An Easter Island Small House/Cabin Compound (Chile)

Love these little cabins! They sleep up to six people, and were designed to meet the needs of the ever-growing tourism industry of Easter Island (yes, the place with the giant stone heads). Each of these dwellings can sleep up to six people, each has a bathroom, and they're built so as to take advantage of cross breezes and develop natural ventilation. Since Easter Island's trees are very limited, each of these cabins is prefabricated and built on the mainland (Chile), and then shipped to the island by boat to then be assembled. AATA Architects, deserve the credit for this one. Job well done!

-Derek "Deek" Diedricksen

Jennifer Francis' tiny house/cabin (for rent) in Austin, TX

 Austin, Texas is pretty darn awesome.
     Its known by many as "The Live Music Capitol Of The World", but it certainly also deserves some credit for its forward and free-thinking citizens, and their love for unusual, and tiny, architecture. While down there to teach a two day tiny house building workshop for the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, I was able to stay in two different tiny rentals/dwellings ("When in Rome..."), AND see a third. That third tiny house was a guest cabin built and outfitted by Jennifer Francis- one you can rent on airbnb.com for under $60!

The airbnb listing link... https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/658102

Jennifer is beyond friendly, a great host, and her cabin, while not fully complete, already exudes character. With its large columned front porch, its very reminiscent of the pioneer cabins of old. Her backyard is also very fun, funky, and private (she's at the end of a dead end street).

Here are some photos I snapped, and you'll soon see more (alongside the other cabins I saw, AND the workshop) over at www.TumbleweedHouses.com. 

 The interior wall siding? Fence Boards....

 

 

There is no bathroom (guests use the one in her main (also small) home), but she's working on that. Also, the opposite side of the tiny rental also has a mini loft (it wasn't finished, so I didn't photograph it).

Again, since its so new, check out our new facebook page/group over at www.facebook.com/tinyhousehub
 
-Derek "Deek" Diedricksen

New video- diy maple syrup buckets= small house homesteading

We'll have some more tiny house/cabin photos, news, and content next, but since this blog is about more, subject-wise, than strictly tiny houses (diy projects, salvage construction, funky art, n' thrift living too!), here's a lil' video I shot recently.....nothing fancy, but its a money saving idea for those of you who boil their own maple syrup.

-Derek "Deek" Diedricksen

WIN a full set of Jamaica Cottage Shop Cabin/Tiny House Plans

 JamaicaCottageShop.com This is their "Vermonter" Cabin....MORE BELOW....

 Plans, Shirt, Book.....Good Luck!

from TheJamaicaCottageShop.com

THIS CABIN....

    As promised, I have a full set of hard copy plans- and VERY detailed ones too, for the "Writer's Haven" cabin/tiny house that we recently posted on here. I'd like you give these away to one lucky winner, and to enter, simply hit up our new facebook page www.facebook.com/tinyhousehub, and in the appropriate thread, enter your recycled-construction thrift tip. The best one wins! (US shipping only- sorry, although if we get a non-US winner, I can email you some awesome plans from Dee Williams and Portland Alternative Dwellings for their Vardo (Gypsy Wagon-like mini dwelling)). We'll pick the winner after this weekend.

Oh yeah, I'll also toss in a really cool long sleeve shirt from the Jamaica Cottage Shop as well! AND Lloyd Kahn's MINI-BOOK version of "Tiny Homes, Simple Shelter"! Lloyd printed these in a limited run, so they're somewhat hard to come by.

Good Luck!!!

MORE photos from JamaicaCottageShop...

-Derek "Deek" Diedricksen
 

Salvaged Window Greenhouses, Cabins, n' Micro Structures...

Check out some of these great looking, and inventive structures, all which have utilized many discarded (recycled) windows in one way or another. We'll actually be doing a demo on re-glazing windows at our North Carolina (Wilmington) Tiny House Workshops as well- April 26th-28th.

          Above: I just LOVE how the builder kept the original paint and stain color on each window......

From re-store.org

Photo from Houzz.com

wordever.com

A greenhouse cabin I built with recycled windows (and some homemade) for a MA-based horror author

 If you're looking to recycle free windows into a tiny house, cabin, or greenhouse, here's a video I did a little ways back on the subject- something we cover in the workshops for The Tumbleweed Tiny House Company too....

-Derek "Deek" Diedricksen

Judy Harding's Tree House Cabin in Glacier, WA.....

A few quick announcements....
-Kent Griswold of TinyHouseBlog has a GREAT new website called TinyhouseNEWS....DO check it out!
-My new facebook page www.facebook.com/tinyhousehub now has over 2000 "likes"- thank you!
-Sorry for the delay, but I'll be giving away that full cabin plan set from JamaicaCottageShop.com real soon- keep checking back!

JUDY'S TREE HOUSE IN WASHINGTON STATE

I caught a glimpse of this incredible tree house cabin online a ways back and was able to contact its owner Judy, who was willing to share more information, and additional photos. Its located in Glacier, WA, and has quite the view, as you'll see below! I LOVE the large bay of windows in the front- its what attracted me to this cabin in the first place- heck, stick it on the ground, and it'd make for a great looking tiny house/micro home as well!

