Wednesday, April 23, 2014

All the Fuzzy Details

I’ve always been a visual person.  I’ve always had a knack for being able to easily see what my project will be, when I’m done, before I even start.  I am also an optimist at heart so the “it’s gonna’ be awesome!” thoughts running through my head, during the course of a project, certainly don’t hurt my chances of success.   If you could step inside see the picture of my Tiny House in my head, however, you’ll notice there are still some somewhat fuzzy details.  These fuzzy details do not necessarily detract from the overall appeal of my teeny, tiny, house in my head.  They do, however, require some additional consideration before they become a clear part of the overall design scheme.

Ah yes, “the fuzzies”….
those details that sometimes get us tripped up, frustrated, and downright unmotivated.

My floor plan.  (today, anyways)

For me, the biggest fuzzy of all is the roofline of my tiny house.  I waiver back and forth, sometimes numerous times a day, on the final roofline and its implications.  I do like the shed style roof (a very gradual and simple slope from one long side, to the other) and it lends a LOT of head room.  It seems like it would be simple to frame, and roof, and generally be low maintenance.  Architecturally, it lends a very modern feel to the house.   The shallow pitch style roof (a traditional “A” line roof style with very shallow slopes emanating from the center) is also appealing and I like it’s more traditional look.  I wonder, however, how it will affect the ladder or stairs location to the lofts and I don’t want a ladder in the middle of my living area.  I REALLY like the traditional “A” line roof style with dormers but they look complicated to frame (read: expensive and heavy) and I’m not sure they’re worth it given that the end result would be the same as the shallow pitch or shed style rooflines.

See!?  I’ve got this great house in my head, with a fuzzy roofline.

Then, there’s the stairs.  I know I don’t want a ladder….or, rather, a ladder in the purest sense of the word anyways.  (two handle rails with numerous shallow rungs)  There are so many designs to choose from!  If I were to deepen the rungs, notch them so they allow for knee movement, and decrease the angle of the climb so they’re easier to ascend, that might be OK.  But that still leaves a ladder in the room.  If I construct a light weight ladder that I can swing to the side when not in use, that would require it to be more vertical.  (read: harder to climb when I do need it)  I LOVE the idea of stairs but they can be complicated to build and I have to wonder...how many steps do I need?  How deep should they be?  Rise and Run?  Straight on design, or with a turn-the-corner configuration? And what about the storage underneath? Doors or cubbies?
 
Aaahhhhh!!!!

Notched Ladder

And what about that bathroom sink? Do I need one? I currently have the bathroom, sketched into one end of my house, with the kitchen on the other end.   The door is in the center of the 8 foot wide by 3 foot deep room with the shower on one side and the composting toilet on the other.  In the center on the front exterior wall, is the window.  Or is it?  If I put a sink there, it would really need a mirror over it.  If there’s a window there (thus allowing a full length view, with the bathroom door open, from one end of the house to the other) then I cannot put a mirror there.  Do I need a mirror?  Do I need a sink?  While I am not “high maintenance” in the girly-girl kind of way, I do wear a bit of makeup most days and enjoy dressing up.  Where will I store my then tiny collection bathroom essentials if not behind the mirror?  How about the towels?  No problem.  Hang them on the wall or the back of the door.  Toilet paper?  Easy.  Stack them on corner shelves behind the toilet.  But the sink / mirror combo?  Fuzzy.  Just plain fuzzy.

Here's another bathroom storage option.

If you remember nothing else about me and my fuzzies, remember this:
Allow yourself to move forward with your Tiny House dream,
even if all the details are not yet in place.

If you have more stuff than will fit in your smaller space, make a goal to downsize, even if slowly.  If you don’t have a vehicle to move your house when you need to, assume that most people don’t, figure that you’ll have to rent or borrow or hire a company to move it for you…and move on with your dream!  If you’re not sure if you want white bead board walls, or wood slats, or sheetrock; cross that bridge when you get to it!  (just make sure to budget for the most expensive option, then you’ll have covered your worst-case-scenario…expense wise.)

