Tiny House Living

Tiny House Living is a weekly newsletter that covers the world of tiny houses and the people that choose to live this simpler life. Each entry is a short summary that links to the original article. Subscribe by Email to Tiny House Living and stay up-to-date on the news and events in our community. You can also Follow us on Twitter.

For other recent tiny house and simple living news also see:

• Tiny House RoundUp on Coming Unmoored (Friday, July 24, 2009)
• Simple Living News on RowdyKittens (Monday, July 27, 2009)

Read Tiny House Living Issue 17

I’m pretty sure the big bad wolf would love to come across a piggy living in this paper house; but at a cost of only $5,000 I bet that piggy could build anther pretty easily. This is a 400 squre foot house that is made from recycled cardboard and weights a total of 1,700 pounds. It was created by Gerd Niemoeller. Read more about the Paper House.

The latest issue of Tiny House Journal focuses on the appeal of tiny homes. I usually contribute to the Small Living Journal but got too caught up with another project. But I did actually write a short article a while back that explains  why I’m so taken by tiny houses, in case you were curious.

Here’s a excerpt from the introduction from Issue 10 of Small Living Journal:

I guess it shouldn’t come as any surprise that members of the Small Home Movement are nonconformists. If they weren’t, odds are they wouldn’t be so attracted to an idea so radically outside the norms of mainstream America. Starting with Thoreau and his $28.12 and 1/2 cent house, small housers have all marched to the beat of their own highly-individualistic drummer.

Even knowing that, however, it still catches me off-guard to discover how different the motivations and exact solutions are of various members of the community. For that reason, I thought it might be worth the SLJ writers taking some time to discuss the personal appeal and perceived advantages of tiny homes.

This is an incredible story about the Long family who lives a two-day walk off-the-grid. By every measure this is an extreme example of how off the beaten track one could choose to live. I’m not suggesting that this family’s lifestyle is ideal but their example does stretch the imagination. Watch the Bush Babes – New Zealand video. Also be sure to read about the Long family on Frigal Dad.

Ziggy (a.k.a. Brian Liloia) has moved into his cob house at the Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage. His blog is now filled with cob house construction photos and information. The most recent post is on laying his earthen floor. Read more about building a cob house at Ziggy’s blog.

A new tiny builder is emerging in Colorado called Jalopy Cabins. The tiny log cabin in the photo is 140 square feet and is available for $10,000. Learn more about Jalopy Cabins at Tiny House Blog.

If you read my design blog you probably noticed that I recently posted version one of the free house plans for an 8×20 Tiny Solar House. I’ll post an updated version soon that will include feedback from readers. The drawings were made entirely with the free version of Google SketchUp. Visit Tiny House Design to download these free house plans.

This coming Friday (July 31st, 2009) is the deadline for design entries to ReBurbia, a design competition sponsored by Dwell and Inhabitat. Here’s a little blurb from their website:

Calling all future-forward architects, urban designers, renegade planners and imaginative engineers: Show us how you would re-invent the suburbs! What would a McMansion become if it weren’t a single-family dwelling? How could a vacant big box store be retrofitted for agriculture? What sort of design solutions can you come up with to facilitate car-free mobility, ‘burb-grown food, and local, renewable energy generation?

This should be another very interesting project to watch. Learn more at the ReBurbia website.

This should be exciting to watch unfold. It’s a design competition focused on visualizing the ideal sustainable village. Here’s a quote from their website:

This is a contest for the visions of an ideal sustainable village: a place where you  would want to live, study, work and experience the challenges and rewards of an  ecologically durable lifestyle. In other words: to define the future of living.

The entry deadline is 15th August 2009 at 12.00 GMT. Learn more on the CLEAR Village Foundation website.

Tiny house and simple living websites:

• Tiny House Blog
• Tiny House Design
• Tiny House TV
• Shedworking
• Shedblog
• Natural Homes
• Tiny House Journal
• Small House Society
• Small Living Journal
• Coming Unmoored
• Rowdy Kittens
• This Tiny House
• The Tiny Life (Map) (Forum)
• Constructing a simpler life
• Gypsy Rose Tiny House
• Green Hamlet
• Small House Style
• Building With Awareness

Tiny House Builders, Plans, And Kits

• Sonoma Shanty
• Tumbleweed Tiny House Company
• Tortoise Shell Homes
• Little House on the Trailer