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Double-THOW Tiny Home in Austin, Texas


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This is a 380 sq. ft. double-THOW tiny home in Austin, Texas designed by Kim Lewis. What makes it unique, is that it consists of two tiny houses on wheels which is why I like to call it a ‘Double-THOW’ tiny home.

The two units are combined with a shared deck. Have you ever thought of doing that? I love this idea because you can start with one tiny house, and add another one later if you needed to. This tiny home was featured on season 3 episode 4 of Tiny House Nation. It’s called “400 Sq. Ft. Wine Tasting House.”

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380 Sq. Ft. ‘Double-THOW’ Tiny Home with Adjoining Deck in Austin, Texas

Double THOW Tiny Home in Austin

Images © Molly Winters

So one of the tiny house units acts as the living area and kitchen…

Double THOW Tiny Home in Austin

While the other tiny home acts as the bed and bath…

Double THOW Tiny Home in Austin

Having the two tiny houses allows for this super-nice, spacious bath.

Double THOW Tiny Home in Austin

Elevated closet with washer and dryer, this is built over the hitch of a fifth wheel (gooseneck trailer).

Double THOW Tiny Home in Austin

Using the deck to combine the two tiny houses on wheels and making it feel like one.

Double THOW Tiny Home in Austin

Pretty incredible, isn’t it? And at any point, they can decide to take them on the road!

Double THOW Tiny Home in Austin

Images © Molly Winters

VIDEO: 380-sq.-ft. Cottage Built Using Two Tiny Houses on Wheels + Deck

Mid-Century meets Marfa style. Small, but mighty this 380sf home packs a colorful punch. Built on two gooseneck trailers, the home features built-in hammocks, a removable deck, screened-in porch using Parasoleil copper panels and a custom kitchen island.

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Alex

Alex is a contributor and editor for TinyHouseTalk.com and the always free Tiny House Newsletter. He has a passion for exploring and sharing tiny homes (from yurts and RVs to tiny cabins and cottages) and inspiring simple living stories. We invite you to send in your story and tiny home photos too so we can re-share and inspire others towards a simple life too. Thank you!
{ 52 comments… add one }
  • jerry d
    June 27, 2016, 2:41 pm

    Not really as why waste all the money on trailers under them? If they need to be moved then a trailer or flat bed tow truck can.
    Also 8′ wide is very limiting, 10′-12′ 2ide are so much more flexible and no problem towing with a simple cheap permit.
    The idea though is old, build a starting unit then add another as needed. And with 2 you can get a bonus space by enclosing a
    space between them.
    I’m just finishing such a unit now to do just that if the buyer wants.

    • Mike
      July 10, 2016, 9:04 pm

      Let’s see the unit

      • jerry d
        July 30, 2016, 8:35 pm

        The units are just modules of 12×12 or 10×16 finished as customer wants.
        I personally like the 10×16′ with kitchen, bath at one end and open to do whatever one wants.
        They can be joined together to make larger units or compound like I’m building now, a 4 unit one.
        I’ll put pics up when it is done as they will ge for sale. freedomev at yahoo

    • Troy
      July 24, 2016, 12:10 pm

      Mike
      Do you have pictures??!!! Information about lay out?? Videos??
      This is my ultimate dream and plan to have a double tiny home on wheels!! We have discussed options and this is the way!
      We are in the early planning stage of saving, downsizing and want to travel the country. Having that freedom will be awesome. Plus keeping our money!!
      Thanks

    • David
      August 18, 2016, 12:30 pm

      Seriously, you can’t see how building on trailers gets past the very real and major limitation of what building codes will permit to be used as housing? If its not a trailer, they literally have the right to hold you in contempt and possibly even destroy the structure you built. The legal environment for housing has its limits.

      • jerryd
        August 18, 2016, 1:01 pm

        Yes I do but many ways to skin that cat.
        Including putting it on top of a flat bed trailer which is legal anywhere it is legal to park a flat bed trailer which is most everywhere.
        And not a thing code can say about it.
        And far more places than a thows can.
        I just see no need to waste a trailer for 10, 20 yrs and it’s limitations, costs.

