Most tiny house builders have simplicity in mind but few take it to the lengths that Jenine Alexander did when she built her 128 square foot home in 2009. Using Craigslist to gather building materials, Jenine built a beautiful, cozy home for less than $3,500!

After three years of traveling on her bike, Jenine dreamed of having a place to call her own. To avoid sky-high real estate and land prices, she rolled up her sleeves and got online. Jenine built herself a cozy home with very little impact on her wallet or the environment by using determination, creativity, and a Craigslist account.

Yup, Craigslist. Other than screws, hinges and other fasteners, all materials she found free or cheap, used or salvaged, primarily through Craigslist.

Unable to find used plywood for sale, Jenine built her house frame out of fir she salvaged from an old chicken coop. Quaint double-pane windows, found used, let California sunlight stream into her charming home. Refrigerator insulation, salvaged via Craigslist, keeps the house warm. The beams in the house’s ceiling she picked up from a man who, once he heard about the project, offered her flooring as well.

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The story of how she built her tiny house for only $3,500 (seriously)

Jenine enthuses about waking up in a house she’s built with her own two hands.

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If I told you that working in your backyard office will be a big trend in the future, would you agree?

Thanks to the Internet the idea is becoming real for more people than ever. The 45 second commute… Doesn’t that sound appealing?

Backyard Offices for the Information Age

The idea of converting a shed into a workspace or studio isn’t all that new. People have been doing it for decades and possibly even centuries.

But it’s certainly growing in popularity right now as writers, artists, consultants, programmers, web designers and other professionals are realizing they can be their own boss and build a sustainable business for themselves from anywhere in the world.

A Modern Writer’s Shed

I would absolutely love to have a modern writer’s shed to work out of so today I want to introduce you to a company called 3rd Space. They specialize in creating inspiring backyard office spaces for their clients.

The structures are modular so you can add on to your shed later and enjoy the most flexibility. The use of timber, Birch plywood and full-height glazed panels offers an unbelievable feeling while inside.

Outside you’re greeted by Red Cedar cladding which is durable and beautiful. Fortunately with 3rdSpace you can customize, configure, extend and relocate your structure with ease because it’s all part of the modular design.

 

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Photos Courtesy of 3rdSpace

If you like this, I encourage you to look at the rest of the pictures and details: [continue reading…]

I don’t know about you, but when I first saw a tiny house on a trailer it gave me hope for my dreams.

So today I wanted to introduce you to Molly, Zack, and Neil. They’ve built their own tiny house and used it so they can chase the best spots to pro ski! That’s living the dream for them.

What’s your version of living the dream?

Tiny Houses so you can Live your Dreams

Life is short. That’s why I’m encouraged when I see people who are truly pursuing what they want out of life. We have scarce, precious time to pursue our passion. So what’s yours?

What is it that you’ve always wanted to do but have put off for whatever reasons? I bring this up because there’s nothing like the energy from someone who is enthusiastic about what he or she is doing. Don’t you think?

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“Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It is about learning how to dance in the rain.”

Photo Courtesy of Neil Provo [continue reading…]

I had to show you this tiny house on the beach…

The little home has three levels. When you walk into the first it’s an open porch with a hammock to relax on.

It’s a tiny stick-built structure with an upstairs balcony which is one of my favorite features.

Living the Dream in a Tiny House on the Beach

On the top level is where you can probably set up your own sleeping loft. If you look at the photo carefully you might notice that they left it open for the sea breeze to blow through.

Via Pinterest

I don’t know about you, but living here would be a dream come true for me. [continue reading…]

I ran into four awesome small space bedrooms that I just had to share with you tiny house/small space enthusiasts.

Three of the rooms are from small houses and apartments and one of them is in a tiny house, you’ll see..

These Small Space Bedrooms Sleep up to Four People

My question is… Do you think it would be comfortable to raise up to four kids in a 2-bedroom home if they’re all under the ages of.. let’s say, 13?

Before your mind takes you anywhere else… take a look at the bedrooms below. I think it’s totally doable with bedroom systems like this.

Do you remember that show Home Improvement? The kids in that show had a pretty cool shared bedroom if I remember correctly.

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Photo Courtesy of Houzz

If you like that, I encourage you to look at the rest: [continue reading…]

The Tetra-Shed is a modern backyard structure designed to be used as an office or studio.

At first glance, when it’s all closed up, you might not recognize what the heck it is.

Designed by architect David Ajasa-Adekunle, the Tetra-Shed can be combined with other units.

Modular Backyard Office Studio: The Tetra-Shed

In the photos below you’ll get to see an illustration of how these units can come together.

Since the Tetra-Shed opens up it can be used for a variety of purposes like a tiny retail store, guest quarters, playhouse and more.

It first started to be offered in the United Kingdom in January 2012.

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I ran into this time-lapse video on the construction of a geodesic dome greenhouse and thought I’d show you.

It took the owner approximately four hours to put together and you get to see it being done in a couple of minutes.

Geodesic Dome Greenhouse

The windows that you see on it are hinged and covered with polythene along with a flashing strip on the top edges.

If you’re new to geo-domes, they were invented/popularized by R. Buckminster Fuller in the 1940s. One of my favorite authors, Lloyd Kahn, has covered them too.

These efficient structures can be used for living, working or gardening, but do they have too many drawbacks to be practical?

Photo Courtesy of Pauly1060/YouTube

If you like geo-domes, I encourage you to: [continue reading…]

This week I wanted to show you Dan Louche’s latest tiny house plans. He calls this design Tiny Living.

It’s a 20′ long house that includes enough room for a bathroom, sleeping loft, kitchen and plenty of room for your belongings.

Tiny House Plans: Tiny Living by Dan Louche

The entryway on the house is on the rear end of the trailer and as you can tell it does not have a built-in porch.

Since a patio or deck is something you can easily add later, I appreciate how Dan left the porch out to maximize the interior living space.

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Tiny Living House Plans from Dan Louche

Photo Courtesy of Dan Louche

Ways to get your own Tiny House on a Trailer

If you’re here, you probably see a tiny house in your future. Either for you, or one of your loved ones. So how do you go about getting one?

Here are four ways you can start:

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