Tuesday, December 27th, 2011:
Installed a few more custom-built shelves (1X8 pine and 3/4″ dry wall screws) to maximize available space.
We also were presented with a hand-made pine ladder built by a very skilled craftsman and Camp Ondessonk’s Executive Director, Dan King.
Finished all pieces with Tung Oil.
Thanks Dan! Your contribution to our home means the world to us…
Sunday, October 23rd, 2011:
With her hand-made curtains in place, Gabby has turned her attention to crocheting a throw rug for the Great Room. She has re-purposed some white cotton rags that were to be thrown out, washed them, and cut them into thin strips for incorporating into the oval rug. To keep with the earth-toned theme that is taking shape in the tiny house, she has colored the cotton strips with a natural black-walnut dye.
She enjoyed a short bike ride up the 2 mile Camp Ondessonk entrance road collecting some of the black walnuts that are falling to the ground this time of year. Once home, she placed them in a large pot of water and simmered them for an evening. Next, she let them soak in the water for three days. The resulting liquid made quick work of the strips of white cotton, turning them a rich and pleasant brown hue.
Friday, October 21st, 2011:
Continuing to take a good look at how to best maximize space in the ‘Great Room’. A few walls lent themselves well to shelving, so we’ve tried out our hand at shelf-making.
While shelving is a great way to take advantage of limited but usable space we do have one unique challenge to address: Cats.
To add another layer of ‘crazy’ to this adventure we’re not just fitting two people into this tiny space, but will be bringing along two very active and curious cats.
As cat owners know, shelves -and all items on them- are fair game. So, with an open mind and some strategy, we’ve installed a set of 1X8 pine shelves in a few intentional locations. These shelves, as with many features in the place, will have multiple uses: portions will hold baskets for storage, while other portions will serve as a cat-tree system to allow our small companions autonomous access to the sleeping loft as well as a nook in the storage loft that will house a hidden ‘blanket-nest’ for when they are feeling less social.
We’re still having a blast with this project! Getting closer and closer…
Thursday, October 6th, 2011:
A tour of the Great Room to date.
Next step: identify ways to maximize space with shelving.
Saturday, October 1st, 2011:
Wrapped up another one of those ‘small projects’ by completing the little storage cubbies wich form the armrests of our couch.
Each cubby stands 28 1/2″ tall, about 7″ wide, and 17″ deep. They consist of four small compartments ideal for shoe storage and as a home for other smallish things that will take well to some stuffing.
When utilizing the couch as a twin size bed, the cubbies will pull out and form the base of the ‘other half’ of the bed that hangs over the couch frame. It was fun designing for multi-use capabilities, one of the more enjoyable parts of this project…
Friday, September 30th, 2011:
Gabby made curtains! It is starting to look more and more like a home inside the Tiny House.
Fabric: 100% cotton, Keepsake Calico: beige/flowers.
Tuesday, September 27th, 2011:
The couch/storage ensamble is becoming a more welcoming place for spending time with friends and loved ones.
We’ve taken delivery of a twin-size Bella Sera Mattress Topper from The Natural Sleep Store and will be using it to form the seat and couch back. The topper consists of a 2″ thick core of firm natural latex rubber protected by an organic cotton and organic wool zippered cover.
This setup has made for a very comfortable space in the Great Room. When needed, the couch will also be able to transform into a twin size bed. Versatile and practical, we’re pleased with how this particular project has turned out.
Now to work out some form of a removable protective cover to keep that cotton/wool cover white for a while…
Monday, September 12th, 2011:
Spent a bit of time after work creating some of the storage solutions we have in mind for the tiny house.
These two particular pieces will have multiple functions as they’ll serve as storage space for shoes and such, armrests for the couch, as well as pull out to create supports for when we convert the couch into a twin size bed.
Each cubby measures 28″ high X 7 1/4″ wide X 17 1/4″ deep and were constructed out of pine 1X8s and 2″ screws. Next step will be to build in adjustable shelving, creating 3 or 4 compartments within each unit.
Sunday, September 11th, 2011:
Remembering…
Realized our visualization of the ‘Great Room’ desk and dining table this afternoon.
We wanted to create an area that was substantial enough for us to sit comfortably and work or share a meal, but would not eat up too much floor space or make the room feel smaller. One side of the desk is supported by a closet wall, the other by an angled brace. The brace gives the desk more of a ‘floating’ effect and does not intrude too much into the open feel of the Great Room.
The desk measures 48″ wide X 21 3/4″ deep X 29″ high and was constructed with 2X2 framing and 1X8 pine decking.
Huge Thanks to Robert and Hunter Coulson! It was great working with you guys today.
Friday, September 2nd, 2011:
Our vision for the ‘Great Room’ includes a bench seat/storage bin on one side and a built-in desk and shelves on the other. One half of that vision is now complete.
Some of the aspects we appreciate most about this project are the challenges to maximize limited space and to find multiple uses for things. One thing that really caught our eye when considering taking on this project was the similarities between living well in a tiny house and one of the general principles of backpacking: take only what is truly needed, and those things should have multiple uses.
Living simply -and intentionally- while on a backcountry trip is one of the aspects that makes such trips so gratifying. It was definitely a draw for us to be able to take this backcountry concept into the indoors…
With this in mind, we wanted to design our couch/bench seat to serve multiple purposes. It would need to be a very comfortable and inviting place to spend time, as it would be our only real sitting area inside. As well, the couch should serve as a storage solution as it is taking up so much of the limited real-estate in the Great Room. Lastly, we wanted it to be able to convert into a spare sleeping space.
We constructed the frame for the seating area out of 2X2′s and 2X6′s with 2 1/2″ screws. We dressed it with knotty pine, and decked it with 1/2″ plywood. Dimensions are 17 1/2″ high (at the seat) X 19 1/2″ deep X 75″ long. The back of the seating area rises another 19″ high. To determine how high to make the seat, we measured the hight of one of our existing kitchen chairs, and made it long and deep enough for a twin-sized mattress.
Thanks to Kyle and Emma Klues for helping us wrap up this project!