Despite all of the less-than-crystal-clear solutions to my tiny house problems, My Empty Nest is still my happy place.  It’s that spot in my brain that provides me with both an intellectual and spatial challenge as well as a solace from the everyday stress in my life.  So if you’re wondering how I have all this time to ponder these quandaries, I really don’t.  What I do have is small moments, here and there, as I drive to work, as I take a break from work, as I run or walk, or before I drift off to sleep; to solve these little aching details.


People often comment on how I am able to fit so many projects and activities into that same sized day that they have.  I am, after all, a super busy single mom of two teenaged kids with a big house and I work a more-than-full-time job.  So, how do I do it?  I do it by taking small steps, every day, in the direction of my dream.  Someday, I’ll get there, even if only one tiny, fuzzy, step at a time…


Friday, April 4, 2014

My Friend Betsy

My Tiny House journey started long, long ago.  I don’t remember exactly when I saw my first Tiny House or when I officially decided one would be mine.  But what I can tell you is that this whole crazy idea of actually building my own, and living in it; came about as a result of my somewhat newfound I-am-woman-hear-me-roar confidence after having rehabilitated a vintage canned ham in 2012. 
Her name is Betsy.  She was “born” in 1963 and traveled the West Coast from Arizona to Alaska until 1967 when she came to rest in Washington.  It was there I found her, under a tarp, on the corner of my boyfriend’s parent’s lakefront property. 
“What’s that?  Under that tarp?” I asked. 
“It’s my parent’s old trailer.  They never used it though. Do you want it?" 
“Sure!”  I exclaimed. 
“No. You don’t.”

And thus began my little trailer’s journey from forgotten little metal storage shed, to beloved Glamper. 
My first problem was that, after sitting for over 40 years, her wheels and tires were in no shape to move her.  Thanks to the local Les Schwab (I cannot say enough awesome stuff about those guys!) they showed up with their mobile compressor and filled her tires with just enough pressure to then tow her to their shop only a few blocks away.  There, they assessed her axle and  bearings, and determined she would be roadworthy with only a few minor repairs to the frame (which they didn’t charge me for) as well as new tires, wheels, bearings, and a spare.


Next, in order to tow her to my home in Oregon I would need a tow vehicle and brake lights.  Luckily, my boyfriend was kind enough to lend me his truck. So I hired a guy off of craigslist to wire up the brake lights to a new RV plug that would fit his truck’s receptacle.  It was the best $100 I ever spent! 
Once in Oregon, the dismantling process began.  I was amazed, several months later when I was STILL in demolition mode.  One of her rear panels was rotten, so I hired a guy to replace it.  Her upholstered seats were torn and stained so I hired another guy to re-cover them.  She also needed a new paint job so I once again sought the expertise of a pro.  But all the rest of the rehab, I did myself.  (and it was at this point that my expenses started to taper off, significantly.  Yay!)

She had already been painted on the inside so my first big task was sanding, and priming, and sanding and priming, and sanding and priming, every surface inside.  This also included removing the cabinet doors, and drawers, and light fixtures, and the sink……the list was endless.   For months, my living room looked like a travel trailer had literally BLOWN UP inside my house.  Throughout the process, there was the unending decisions to “keep, and refurb; or discard”. 
Light fixtures?  Keep the glass, replace the base. 
Flooring? Replace with reclaimed, mixed species, barn wood.  (It was a somewhat controversial decision, given the unconventional nature of wood flooring in a vintage trailer; but the wood was free from a friend and only required “processing” via a planer, table saw, and chop saw… so in it went.)
Icebox?  Well, long story short, I kept the existing one but not after a few tries at replacing it. 