Here's what Judy had to say....

     My tree house was built on a whim.  I had grown up wanting three things: a swimming pool, a convertible and a tree house.  The first two were easy enough, but a tree house seemed impractical and unduly whimsical, so I put that on the back burner.

     One day, when I was talking to some friends in Glacier, WA. and mentioned wanting a tree house for my grandchildren (I was 65 by this time), someone told me of a local kid who had built a tree house out of recycled materials and was currently living in it.  Ben turned out to be a young fellow who lived close to the land, and didn't even own a car or telephone, but I eventually located him and started plans to make a modest little play house.  He teamed up with another local woodsman, Casey Coe, who had a truck and the proper tools, and they began what turned out to be a rather extravagant project, more of a temple for me than a play space for the kids! 

    I use my tree house as a place to meet privately with friends, to display local art, to offer overnight lodging for snowboarders, to pray and just to observe Glacier Creek, which flows below, and watch the deer, the eagles (and once a bear)!.  

    Over 300 people have come to see my tree house and signed my guest book, including the main builder from Pete Nelson's tree house workshop in Seattle, who gave his stamp of approval and took some notes to share with his team.

This is one of the tree houses (alongside cabins, tiny houses, kid's forts, yurts, and more) that I plan to feature in my next book- a VERY DIFFERENT follow-up to my book "Humble Homes, Simple Shacks". Kidcedar at Gmail.com if you have any photos, or builds, that you'd like to share!

Cabin or Chicken Coop? Made with Recycled Pallets

Another cool forklift pallet project: I came across this unique looking chicken coop and wanted to share it simply because with a few alterations (and actually not many of them) this structure could make for a very simple and affordable vacation cabin or tiny house.You could probably build a nice little getaway cabin in the woods like this one for well under $2000.00

So hokey, its cool/fun!

                                                      Photos from backyardchickens.com
                                                           -Derek "Deek" Diedricksen

Damn Clever! A Recycled Material Greenhouse/Cabin with Drawbridge Windows!

We've hit our 2000+ "likes" or member mark at www.facebook.com/tinyhousehub Thank You!

This is just incredibly clever, AND such a great looking greenhouse- one made from recycled and salvaged windows. Take this idea, apply it to a tiny house, cabin, or a seasonal vacation camp/dwelling, and its a home run- AND a money saver (if it works for your climate, of course). I especially love the multicolored windows! Just WOW.....
     These photos were taken at a semi-recent Seattle Flower and Garden Expo.....

This is the inventive and funky stuff I love finding- modern, meets rustic and recycled- lots of character!!!!

-Derek "Deek" Diedricksen

Thanks to photos from www.RockyHillStudio.com

Uh-oh! Deek's buyin' up lanterns n' funky art....NEW CABIN on the way?

Quick Announcements: Only TWO slots left at our Wilmington, NC HANDS-ON Tiny House Building Workshop- April 26th-28th..... Also, for those who missed the announcement, our NEW facebook page TINY HOUSE HUB is now up and running....www.facebook.com/tinyhousehub. Thanks! We have another AWESOME giveaway coming tonight or tomorrow too- so check back!

FUNKY ART in FUNKY SHACKS

Artwork by Keemo- probably soon to be seen in one of my NEW CABINS! 

   Yup, anytime I start hitting flea markets, yard sales, or buying funky art off local or underground artists, it usually means I'm starting to stock up on decor items for an impending new cabin project, and in this case, its beyond true, as I'm working on THREE cabin prototypes right now! 
     One is a collaborative effort, as I've previously mentioned, with DAVID STILES from NYC- his architectural work is FANTASTIC, as is his sketching (and books!), and I've designed a transforming A-frame Cabin (a damn affordable one) that he'll be drafting out full plans for. I can't wait to show you guys! The interior, and exterior will have a 60s/70s look to it, with a twist of bizarre-modern, so it'll certainly be unique! The design is inspired in a few ways, by the work of Lester Walker, and Jeff Milstein, if I had to pick two names in the tiny house and design field. 

Bear on a framed Birch Ply panel- high quality! by Keemo

 Thankfully, here in New England the snow is finally going away and its getting a little warmer so that I can get some work done, so soonish, you'll be seeing and reading more about these projects.

Anyway, in particular, I've REALLY been loving the artwork and paintings from this guy who goes by "Keemo"- his art is wildly fun and colorful, and damn reasonable too....

He's a cottage industry, diy guy, with a family to feed, so give him a look, or some support- www.KeemoGallery.com

I bought four REALLY cool pieces off him recently.....(the bear above is one of 'em)

Lantern above: This I found at a Barn/Weekend Flea Market in Douglas, MA- such a nice little New England town, and the flea market owners were VERY NICE!- all based in a GREAT looking, vaulted roof barn too- I'll be back! You can find more on them at...www.DouglasFleas.com (Bosma's Douglas Flea Market is the name). 

One of my in-the-works cabins- a reading/writing/napping art studio of sorts....video to come (when its done!)

Simple micro paintings on scrap wood that I recently did (in my home).

So UGLY that I LOVE it! A painting I picked up at a thrift shop a ways back....

Another cool/weird painting from KEEMO below....