“It is the best of humanity, I think, that goes out to walk. In happy hours all affairs may be wisely postponed for this. Dr. Johnson said, ‘Few men know how to take a walk,’ and it is pretty certain that Dr. Johnson was not one of those few. It is a fine art; there are degrees of proficiency, and we distinguish the professors from the apprentices. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good-humor, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence, and nothing too much. Good observers have the manners of trees and animals, and if they add words, it is only when words are better than silence. But a vain talker profanes the river and the forest, and is nothing like so good company as a dog.”
–Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Country Life,” 1857
What I wouldn’t give to chuck it all in today and just walk in the wilderness.
I say Vardo because that’s really what it is. You can sense that the presenter of this show isn’t too familiar with true rolling homes, caravans, vardos, or whatever you want to label them but his enthusiasm is real. I like this home a lot but there is too much gymnastic restructuring for my taste. I’m probably just lazy. I’m not knocking his aesthetic or design though; they are spot-on. Mr. Tagami fit a lot of useful ideas together to create a wonderful living space. Several of these innovations are being integrated into my future plans.
If you haven’t seen this yet, here’s a video detailing one of his creations and the happy owners who inhabit it.
The original link was sent to me by Chris Beneke. Thanks Chris.
TINY HOUSE JAPAN: Some serious innovation at work.
I do not read or speak Japanese so I’m at a loss over many details but the photos and videos exhibit a world of real innovation in design and construction. The builder, Haruhiko Tagami (製作担当 田上晴彦) has a spectacular web page highlighting some of his designs that are already giving me much food for thought for future constructions.
One of the first things that really caught my attention was the pop-up mollycroft which adds and enormous amount of light and circulation but folds flat for travel.
He has designs from the truly tiny (on par with my original design space-wise) to a very substantial house on wheels with pop-out rooms that are incredible works of engineering.
The smallest Baske-T.
Roll down canvas curtains block the large windows for the night.
One of the problems with covering the extended space is having roll-up roofs along the lines of an old roll-top desk.
This allows for the modest-sized trailer to become a spacious palace; a big advantage when sharing with others.
This more than triples the available living space and in some of the photos there is even a third room extended as well. This would suit a lot of people as a truly long-term living solution that could be pulled by a relatively small vehicle; not the enormous white aluminum fifth-wheel monsters that haunt the freeways.
Enjoy this small overview of the design and please check out more of his work by clicking the LINKS.
Many more photos of his work are available on his Instagram Page as well. There is much to explore for the budding builder so be prepared to take notes!
Someone recently shared this house with me and I’ve seen her (Ana White’s) work popping up all over the Internet lately. Ana White uses readily available materials to create some genius storage and living solutions for small homes. These could easily be applied in many other situations in order to make the most of any space. It rings well with me because it is all-purpose made to fit the space and needs of the occupant; not just an off-the-shelf one-size-fits-most approach. Here is a tour of her recent work and I suggest visiting her website for a load of other great ideas, including many plans.
The table versatility is particularly smart and functional. This would be handy in an office or bedroom as well. The video has a lot of good ideas for builders.
And finally, on her Brag Board, she has many other interesting projects to check out as well including a lot furniture ideas like this clever storage bed shown below.
Thanks to Ronel Silva for passing this on. It’s a good video showing the construction of a Pea Picker style of folding stool. I posted a page about their design I use several years ago. The video is in Spanish, but if you do not speak it, I think the visuals should give you plenty of guidance.
