If there are no windows or shutters over the screens in the guest room, what happens to the Nelson bench during a windy rain?

With a dense canopy of trees, you'd be surprised how little rain gets in during the summer, but ticks will. Very cool place.

I'd assume that the guest room is empty except on occupied weekends.

I want to build one of these myself in the Ozarks someplace.

Scott Newkirk is living my fantasy life... What a great getaway place.

It seems a little silly to put a composting toilet in an outhouse, as an outhouse is essentially a composting toilet already - it's a large whole in the ground with a seat and shed built over it. Keep the lid down when not in use, and add a few handfuls of wood-ash after each use...mother nature does the composting for you...But maybe there are zoning/septic rules, or maybe there are issues with high ground water...

it so nice to see an amazing off the grid example on the east coast - it is on the east coast right? I have been renovating my off the grid log cabin in the catskills (jody's fish camp) and its great to see somebody utilize all the ideas I've been dreaming up! good times!

What is that staircase for? Decoration? It certainly is not functional. Maybe its a stool or for leaning.

The ladder/staircase is supposed to be functional - there's a second floor - unless there's another way to get up there.

You'd better be skinny to use it, there's maybe 24 inches in front of the tread to squeeze yourself through.

This is my dream.

Jon_B

I think that ladder is for short supermodels with excellent balance and small feet.

swan - isn't it though?

This is very much like my grandparents old house in Maine. No electricity, no plumbing. Water for drinking, cooking, and showering came from a hand operated pump. The shower was an old "black bag" solar shower that you lay out in the sun to heat up, and then hung on a nail pounded into a pine tree about 20' back from the house (if you've never showered in the woods you should try it). The refrigerator was an old propane-powered one, and cooking was done on a wood fired stove.

It can definitely be fun, but I'm glad we only went for a few weeks at a time. I don't think I could convince my wife to do this though.

Exceptional! Mr. Newkirk is obviously a brilliant designer with an acute creative vision. Not to mention, he's obviously a really good son.

i find this kinda funny. i grew up poor & in west virginia. we did most of this but it was b/c we couldn't afford plumbing. haha who knew hillbilly poor was trendy green? hahaha