Tiny Houses

Hello, friends!  I'm still here.  I was just taking a little break.  I was virtually computerless for a week, but also I didn't feel like I had anything to say.  I guess, just like in my real life, I needed some alone time.  Can I just say how liberating it is to me that I'm no longer trying to run my blog as a business?

So, did you catch Design Star this week?  I thought this was a really fun challenge, one of the best on the show ever (speaking about the challenge concept, not necessarily the designers' results).  Each of the remaining three designers had to completely outfit and decorate a tiny house.

Not just a run-of-the-mill small house, but a Tumbleweed Tiny House.  These little houses are meant to be part of the simple, green living movement.  Some of them are mobile and can be pulled by a truck.  The larger ones (still under 1000 sq ft) are to be built on a foundation.

The show used the Beavan model, which the website says is 99 sq ft.

The inside started out as a plain box.

Inside, the designers had to include a kitchen, bathroom and closet, and spaces for eating, lounging, and sleeping.  

Meg put the closet and bathroom on either side of the door, to create a sense of entry, and to leave the rest of the house wide open.  I thought that was a wise move.  All three put the mattress in a loft over the door, as you can see in Meg's house below (although I think Meg's loft is quite a bit smaller than the other two).

A word about the bathrooms:  as you can see there isn't room for anything in there other than a toilet.  They didn't mention it on the show, but the website says that in the smaller houses, the bathroom is the shower; it's called a "wet bath".  Essentially, it's like having a toilet in your shower stall.

Mark and Karl both put the closet and/or bathroom in the middle of the room, dividing it up in to different spaces.  It did give it a cozy look, but at 99 sq ft, I'm not sure it needed more coziness.

In the end, Mark was sent home, mainly because of his paint and leather belt "argyle" treatment on the walls.

Design Star aside, what do you think of the Tiny House movement?  I think they're super cute and might make a fun weekend cottage, but no way would I want to live in one full-time.  As a matter of fact, if I'm ever so fortunate as to own a cottage, I would like it to be big enough for my kids and (future) grandkids to all gather together.

There is something sweet and idyllic about them.

The Zinn, 99 sq ft

The Gifford, 99 sq ft

The Epu, 89 sq ft

The Whidbey, 461-557 sq ft

Model photos from Tumbleweed Tiny House Company website.