Kris is a Tiny House Talk reader who was willing to share her gorgeous tiny home on a foundation in Alaska with us! It’s 500 square feet, and was built by a local contractor from a Sheldon Homes design (which, unfortunately, has gone out of business EDIT: We added layout sketches which you can see below). Kris owned the land the tiny sits on outright, and after a couple years of making payments on her home, now lives debt-free!
She moved from a city apartment with neighbors sharing her walls to her cozy home in the country with her own space where she can craft and garden. There’s even a stream that runs through her property and lulls her to sleep at night.
We got to ask her some questions about her tiny life, so be sure to read our Q&A with Kris at the end of the post!
Don’t miss other interesting tiny homes like this one – join our FREE Tiny House Newsletter for more!
Her 500 Sq. Ft. Tiny Foundation Home
Images via Kris Spencer
Her cozy living room with a bay window.
Images via Kris Spencer
Absolutely love those wooden cabinets.
Images via Kris Spencer
Her little bathroom with a flush toilet.
Images via Kris Spencer
She did her tile shower herself.
Images via Kris Spencer
Her entryway with stairs to the second floor.
Images via Kris Spencer
Extra storage space.
Images via Kris Spencer
Windows upstairs looking at the trees.
Images via Kris Spencer
Awesome woodworking details.
Images via Kris Spencer
And the lovely Kris!
Images via Kris Spencer
Images provided by Rev. Michael D. Inman
Images provided by Rev. Michael D. Inman
What are/is your name(s)?
Kristen Spencer
How many people (and animals) are living in your tiny house?
1 adult, 1 standard dachshund
Where do you live?
A few miles outside of Palmer, Alaska
How long have you lived tiny?
If you count my apartment, I’ve lived tiny most of my adult life. My tiny home, though, is 200 sq ft smaller than my apartment was. I’ve lived in my tiny home for 7 years.
What do you do for work? Or do you travel full-time?
I’m an artist and garden blogger. I work out of my home.
Why did you decide to go tiny? What are you hoping to get out of living tiny?
I’ve always loved the charm of tiny homes and the concept behind them. As a single person, I didn’t need a big home. I wanted something that was economical and energy efficient. Building a tiny home was also affordable.
How did you first learn about tiny life?
About 10 years ago while looking at small house plans, I ran across Tumbleweeds. And that was my connection to tiny homes. Only, I didn’t want anything on wheels. But, once I had that specific terminology, I began to research “tiny houses”. That’s where the vision began to really take shape. I watched You Tubes and began looking for tiny house plans.
How did you acquire your home?
I purchased a tiny house plan from Sheldon Designs (the ‘micro cottage’) and hired a contractor to build it.
Are you comfortable sharing how much it cost? Have you done any renovations?
Costs vary so widely and are not necessarily comparable. For instance, I already owned my property free and clear. But I had to install a well and septic. In Alaska, we build on a 2×6 frame. It’s a pretty sturdy little place. I went with a soy-based spray foam insulation. My best friend and her husband helped with some things, like exterior painting and trim work, and tiled the shower. I did the interior painting to save on labor. But I actually wanted to put some of my own sweat equity into it. It was the first time owning my own home.
My friend is the daughter of a superb carpenter. She helped me make some artsy modifications to the Sheldon plan to give it some interest. We added some extra windows, did an interior cut-out or two, and identified some wall cavities for built-in storage. *The large, triangle cut out is for a stain glass window. The plan had a full tub, but considering the 15 mile drive to the nearest laundry, we opted to turn the tub into a shower to make room for a stack w/d.
What are bills/utilities like compared to before?
At my apartment in the city, the landlord paid the heat because it was natural gas. Here in my rural valley, there is no gas line. I chose to heat with a Toyo oil stove. The price of heating oil is in line with gasoline prices. Like any home, heating costs are higher in winter, lower in summer. In my area it’s usually between $250-$300 for 100 gallons. But, my tiny home is pretty well insulated and in a typical year, I burn less than 300 gallons of oil per year.
Without a gas line, all my appliances and hot water heater are electric. I have in-floor heating which is really nice. However, it’s electric, so I don’t use it that much because it really draws a lot of power.
Before going tiny, what was life like?
I lived in a 700 sq ft 2-bedroom duplex apartment in the city, so I was used to living small. But apartment life means neighbors on the other side of the wall. Paying rent every month. Needing to ask permission to do practically anything. I wanted to garden and do some landscaping and it’s just not practical on someone else’s property.