        • David Ihnen
          August 18, 2016, 1:22 pm

          You’re piddling over an unimportant cost. Used trailer frames are about as valuable as scrap iron and in plentiful supply, so you save no money nor opportunity by not using them. And even brand new tiny house frames are a fraction the cost of buying the materials to build a tiny house.

          And as for limitations, you quite literally cannot legally enter a public roadway with a vehicle greater than 8’6″ in width without special movement permits attached – the road laws have that much to say.

          I see no reason to make moving my small house when necessary so painful as having to literally jack and/or crane it up onto a flat bed trailer – something which cannot be done on short notice due to the equipment required to do so. And needing wide load movement permits and permissions and all the fees and forms required to finangle that.

          Unless you left the house on the trailer, in which case you’re back to spending a trailer on supporting the house, which you were apparently objecting to in the first place.

          When a trailer costs 1/10th the cost of the house anyway, it ceases to be a meaningful cost against the inconvenience and legal ramifications of having a house that cannot be moved on the roads easily and is excessively difficult to get situated so that it actually CAN move down the roads.

        • jerryd
          August 18, 2016, 2:17 pm

          First my 10×16 th cost just $1500 in all new first quality materials so $1200 for a ratty old trailer is a lot.
          Mine is on an old mobile home trailer frame legally and easily moved with a flat bed wrecker without it.
          And who is going to build a th on an old rotten one?
          A wide load permit costs $12/yr, hardly a high cost.
          If I really wanted a thows I’d make the house the trailer and attach an axle and trailer hitch instead of buying a trailer to build on.
          It takes my 15 minutes to put my th on a trailer. 5 minutes if using a flat bed wrecker.
          Kind of kills your points below David. Come back when you can think of some that actually matter instead of made up problems.

      • brian
        September 15, 2016, 3:54 pm

        I think David is probably right here. I was thinking about buying a 11′ x 33′ trailer but upon reading the building codes on the property that I already own, I could only place a travel trailer on that property, for up to 90 days. The definition of travel trailer is no wider than 8 feet. Beyond 90 days and I’d have to get a building permit as the travel trailer would be considered an accessory building. The rules for my construction trailer, and likely any building that would be 10-12′ wide would be the same as the rules that apply to any mobile home. In my case that would mean it wasn’t allowed.
        It could be a very costly disappointment if someone were to build or buy any structure that couldn’t (at least) be classified as a RV. There’s some great information about this very subject here: http://thetinylife.com/tiny-house-building-codes but the bottom line is that, like just about everything in life, you should know what you are getting yourself into before you buy or build. It’s easy to make generalizations about what could or should be, but the code books say what IS, and that varies, often wildly, from place to place. If your neighbors don’t like what you’re doing, they’ll be the first to see if you are violating codes, and report the violations to the governing authority that will force you to get rid of your awesome little shanty.

  • Penny L.
    June 27, 2016, 5:08 pm

    Love this style ( I call it twofer tiny ) my first build was in this style, using my 30 foot RV for kitchen, bathroom & shower , bedroom. Another 24 ft trailer was added for my living room & art studio, I cut in a patio in the center leaving a tree for shade from the California sun.
    I moved to Ohio & am breaking ground on a 28 ft Throw combo with a lofted on skid foundation Tiny House. I will be able to pull away the primary functional parts to take on road trips.

    (Beware construction trailer are WIDE loads $$)

    Looking for materials and helpers to help with the build also,
    My zip code is 45121, I am on a 30 acres Fram if you need to park your Thow while helping build.
    Contact me on Face Book – Penny L. lowe
    Thanks

    • Mike
      July 10, 2016, 9:01 pm

      Really ? Post photos of the one you built in this configuration were all are courouis to see how it turned out.

  • Carol Perry
    June 27, 2016, 6:27 pm

    Your home is just beautiful!! Love the colorful stairs and the huge deck, the plants give it a welcoming invitation. Love the copper panels under your deck and throughout your home!! I love everything about your home. You have awesome taste and it’s beautifully done!! Thanks for sharing!! Carol???

