Girl Power! The cool fort/shack/tiny house of Tyler Rodgers

'Love this little shack- and not just because of the letter that came with it....

    When people write me, and better-yet, show me photos of work they've done that was inspired by my blog, builds, and/or my "Humble Homes, Simple Shacks" design book, its just more than I could ask for, and makes me incredibly happy/thrilled. The whole point of that book was to get others to just get out there and start DOING and BUILDING, and I keep getting letters from readers that support the fact that it is, in fact, working, inspiring others, and well, getting them off their asses. Well, Tyler Rodgers, has been doing anything but sitting around. I've posted the letter she sent me, which goes on to describe her little recycled-material cabin.

Dear Derek "Deek" Diedricksen,

         I'm 16, and I am just starting to put the finishing touches on my first tiny house. I'm really happy with it, and just wanted to say thanks for all the inspiration that your blog has provided throughout the whole process. The whole thing is about 90% salvaged materials. All of the wood except the 2x4 framing and plywood roof piece came from a dock that was being torn down in one of my friends' neighborhoods. That was where I got really lucky. So much free lumber! I bought each of the two windows from the Habitat for Humanity store for $5.

         I based my design on kind of an enlarged version of your "Hickshaw" design, but really wanted to build in the spirit of the "Gypsy Junker", in terms of spending as little money as possible. Really, I can't say enough on how much your blog has helped. It helped me realize that building a tiny house is totally doable and relatively inexpensive if you are willing to search for free materials.

      Building the house was great, but I also just love hanging out in it. I feel like a bunch of people believe that these kinds of structures will make them claustrophobic, but my house is now one of my favorite places to relax. After reading your post about hammocks, I bought one and hung it up, and now I can sit in it for hours and read or nap. I angled the house so that the windows would frame the view of the tidal creek next to it. I also just finished putting in a skylight, which allows in some additional light and can be opened in the Summer for more ventilation.

      Now I'm looking forward to caulking up all of the spaces between the boards, just to make the whole structure a little bit more water-tight. I am probably also going to add more shelves, and might paint the outside, although the unpainted look has really grown on me. Again, your blog was a tremendous help.

                                  Thanks, Tyler

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