Is there anything from your old life that you miss?
Honestly, there really isn’t anything I miss. The most dramatic change was the difference in lifestyle between the city and the country. Conveniences you take for granted. No 5 minute trip to the grocery store in the middle of the night for a Haagen Dazs craving or whatever. In the country, if you need a repairman, they charge extra for gas and travel time. And I don’t have trash service, so I have to take it myself to a transfer station, but its not too far from home.
What benefits are you experiencing after going tiny?
The biggest benefit hands down is that going tiny made home ownership possible. I built what I could afford. I paid off my home in a couple of years and I now live debt free!
My tiny home has all the nice features of an average-sized new construction home, just scaled down!
What about some challenges?
Learning how much Less really is More. You can’t enjoy your tiny home if you cram a bunch of stuff into it. Then, your space will feel and look larger. In my experience, if lives more comfortably being able to move easily throughout.
There were things I didn’t anticipate. It was harder than I thought to find a builder who would build a tiny home (in my state, anyway) and to get financing. The majority of lenders do not understand “tiny homes”.
Finding quality in smaller. Since this would be my year-round residence, I wanted attractive-looking, good quality appliances.
Same thing when it comes to furnishings. A lot of stuff made for a normal home doesn’t easily transfer over to a tiny house. While I have pretty amazing storage considering, the spaces are smaller. It really does force you to make hard choices if you don’t want a lot of clutter.
I’ve come to the conclusion that customized features are the way to go for better compatibility and duo-functions that are so incredibly helpful. I was unable to go that route, but I have some ideas I want to do in the future, now that I’ve lived in this space a while.
Finally, I thought I would have to clean LESS because it’s smaller. But you actually have to clean more because it’s smaller. A smaller space gets dirtier faster.
What makes your tiny home special?
I love the rustic style and the way it lives large. The vertical windows look out into the woods so the eye has someplace to go beyond a wall.
Part of the living “large” part is an upstairs loft with its own private space. I love having the bedroom on a different level. I have real steps (not a ladder) and the view at that height puts you right up there in the trees. I have a little stream that crosses my property on its western border. When I leave the bedroom window open just a bit, I can hear the rushing of the water. It’s very relaxing at night.
I especially love the bay window and custom craftsman-style features my friend helped me design. I love all the wood accents that make it feel warm and cozy.
The woodsy setting makes all the difference in the world. It’s peaceful and quiet. I’m a nature girl at heart, so for me, it’s thrilling to hear the hear owls and occasionally coyotes. I love seeing the stars at night. It feels like a never-ending camping trip!
What helpful advice would you give to others interested in going tiny?
Research a LOT! Watch some you tube videos and look at lots and lots of plans. While many tiny homes are on wheels, you can build one on a foundation, too, just like I did.
Related Stories:
- Tiny Home, Wild Adventures: Their DIY Timber Framed Tiny House in Northern CA
- Shotgun Tiny House on a Foundation by Willowbee Tiny Homes
- 200 Sq. Ft. Tiny House Cabin — No Wheels! For Sale
Our big thanks to Kris for sharing! 🙏
You can share this using the e-mail and social media re-share buttons below. Thanks!
If you enjoyed this you’ll LOVE our Free Daily Tiny House Newsletter with even more!
You can also join our Small House Newsletter!
Also, try our Tiny Houses For Sale Newsletter! Thank you!
More Like This: Tiny Houses | Cottages | Small Houses | Tiny House Builders
See The Latest: Go Back Home to See Our Latest Tiny Houses
Natalie C. McKee
Latest posts by Natalie C. McKee (see all)
- 93′ Toyota Camper Turned Cute Tiny Home - December 10, 2023
- 442 sq. ft. Single Level Tiny House Plans - December 10, 2023
- Couple’s Second DIY Van Conversion has a Lift Bed - December 9, 2023
I’ll assume the bedroom is upstairs, do you have storage there as well – I have a 400sq ft park model with a bedroom (queen) and closet/drawers built in as well as overhead and under bed storage is yours comparable? Do you have a coat/storage closet? I think the kitchen is wonderful as is the bathroom and wood used throughout – bravo!
Here’s the floor plan…
https://www.tinyhousedesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/sheldon-designs-small-cabin.gif
Great story Kris.. i had no idea you built a Tiny Home…next time you are at Thrifters in Palmer look for me and we can talk Tiny Houses!