Cabinet doors?  Keep and sand, and prime, and sand, and prime, and sand, and paint.  (X 10) 
Sink?  Replace with a tiny, stainless, one from a local reclaimed store. 
Countertops?  Oh, they HAD to go.  Butcherblock from IKEA to the rescue!!  (which I also used for a new table top as well)
Stovetop?  Keep but send to the powder coating guy for a new shiny coat of silver.
Upper cabinets?  Rehab.  (this was NOT a fun project given the curved sides.  And since nothing is level or plumb in a vintage trailer it took SEVERAL tries to get it right)


It took a little over a year but now she’s the prettiest little trailer you’ve ever seen!  She still needs an awning and her propane still needs to be hooked up but she’s dry, and lovely, and comfortable; and we love her.
How did she get her name? 
Besty was named after Betsy Ross.  The upholstery guy had some deep red upholstery left over from another project.  (Read: FREE!)  I took that fabric swatch to the paint store, and married it to a vintage Americana theme.  Finding unique red, white, and blue (ish) décor items has been (and continues to be) fun, and really easy.  I actually have to stop myself from buying more!

Nowadays you can see her, out and about, behind her color matched sister….my late model Chrysler convertible.   We get a lot of looks, and smiles, and waves, and thumbs up, and we love it!  We now have a whole new set of fun loving friends and “sisters” who love to Glamp (Glamorous + Camp) as much as we do.
You can read more about Betsy’s adventures on her blog: decidewheretogo.blogspot.com
And she even has her own facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/TheTrailerProject

Thursday, April 3, 2014

How to Decorate The (Your!) Tiny House


There’s an old saying (a warning really) about “not putting the cart before the horse”.  And while this is perfectly sound advice, it is advice that I find myself NOT taking; more often than I care to admit.  

And, here I go again.
The very first book I purchased about Tiny Houses was “How to Decorate The Tiny House” by Andrew Odom.  Since I am a very visual person, I really don’t need four walls in front of me to begin the process of deciding what to hang on them.  Besides, as further justification, the book was super easy to download and a quick read.  It provides lots of storage ideas and……oh wait…..I’m getting ahead of myself….again.


Tiny House planning is a long, somewhat complicated process.  It’s not like buying or building a “normal” house where you find or design in a space for everything you own, as well as all the stuff you hope to own for the next 15+ years that you’ll presumably live there.  In fact, it’s exactly the opposite.  You start by deciding ONLY what you ABSOLUTELY need, then designing a space that will accommodate you and your now-significantly-smaller-pile-of-stuff; and not one square foot more.  It requires making tough decisions about the people, and possessions, and puppies you plan to have in your life.  (To have or not to have?  That is the question!)
But, all of that thinking and planning is the tough part!  And since I don’t want to get discouraged before I even start, sometimes I enjoy distracting myself from the tough part by gazing, longingly, at the fun part….
…the decorating!!!!
If you’re looking for a bit of distraction from your Tiny House build (or any other mundane project, completely outside the Tiny House World) then I highly recommend Andrew’s book.  Or, perhaps more appropriately, if you’re looking for décor ideas for your Tiny House that has already been completed; then I REALLY recommend his book.  In a nutshell, it’s a little bit of eye candy for the Tiny House Soul.

The best part of this “décor” book is that he doesn’t even try to portray himself as an interior designer.  (What?  A décor book written by a non-interior design professional?  Gasp! )  He’s just a practical guy with some good ideas, and good friends with equally good ideas; for how to decorate a tiny space. 

I was so inspired by this idea, I already bought these magnetic containers!

First off, there are lots of pictures taken from a variety of settings, not just Tiny Houses.  I guess I expected that.  But what I didn’t expect was his keen emphasis on color and how it influences our mood and behaviors.  Yeah.  I know.  Who’d thunk?
The book is only 46 pages so for the instantaneous-gratification-nut in you, it’s perfect.  He has pulled together advice from other tiny space experts like Deek Diedricksen as well as featured high end ideas (read: expensive) alongside IKEA inspired storage solutions. 
Love vintage?  He’s got you covered.
On a budget?  He has ideas for how to re-purpose things you already have.
Are you a minimalist?  He’s got a place for everything! (and shows everything in its place!)
So, in a nutshell, buy Andrew’s book.  He’s a nice guy.  It’s a great book.  You can find it on his website tinyrevolution.us; under the heading of “Store”.  (ie…where you buy stuff, not where you put it.) 

Did I mention that his book costs less than a Venti’ Frappuccino?

It won’t decorate your house for you, but may inspire you with some great ideas to do it yourself. 
And, if not, I have an expensive Interior Design friend I can introduce you to….