  • Connie
    June 27, 2016, 6:39 pm

    Love the copper looking panels. Where did they buy them?

  • kevin
    June 28, 2016, 6:48 am

    its very nice to look at, but I keep wondering why people say they want to go tiny and then build these places that really aren’t tiny.
    it’s a nice place, but why so expansive?

    • Elaine
      July 21, 2016, 3:18 pm

      Kevin – For goodness sake – There is nothing anywhere that says a person must choose between 2 complete opposite extremes! I think your average home for a middle class homeowner/household is about 2000sq ft. That’s purely a guess. And downsizing to a whopping 380 sq ft home is still a very significant reduction. I want to live tiny but I want a home with a relatively large open space where I can sprawl out and exercise or spread out my crafts or have room for my nieces and nephews to crash on the floor when they visit. I won’t live in a THOW – they’re way too narrow for me. I’m a nanny for a family living in 4,500 sq ft. For them, downsizing to 1000 sq ft would be huge. They never would. They won’t even recycle :/ But I’m just sayin, it’s all relative.

    • two crows
      July 24, 2016, 12:54 pm

      380 sq ft is “expansive.” Who knew?

      Jfwiw, this couple owns a winery [across the street from their new home.] They entertain clients regularly and their home is set up to allow that to happen – primarily on the deck though they may need to take it indoors in inclement weather.

      Lifestyles need to be taken into account. There’s not a competition going on to see who can live in the smallest space.

  • Debi
    June 29, 2016, 6:29 pm

    Do you know where they purchased the sliding decorative doors on the outside if the bathroom?

    • two crows
      July 24, 2016, 12:59 pm

      Iirc, they bought them while traveling in Spain. They brought them to the build site and asked Zach [of Tiny House Nation] if they could be incorporated. As you can see, he was successful. Beautiful, aren’t they?

      • Debi
        July 24, 2016, 3:16 pm

        Yes! Those copper panels are beautful & so nicely integrated throughout. Thanks for letting me know.

  • Lynnette
    June 30, 2016, 1:26 am

    Was a favorite show. Truly a gorgeous home.

  • Shirley
    June 30, 2016, 6:46 pm

    I love this because I am disabled and no loft. It I beautiful and fits my needs. However concerned about cost. Originally when tiny homes were built, it was to help young people getting started, retired folks trying to live on lower income or folks like me. But many of the tiny homes are very costly. I understand cost of materials, etc, but still not affordable for those that first wanted to go TINY. Could you give an estimate on this house? Thank you!

    • Elaine
      July 21, 2016, 3:23 pm

      Shirley – I agree. My desire to go tiny has totally dissipated. Because it has become so trendy the costs have gone up. It defeats the main purpose of going tiny for me.

      • sc
        May 3, 2017, 11:59 am

        You are just making excuses.. There is nothing stopping you from from building a cheap house. People are still building their houses with recycled materials for 10,15, 20k. It’s disingenuous to compare diy houses to homes built by professionals.

  • Paul Hauser
    July 3, 2016, 4:58 am

    Happy 4rth Option Nation! Looking for an, {oxymoron}, largish tiny house. This space seems cool. Anyone out there have experience with these folks? Any other positive alternate live in success stories with pop out, slider models or just dope floor plans? Just trying to beat the grind in LA without an abundance o sq feet. Peace and safe travels all………

  • april hunter
    July 17, 2016, 3:17 pm

    This is awesome AND unique. LOVE that there’s no loft. Not only would I hate a ladder to wee in the middle of the night, but it would be impossible for my dog and she wouldn’t be thrilled about being left downstairs. More home ideas without bedrooms in lofts, please!

    • Kathi Kopacz
      September 15, 2016, 7:10 pm

      Hi April, Good “tiny house without loft in Washington, DC,” to see a tiny house that is pretty nice but still tiny. The young man who owns it didn’t want a loft because he “likes to drink” (LOL), which is as good a reason as any. I am older and just liked the design. There is a video tour of the design.

