Another update from Kent Griswold’s website, The Tiny House Blog. This is arguably the cutest house in America, built by Ella Jenkins at the the Little Yellow Door website. Just over a year ago she made the big move into a small space and seems to be doing better than ever.
Ella is a posterchild for tiny house living and it shows in her wonderful house and minimalist life.
It appears to be made of upcycled parts and wood and is said to be made on a refurbished trailer. Found on Tiny House Swoon. It’s a kindred spirit for sure.
Deek has featured another fine home with some great photos. I particularly like this set as the house doesn’t appear to be “staged” but is actually lived in.
I can’t wait to see more as promised.
See the rest of the photos HERE or just cruise the rest of the Relaxshacks site if you have some serious time on your hands.
The Bay Area Maker Faire was bigger and more interesting than I thought possible. I have rarely been so busy in my life as the eighteen or so hours I stood and talked about the Vardo. There were many interesting and interested people who thoroughly examined every aspect of the wagon. As it was built on a whim and shoestring budget, I’m not proud of every inch of my workmanship. I never thought it would be displayed for public scrutiny but it was received with great enthusiasm. When I dove into this project I thought it likely that it would be looked at as some crazy art project but it seems there is a core of like minds who long for a micro traveling home with a certain amount of style and aesthetic.
Spiffed Up.
Knowing that loads of people would be poking around in the wagon meant a bit of cleaning and spiffing up was in order. Most of the interior received a fresh coat of varnish and most personal things were stowed away. It was sad that I couldn’t actually stay in the wagon as it was on display but the grant helped cover the cost of a nearby hotel.
Our Station.
Location, location, location. The obvious place for a low tech micro home is between the underwater robotics and the universal charging station. The Faire is so chaotic, I don’t think it really mattered but I think our setup would have been more at home in the Homegrown Village area. As it was, the Vardo was an interesting Low Tech display amidst all the electronics. There was generally a line of five to ten people all day, both days to file in and around the Vardo, hear my explanation and ask loads of questions.
How It Came to Pass. Thanks ESURANCE.
The nifty sign created for the display. They said it, it must be true.
Packed Up and Absorbing the Eclipse.
Closed up, ready to hitch to the truck I noticed all the eclipse shadows filtered through the leaves onto the Vardo. What timing.
I have loads of photos I’ll put up shortly when I make some sense of them. All in all, if you are a MAKER OF THINGS or even just a dreamer, the Maker Faire is worth a visit.
Here are a couple new Vardos found in the Arizona desert this February.
Jack’s wagon, nearly complete inside. I helped him build the main structure in my driveway last summer and he has been trimming it out ever since. It essentially the same design as mine (with a few logical improvements) and lengthened by two feet.
The portholes were purchased from a ship salvage company and add a cool nautical look. This one is ten feet long (3 m) and feels very spacious inside.
Paul’s wagon is a beauty but I suspect weighs quite a bit. The tandem trailer alone might outweigh my little rig. This one is 14 feet (4.25 m) long and could host a small dance party inside.
The color scheme and interesting details really make this one stand out in the crowd.
I received an advance copy of Tiny Homes: Simple Shelter when I went to my post office box today. I have been thumbing through it all all evening, looking at the photos and pondering the meaning of Shelter.
Maybe the tides of change are subtle in the beginning. But I never thought I would be part of a movement when I began to sketch out plans for a tiny, mobile shelter for myself almost ten years ago. I am honored to be included amongst these great constructions in Lloyd Khan’s newest book about Tiny Homes. I am awed and inspired by so many great approaches to scaling back from the obnoxious sprawling but soulless houses of the last few decades.
The photos are beautiful and the layout is very well thought out. Like all the Shelter Publications, it will become an important and classic work to those of us outside the mainstream. Tiny Houses my be the flavor of the month to the media at the moment but will always be important to real people in need of real shelter.
And to keep up-to-date on interesting architecture, skateboarding, good music, and a host of other interesting topics, check in to Lloyd’s Blog from time-to-time.
Ella is a posterchild for tiny house living and it shows in her wonderful house and minimalist life.
So, if you love tiny homes and have a few minutes, check out her update on the Tiny House Blog. If you missed the earlier post with short video, check it out here. And finally, her own blog, telling a bit about her journey can be found here.
Preindustrial Craftsmanship 