Any way to see a sketch of the floor layout? I like the photos, I’d love to build one of these.
I found one when searching for images
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse3.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.WqJQ5PbXmX9ov5AVJxgXDQHaFP%26pid%3DApi&f=1
I hope it works for you.
It’s a shame the plans aren’t for sale anymore, I would have bought a set. If you happen upon a place where they are sold, let me know?
Thank you. I think I can draw up a set of plans for constructing it now. (I’m an old design draftsman) worked for many years with different architects and engineers. I appreciate this.
I have the floor plan drawn out so far, Still have to dimension it and add notes and call-outs. Too bad I can’t upload a copy of my plans when I finish.
The photo’s in this article do not match the plans in the email chains? i.e., the kitchen appears to be a short L with window above sink and to the right of the dishwasher vs. on plan with no window and no L? Frankly, the pictures look a lot more friendly. Also in the bathroom, the sink/toilet appears to be on opposite wall of the shower and stack W/D with the door in the middle vs. the plans?
This would be a great plan to do take offs on, switch out swing interior doors for raised panel wood pocket doors saving a TON of space. Window trim outs natural wood all around(where finished!) nice touch. Nice use of tile. Plan shows wood stove(?insert?), fireplace? Such a small space would easy peaky heat.
Is there any way “Mike” could consider mailing USPO plans he draws up? I’d gladly pay him!
Robert Riegler, email me at “n0klu at embarqmail dot com” and I will send you the pdf copies I have done.
Found ouit why these plans are no longer available…. https://www.novacremate.com/obituary/Andrew-Sheldon/Alexandria-VA/1736170
I used to get his newsletters, they were so cute. It would start off with “Andy here…..” I miss them & even though he is passed his designs live on & they are beautiful 😍
Thank you for the post too!
I like the tiny house idea. I’ve never thought of this before, but it’s a neat idea. Thanks for showing your tiny home.
I love this tiny home. Is classy, the kitchen, living room is perfect. Stairs is real nice. A lot of thought and love went into this tiny home. Bathroom is nice.
It’s absolutely beautiful! I love the design. It’s so much nicer than the current “railroad box car” styles we so much of these days.
Touché
Lovely place you have there Kris. Thanks for sharing. I grew up in Anchorage, (50s and 60s) and familiar with your area, even all the changes through visits over the years.
Anyway, I’ve been stateside for many years now and am settling into my own ‘tiny house’…284 sq. ft in Central KY. I too have been single for many years and moved here from a ‘small’, (750 sq. ft. ) apartment . I’ve now done three major downsizing and don’t miss any of what I’ve given or thrown away. Thank goodness for places to sell and donate.
I like what you’ve done with yours. Lovely kitchen , sitting area and bathroom. I’ve tried to find a balance between ‘homey’, ‘convenient’ but without ‘clutter’. It looks like you’ve found that balance. Again, thanks, janet
Hi, I’m interested buying my own land and building a tiny home on a foundation, but I understand it is nearly impossible to get building permits for this in most states. Besides Alaska, do you know of any states/towns that allow such a build? Thanks…
Kurt,
Many municipalities are changing their zoning…even here in Kentucky. Zoning for ADUs, (Accessory Dwelling Units) as you probably already know, is more common today. My son and wife looked for homes with a ‘mother in law’ apt….granny flat…tiny house etc., but nothing affordable was found. The two closest urban areas changed their zoning and so did our rural county. My small place is attached to a garage next to their house and is designed to be rent-able in case I decide to leave town or ‘kick the bucket’…or whatever comes first. The kids got a building permit and were able to access the money by refinancing their house. They used a contractor who’d never built anything smaller than a duplex but he was reasonable in cost and kept us up to date on being able to make other choices as he went…like changing the roof pitch on one side to allow some high transom windows and building a door into an area of dead space in the kitchen cabinetry…(‘dead space’ when living in a 284 sq. ft home…h*** no). Owning property in the area of AK that Kris built in is usually not under zoning regulations but for us down here in the ‘lower 48’ it’s something most of us have to deal with…good luck.
I build a tiny house on a foundation in Connecticut with a wonderful builder. I have a well and septic, and the house feels very spacious at just under 300sq ft.