      • Kathi Kopacz
        September 15, 2016, 7:11 pm

        Sorry, I meant “Google”! LOL

  • Marcus
    July 17, 2016, 3:36 pm

    Yup, one for bedroom/bathroom the other kitchen and living room. makes the transition to tiny living a lot easier. Plus I love having guest and friends over, a tiny house would be too impractical this way you can still have company over.

  • M
    July 19, 2016, 1:52 pm

    I have indeed thought of putting two together, that way I don’t have to make my bed. 🙂 Also thought of creating a van home that is the living/kitchen space with a smaller trailer towed behind as the bedroom.

  • Ronnie
    July 24, 2016, 7:02 pm

    I don’t understand why you would do this? For the price of the two of them you could build a small cottage bigger than both together.

    • Donna
      August 12, 2016, 10:18 am

      Perhaps they want it to be movable in case they decide to try a new location.

  • ZACHARY E. MOHRMANN
    July 25, 2016, 10:40 am

    Awesome…! I love everything, it reminds me of some of my younger days down on the beach…. Listening to my friends jamin, some mahi on the grill with some shrimp.. Kids fishing off the dock… Yea I can see kickin back with some cold brews on that deck…! Very nice…! Very, very nice….!

  • ROSEE
    July 30, 2016, 1:50 pm

    What a lovely place! Love the sliding exotic doors to the bathroom, as well around the porch. Nice work!

  • July 30, 2016, 4:26 pm

    This solution draws me, fascinates me, because it is totally Unconventional, out of the ordinary, but at the same time is
    Style: see the outsider drink area with stools, as inside the
    contrasting colors in harmony, sliding doors and thir location,
    is beautiful shower sliding doors. Everything is in the light,
    and as everything that stands uncommon is Originality, Like

  • Keith Falkner
    July 30, 2016, 10:32 pm

    I like the idea of having two light towable units that unite to make one home. This concept enables one to have, for example, a 300 square-foot home that can be towed in two trips with a 6-cylinder vehicle, and not require an expensive V-8 truck.
    A company devoted to this concept could make a common core unit of 150 square feet holding a kitchen, bathroom, and a minimum loft for sleeping, a functional home for one person or very cozy quarters for two. A range of add-on units could provide a living space for a small family, or an office for a small business, or a bunkhouse for a team of scientists or emergency workers, or a studio for an artist or artisan, etc.
    I think the openings in the two units should be the full height and width of the units, so that only one furnace or A/C would be needed. These large openings could be sealed for travel with slabs that serve as outdoor decks when the units are coupled together.

  • jm
    July 31, 2016, 7:52 am

    Monks spend all their time meditating. I don’t. I need pets for companionship, my bikes for bikeriding–skis for sking–cameras and printers for photography–art on the wall…and so on. Sure, get rid of the crap. But I still need the things that I have found (over a lifetime of trial), give me pleasure in this life. And for THAT, I need some space. And does anyone really like crawling up a ladder to a space where you can’t stand or sit up? And throw half the Kuma Sutra away…

  • Rev
    July 31, 2016, 9:44 pm

    “Oh.” “Her.” “God.” Seven times!

    I have no problem with an actress portraying a stoner Rasta chick.

    I have no problem with wardrobe setting her character in bleached blond dreadlocks.

    I have no problem with an actress reading her lines as written in the script.

    But, good grief, could her character be any more infantile. Is this the new standard from Hollywood?

  • Kani Poly
    July 31, 2016, 10:22 pm

    So lovely house. I love the rainbow staircase!

  • tami
    August 19, 2016, 1:09 am

    Looking for a tiny house builder, in Ohio or surrounding?

  • melissa martin
    August 20, 2016, 7:34 pm

    Never have been big on stairs, but now that I am 68, one level is more of a necessity. Plus the fact that an able bodied future is not guaranteed. Plus the fact that I have disabled friends Now. Accessible, small ,esthetically pleasing housing is going to be in great demand if it isn’t already. And why can’t bathrooms have a drain in the middle or to one side with a shower head on the wall for roll in ease? so simple and so practical..

