ceiling bows up in the middle to carve more space in the 106-square-foot room, and storage can be tucked up into the sides from the shelving below. Here we can get a good idea of how the perpendicular ends in the room are fitted out with flexible furniture — in this case open and closed storage, folding chairs that can be hung off the shelving, and a fireplace.
Of the three prefab, gable dwellings presented here, the Bunkie is unique in how it the ends of the structure are treated. Rather than being predominantly solid, the ends are fully glazed. They also feature a chimney-like bump that accentuates the relationship of the structure to a diagram that says "home."
The Bunkie 106 square feet The team of Evan Bare and Nathan Buhler, with Jim Moore and Jorge Torres, developed the Bunkie as a prefabricated, multifunctional space that is just smaller than the square footage that requires a building permit in Canada. They envisioned the spaces being used as auxiliary buildings for the country's ubiquitous cottages. As with many small dwellings, the interior is as much furniture as architecture. In the case of the Bunkie, this is not surprising, given Bare's background in industrial design and Buhler's background in crafting furniture.
Red on exteriors. Red has a long history as an exterior color. Think of red barns, red doors and red temples. A bright, clear red trim can look splendid against weathered wood siding or shingles, or make a bold statement on a white house. To go with red as an allover exterior color, try a slightly dulled, warm cranberry; it tends to be more pleasing to the eye than a too-bright red.
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