Hi there! Love all things Tiny House related and currently live in one in Adirondacks NY.. Originally from Connecticut and couldn’t find land there to build my Tiny House.. whereabouts in Connecticut is your Tiny House and did you have to buy the land outright? Land was unheard of in Connecticut during my quest ..thank you for sharing!🙏
Betty I live in Connecticut and have wondered about building a tiny home in the Barkhamsted (Litchfield hills) . Where are you and are there any restrictions?
I had two tiny houses in Burnsville Nc. Land is very very cheap and beautiful!!! No one gave me any problems about putting up tiny homes. But I heard there’s a new guy now so I don’t know.
I absolutely adore her tiny home. I am not going to list what I like about it because we would be here all day. Basically I would love to be her.👍
It is so cute and I really like it even though I’m more of a small house person. Is there a stove in the kitchen? I would need a stove with oven cooking is what I do!
This is perfect for one and your pet!
Thank you so much for sharing and I would love to have a little bit bigger house to live in.
Congratulations! You have created a tiny house that doesn’t have the sometimes cramped feeling that many THOWs have. It looks very comfortable and most important, livable. I would have added a tiny wood stove, but that’s just me, I love heating with fire. I understand that the plans are copyrighted, but a quick sketch of the layout would help me visualize the space better.
Your tiny home is lovely, but I am really confused by it’s lay out. Could you please provide a sketch of the layout. Even totally basic would be tremendously helpful to orient myself. Thanks so much! Your home is charming,
What a delightfully sophisticated tiny home! It feels warm and has tons of character, things you don’t normally find in a lot of tiny homes. Thank you for sharing your home!
To Kris,
Another comment….I really like your place and the location brings back memories… I have a cousin in Wasilla/Palmer area who’s an artist and has her display at the Fair every year…I can’t help but wonder if you know each other.
Anyway…I’ve lived in my ‘tiny house’ long enough to feel akin to you… the ‘cleaning’..it seems like I’m cleaning all the time, but it goes so much faster. I have a couple of parakeets who have the run of my place and who shed dust and feathers. My handy little hand vacuum takes care of it all in a jiffy…so cleaning more often but only takes a minute or two.
I guess your Fall is winding up and ours is in full color…I’m sure you’re enjoying your views and the wildlife there.
Again..thanks for sharing your story.
Cozy and charming but did I miss a picture of the bedroom? I assume it is upstairs? If so. is the ceiling high enough to stand up in the room?
You’re a real inspiration… I do want my own tiny house. After living in a tiny cottage, all 312 sq ft of it, I know tiny is the way to go. Just need to find the right place to settle! Thanks for sharing your beautiful home.
I hope you find that perfect spot!
Would have loved to see a video of Ms.Stewards tiny home… it looks very interesting & I would like a lot more detail! Ty
Respectfully, Ms. Wynne Wigderson
I live in Florida have acreage in a small town but zoning has been a problem how do you get around the zoning laws if it’s in municipal area. Thanks
In most cases people just do things illegally like put a THOW on the land until someone complains. Otherwise, they complain to the authorities and try to get like-minded people to help them change the laws. Or, they see how small they can build legally, and then build that tiny, but to code.
This tiny house is so adorable! It has so many nice touches and personal effects. I love the stairwell “windows” and the entryway. The shower is pretty, too. Great job and enjoy your comfy cozy lovely home.
Beautifully done!🙏 Love the cozy feel and quaintness…I did the very same thing with my Tiny, getting land outright in Adirondacks and having Amish build my lifted Tiny House…also have an artesian well so I know the tranquility the sound of water brings to our lives! Thank you for sharing your Tiny 🏠.
Have we featured your tiny home, Tina?
Thank you for your reply. Never had been featured here and would just love to share with fellow Tiny Housers…here is a link to my video https://youtu.be/jgTdXjt0foM
my Tiny House page on my site
https://tinyindiewhimsy.com/30-2
Thanks Tina! I’ll check it out 🙂
Hi Tina! I love what I saw. Do you think you could send pictures to [email protected]? Of each room, preferably 🙂
This is a lovely home. We need more communities/cities, to allow small homes on foundations.
I completely agree.
I still would like a ballpark figure for the house, and the house only. I have property ,a well and septic paid for.