  • Linda
    August 23, 2016, 4:35 pm

    Hello. I’m in Austin, TX and am just beginning my long journey (I’m currently the full time caregiver for my elderly parents and live with them) towards building my dream tiny home. I am wondering though if I can build it on a wider trailer than what I’ve seen which appears to be 8’5 or 10′. I was hoping to build on 12′ or even 14′ because I’d prefer wider and, if necessary go shorter. Is that possible and still something I could tow myself? My other thought was to build on a standard trailer and do fold out extensions on both sides to extend the width of the interior and fold up/lock down when moving (I won’t be traveling more than 20-30 miles and only if I decided to move to a new location in the greater Austin metro). I’d be grateful for thoughts and advice from those of you with experience and knowledge. Thanks!

  • anne stansell
    October 27, 2016, 3:07 pm

    This particular house has been featured many times. I personally don’t feel it addresses the issues that usually prompt people to build a tiny house in the first place. To begin with it is two houses not one, and all the extra’s would signifigantly raise the price. Most young couple’s or retired people would want to reduce their cost, not increase it. Is it for sale or rent, does Tiny House newsletter get paid for re-running it? Just trying to figure this out.

  • Janet
    October 27, 2016, 3:34 pm

    This is a great idea! People do the same thing with Sheds and Shipping Containers. They are inexpensive and can be put together any way you want. Your imagination allows you to go wild. Put these on a slab, hook into grid and you’re good to go. Tiny House Builders have become EXPENSIVE, but sheds and containers are still affordable. People must do what they can to keep Tiny Housing affordable.

  • Ronnie Hulse
    October 27, 2016, 4:01 pm

    Eventually I can see the possibility of a tiny house in my future. But my reasons are hardly ever mentioned on these web sites, I am trying to avoid, legally paying property taxes on an expensive home. Bare land taxes I could handle that and trailer license for a few years, then get a non op permit from my state, ca. My retirement income does not compare to my working days so I will not be able to pay excessive property taxes, we all live in an over taxed world and have to try to support ourselves

  • russell
    October 27, 2016, 4:25 pm

    I got 5 TH so far that make a big box. Did not spend a 10% of what it cost them to do theirs.

  • Emily
    December 9, 2016, 8:29 pm

    The first thing that grabbed me was the stairs. Love the colors.
    I’m seeing a lot of people commenting on the cost, the trailer, not being tiny because of 2 houses, etc… but really, what it comes down to is what do you want, (or the person that is going to live in it).

    This is unique and unusual. Ultimately moveable (with a little work) and to that end, gives me a sense of freedom. Knowing that I can take up my house and move to another location. I may never do that, but I could.

    It might not be everyone’s style, but I’d certainly live in it given the chance.

  • Cosy
    December 22, 2016, 2:25 am

    This could easily be made with storage containers. They have become my favorite base because of the freedom to choose how they are placed.

  • Chelsea R
    March 16, 2017, 5:51 am

    I’ve had a layout idea that is similar to this but with the bathroom behind a walk in closet so your not pooping 4 feet from your bed. Love this design. Brilliant to put the laundry wash in the closet. Tiny houses need to be something you can grow into and as much as a loft seems romantic and fun climbing down a ladder to pee or trying to carry a glass of water up there at night must get old quick.

  • Diane
    May 20, 2019, 6:59 pm

    Hi Alex,

    Do you have any idea how they managed the plumbing and utilities for this home? I watched the Tiny House Nation episode about the build yesterday and it looked as if they were parked on a grassy bit of field, with no hookups for water or electrical. The show seemed to say the build took place in just ten days. How did they handle electrical and fresh water?

    The toilet looks like a normal flush toilet. How did they handle the black and grey water disposal?

    Thanks in advance for any info.

  • Mary
    October 21, 2021, 7:26 am

    how much was the cost of the 400 Sq. Ft. Wine Tasting House?

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