Derek “DEEK” Diedricksen of RelaxShacks.com just released a new video episode on his $200 micro vacation cabin.
This is one of the two structures that were built at his 2011 micro building workshop .
It’s a very simple dwelling that’s easy to build.
$200 Micro Vacation Cabin or Backyard Kids Fort
It’s 4′ by 8′ with plastic corrugated roofing with ideas from Deek’s book Humble Homes, Simple Shacks.
The windows and door knobs are made out of recycled trash, like an old stove top for a window.
And a 5-gallon water jug that doubles as a window and storage.
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Last night I was excited to open an email from Kirsten Dirksen of Faircompanies.com .
She puts together some of my favorite videos that are on YouTube .
This week she did a video on my friend Derek “DEEK” Diedricksen of RelaxShacks.com .
Why Micro Houses
Derek calls himself a bizzar-chitect . He likes to create tiny architecture and he’s loved it ever since he was a kid.
He’s been building backyard forts throughout his life. When he was 14 years old he read Lester Walker’s book, Tiny Houses .
This made him realize that there are many people out there just like him.
The Tiny House Movement
To date, Deek has built dozens of tiny dwellings from sleeping huts to micro offices.
Meanwhile, the movement toward small spaces continues to gain steam as people realize the benefits of downsizing.
His backyard is filled with micro cabins, shelters, and shacks. Each completely unique.
Derek’s Micro Houses
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A winner has been selected for Deek ‘s Humble Homes, Simple Shacks
It was great reading all of your comments and suggestions.
So I made a video that tells it all. Including how I picked the winner.
You can watch it right here below. Don’t worry–we’ll have giveaways like this more often.
Thank you for participating and a big thanks to Derek over at RelaxShacks.com .
If you want to pre-order a copy of his new triple-caffeinated expanded edition you can get it at Amazon .
VIDEO
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In July 2011 Derek Diedricksen gave me a copy of one of his homemade books so that I can give it away to you guys.
When you’re done reading this post you’ll know exactly what to do to win this copy.
Handmade Copy of Humble Homes, Simple Shacks
Deek’s book has one of the longest titles I’ve ever seen. The full title reads: Humble Homes Simple Shacks Cozy Cottages Ramshackle Retreats Funky Forts and Whatever the Heck Else we Could Squeeze in Here!
This homemade edition of the book covers things like…
Basic bridge building
Redneck window construction
Rain barrels
Solar showers
And there’s so much more. All ideas and concepts are accompanied by illustrations from Deek.
How You Can Win this Signed Copy of Humble Homes
All you have to do to enter is the following. The more you do, the better your chances of winning the book.
Step 1
If you already haven’t, do the following:
Step 2
Important: Leave a comment on this post answering these three questions:
How did you originally find us? What do you like best about Tiny House Talk? What improvements do you think we should make?
Feel free to throw in whatever else comes to mind.
Video Explanation
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Join Derek “DEEK” Diedricksen of Relaxshacks.com on a video tour of 7 different treehouses .
Actually, they’re more of a variety of backyard sheds, forts, cabins and treehouses.
On his way back from installing a house he had built and designed, Deek made a stop at the Berkshire Botanical Gardens to shoot this video for us.
Seven Different Backyard Structures Designed from Local Architects
The park has seven structures which are all designed and built by architects in the local area.
It’s a place where you can have a picnic by the garden and enjoy architecture. The gardens are open from May through the middle of October.
3,000 Species of Plants
There are more than 3,000 species of plants in the park where they offer…
workshops
lectures
and special events
…all year-round to help educate people on preserving nature and gardening.
In addition, they run educational programs for school children.
Events at Berkshire Botanical Garden
Annual events include:
Plant Sale
Flower Show
Fete des Fleurs Garden Party
Harvest Festival (since 1934)
Holiday Fair
Image: anankkml / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Visit or Contact the Berkshire Botanical Garden
The park’s address, phone number, and link to where you can find more information is shown below.
5 West Stockbridge Roadhttp://berkshirebotanical.org
Deek’s Video Tour of Berkshire Botanical Garden
Length: 13:35
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This is the story of the Diedricksen brothers and their tiny cabin escape in Northern Vermont.
They originally bought the land in 2000, and have been working on the cabins for years.
Since they live in the city, this was an awesome and inexpensive escape for them to get away from the hustle and bustle of Boston.
The cabin gives them, their friends, and family a quiet getaway where they can enjoy nature, play music, and enjoy life.
They’ve been building and working on it since 2000 on weekends and whenever they’ve had extra time.
They used mostly no power tools to put everything together and there’s no running water on the property.
Brothers Derek and Dustin’s Tiny Cabin Escape in Northern Vermont
Images © RelaxShacksDOTcom/YouTube
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Deek’s been quite busy lately.
He’s been on the road with his tiny cabin (the box lady) which is
Portable
Made for trade shows
And doubles as a single sleeper
The Latest Adventures in Tiny Houses from Deek
What’s awesome is that he getting out there spreading the word to thousands of people about simple living, recycled construction, and tiny houses.
During a freedom rally he set his booth up at his cabin was seen by 40,000 in one day ! And this weekend he’ll be over in NYC with an even larger crowd.
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If you frequent Derek Diedricksen’s blog RelaxShax you might already know about our day over in Matlacha, Florida doing some tiny house hunting (trying to make it sound manly). We found plenty of funky structures that we’ll both be sharing with you, and we filmed some video too.
Look out for a video interview with Derek and me along with a separate episode of Matlacha on Tiny Yellow House.
Here’s what I got for you… Enjoy!
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Derek notified me that he and Peter King have been featured on NPR News this morning, great story and you can listen to it on audio .
The only thing tiny about the tiny house movement is the size of the houses themselves. There are a slew of websites devoted to the scene, and tiny house evangelists based in California and Vermont are busy traveling around North America helping people build these little homes.
“I’m just a freelance, insane guy working out of his backyard building stuff for people when the need arises,” says Derek Diedricksen, 33, a tiny house enthusiast who lives outside of Boston.
Read the rest and/or listen in audio on NPR
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