Thanks, Bonita
It would depend on the size and the area where your putting it and also what you do as for cabinets, sinks, toilet, shower and the rest of it. You can offset ALOT of the costs by buying used cabinets, sinks, toilets and bathtubs at a place like the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, or like I did and buy them at garage sales or going and talking to a construction company and having them save the old stuff they take out of houses they are updating. I got a full set of Kitchen Cabinets from the mid-late 60’s that is actual wood and not this MDF crap they are made from now for $35 at a garage sale, upper and lowers. I got a toilet for free that was sitting at the curb of a construction site, I got a 2 tub metal kitchen sink from my neighbors for free when they updated the kitchen, I got an old time bathroom sink for from a friend with took it out of a tool shed he was tearing down when he bought his house. With a coat of paint noone will EVER know nor care that they are “used”. The meaning “all in” or “ballpark figure” means different things to different people. they problem today is people want the “best of everything” new and that’s why they spend 150k to build. I’m looking at 2 “mobile offices” that they use for construction sites, the reason i’m using 2 is because they are dirt cheap, $1000-1500 dollars a piece, already have plumbing and electric run have and are already ready to go. One of the trailers will be living space and Kitchen and the other will be bedroom and bathroom with a little entrance way inbetween.
Has anyone ever gotten even “rough” plan for this home? How do you get to the ?room with the round window above the bathroom? I too would be interested in the bedroom ceiling height?
This is a lovely, charming tiny home. I love all of what I have seen of it. I also just love that it is set in the “woods” — seems to fit in perfectly as the outside views are wonderful. I moved a few times to smaller houses and love the freedom and joy of less cleaning! A smaller place does require keeping clutter OUT!
But, I have found I can clean quickly and easier than ever as there isn’t all that much to clean!!!
Kris Spencer, on the way out-side chance, would you still have a copy of the plans to your tiny house? As they are no longer available on the market and the copyright holder is deceased with no one holding the rights to these house designs. I have the original plans to the #CT1612 cottage (on page 16 of the catalog) but it ended up too big for my wife and I now that the kids have all grown up and flown the nest with families of their own. I would love to build the #CT103 here in Missouri.
I’d be interested as well. However, if the copyright holder had heirs then they have the rights, for 70 years after his death (at least this is the case for books). I don’t want to infringe on any intellectual property rights, but I’d love to know how this house is put together.
This is just lovely. I’d like to see more photos of the details, and maybe a video. She’s right about smaller spaces needing to be cleaned more often. I live in a tiny apartment, and it needs to be dusted about every day. Even with good air filters.
I now have some simple floor plans, but don’t know where to send them to… Give me the authors address and I’ll send them to her to add to this post.
I have attempted to email “Mike” in the hopes of getting a copy of whatever plans he’s drawn up but the listed email address does not work and is returned as undeliverable.????? I am attempting to build this in Northern Vermont and a foundation is a “must have”. The upstairs bedroom on this design is still a mystery………
Any additional photos from anyone deeply appreciated. I am attempting to avoid a traditional septic system as that alone in Vermont is a $35,000 plus expense. Thanks to anyone in advance who can reply!
Humm, my email: [email protected] should work, make sure the second letter is a “zero” not an “o”.
I have sent an email to that address…….Hope springs eternal! It goes without saying that whatever take off’s I do I will share here with anyone who is interested. Thanks in advance Mike.
Try [email protected] There again it is a zero not an o
I am hoping Mike still is looking at this chain. for some insane reason my emails keep getting “undeliverable” back. Mike~~~~my non business email……[email protected]….. Maybe you could email me and I could reply? I’m still looking to build this in northern Vt. this summer…..foundation and all but I need some sort of “plans”! Have to go with a composting toilet, etc. as septic designs/approvals in Vt. are REALLY expensive!
I will share photo’s, plans, changes, thoughts as I get there……and I will get there.
Sent to you what I have so far.
How much is it?
Your Cottage is adorbs. I luv luv luv it. One question, as a woman do you feel safe living outside of town in a tiny home? It looks like it would be easy to break into.
I bought this plan (and one other) from Andy Sheldon about two years before he sadly passed away. I also loved getting his updates and was hoping to build this wee cottage on our property as a guest / summer house. I really like the way Kris has had the kitchen modified from the small galley in the original plan, and the rearranged bathroom is also more functional. I still can’t quite picture were the kitchen is relative to the original plan. I think it’s over in the far corner next to the bay window and the fire place has of course been eliminated. But if anyone can shed light I would love to look at that modification. It looks like the stair are a bit less steep in Kris’ plan versus the original as well. All-in-all it’s quite inspirational and I love that the Sheldon Microcottage design is still being used. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to add to the small list of them that have been published on the internet.