Yay! A tiny house that is really a home, even if it is just a get-away. Rather than just a studio in the backyard of a giant house.

Good job! Congratulations on a well-done project!

Bravo to Christopher and Merete! Their house is one the sanest, most charming projects to appear on AT. Maybe my reaction stems from my current sense that my partner and I need to downsize and liberate ourselves from the demands of larger spaces and the attendant roster of possessions. My guess is that the conversations, the dinners, and the good night's sleeps are just as splendid in their house. Probably better. Christopher and Merete should also be congratulated for (in their comments about the house) encouraging others to tackle and complete a DIY project, if not an entire tiny house. I have to admit I'm jealous, but perhaps it's just the embryonic twinges of being inspired by their house. Many thanks. May their documentary film win converts!

Love It.

So is it permanently out there, or kinda like a motor home? im just wondering about the distance for groceries (because kitchen is too small to really stock up) or doing laundry.

it is beautiful, however!

This is the best one of these Tiny Houses I've seen yet!

So, I see how they get power, but how do they get water?

Beautiful!

I would love to do something like this (a smidge larger though), but darned if it seems feasible in a Canadian city (minimum building codes). I wish ideas like this would catch on, but my city is run by the developers who want to cram us into tiny high-rise condos with exorbitant condo fees!

I love this beautiful tiny house! It's so much cleaner (in terms of the design style) and cozier than many tiny house projects.

Also, it looks like right now they carry their water in in those refillable 5 gallon jugs, and set it by the sink. I do the same thing for my art studio.

Maybe there is a nearby river they can bathe in or something.

I also like that they insulated it. Great job, guys.

It's so adorable. Really amazing work, guys -- I will bookmark this so that I remember to look for the documentary when it comes out.

The place is awesome!

RE: "Christopher and Merete spend as much time as they can in their tiny home and hope to someday soon make it their permanent residence."

I would think the permanent residence thing would lead to a single life though....

I have to agree with Honestday. Good to see a no-nonsense place like this, very simple and basic -and small- yet full of charm and so comfortable looking. I live in a small house but still dream of building a small house.. so maybe after the kiddo is all grown up I will live in one:)

How do you like the SolMan so far? I've slotted it for use in my theoretical tiny home.

Also, amazing job. You may hate the imperfections but I think that's what makes a home a home. It's also proof that you built it yourself. A professional builder would have fixed those tiny things first.

Desperately needs a door to the bath room and a porch.

What an inspiration! I'm curious about the water situation too? Do you bring it all in or is their an accessible spring near by?

I purchased my condo about 3 years ago. 1132 sq. ft. I think, for me-being single, it's too big. I am grateful for the 2nd bedroom as I have had both freinds and family stay with me when their life situations have changed and I was able to provide a roof over their heads.
But, I would not mind moving BACK to something smaller but 127 sq. ft. would be too small. I do applaud them for taking the plunge. What a back yard!

It looks really cool and well designed but why not just get a camper?

Re. groceries: As I recall from several years ago, there are a few little mercantiles at the junctions of highways and the state parks out there, but it's 30-40 minutes to Buena Vista (pop 2,000) to a real grocery, or over an hour to Colorado Springs. (Things may have changed now that so many of the big ranches have been subdivided into smaller lots.) Re. water: I don't know their situation, but in the high country (essentially a desert) lots of people haul water or have a truck deliver it to fill a cistern. It's often too high for a well, and springs and surface water are seasonal. Some folks get lucky with artesian wells, but land with water is pretty expensive. In some areas where there once was just one ranch family's house, the wells have gone dry after the land was divided and many houses tapped into the same source.

Love this story and this house. As Community Director for Tumbleweed, I can tell you that we are so proud of & grateful for folks like Christopher and Merete.

Wonderful!

It's sweet, but I guess I don't really understand the extremeness of this any more than I understand the need for 3,000 sq ft. Would 400 sq ft really be that extravagant ecologically?

Wonderful.

Yes, wonderful.

So cute. I can't imagine living in a place that small, but I would love to spend a week or two out there.

Beautiful. But I guess they won't have kids.

For the 19th century and almost half of the 20th, this isn't far off from how many rural Americans lived. The house might have been bigger, but it had fewer amenities (e.g. the heater). Now this is how some not-poor people choose to live, at least on the weekends. Nostalgie de la boue?

This is incredible. Thank you for sharing !

@BKHomebody:

It's true that going from say, a 1200 sq. ft. house, or even a 750 sq. ft. apartment, to a 400 sq. ft. house would still represent a huge and significant trimming of the "environmental footprint". And a 400 sq. ft. house would be a little less scary and crazy-making for most people.

However, it's my understanding that a lot of what the Tiny House movement is about is being able to afford to build the whole thing without taking on any kind of mortgage or debt. For many people, expanding the concept even to a 300 or 400 sq. ft. house would negate that advantage.

Just a note - the link to Tiny Tack House is actually: http://chrisandmalissa.com/Tiny_Tack_House/Home.html the one in the article results in an error.

I love the idea of tiny houses (though I'm not sure I could condense my life down to one), and the style of Christopher and Merete's place is very appealing. Nice job!

Nice house...It is interesting to read the comments.. We have been well-trained to think that a home has to be at least 500 sq. ft. or more....anything less is "impossible" or "ridiculous"....There are several articles on Youtube featuring entire families living quite comfortably in 500 sq. ft or less....The Japanese (and several European nations) have proved, for several years now, that it is possible to live quite small and still have a good, useful, even happy life...When it comes right down to it, how much house does one really need? Is paying to heat/cool a bunch of possessions that you sporadically use (if at all)...INTELLIGENT? I think that this is the wave of the future and must be considered, especially in our ever-burgeoning cities....

more power to your life-style!

one question: um...WHY???

a house the size of my living room in the middle of nowhere. Boy, you gotta be some kinda special to live like that. Kudos.

Love it, love it, love it! Want it! Want it! Want it!

Kelliblue, the answers to your "Why?" can be found in the 3rd and 4th lines into the introductory text of this tour. And, yeah, people who can build their own house with no such prior experience, get a result like we see here and work and live according to principle are some kind of special.

Because it's theirs. Nice job.

The wood is just beautiful. Thanks for sharing!

Congratulations Christopher and Merete! I love this vacation home and the entire premise of actual home ownership is truly divine. I can understand having a small home to visit when you want to get out of the city and this house completely fits the bill.

I'm sure as you continue to use the house you will find that maybe a more permanent residence will require 100 more sq ft and you will have the experience and knowledge of the first build to get it done. I'm in true awe and thank you for your words of advice,'If there's any project that you'd like to tackle — anything from building a house to smaller DIY weekend project — just do it!' Now where did I leave my hammer?

looks wonderful and cozy but i guess you would have to get rid of all your stuff and clothes to live there permanently. I would love renting something like it for a vacation.

Definitely scoring top marks in my book!

SLEEPYEMMA and RSRr: Is no one allowed to NOT love each and every post? Is no one to question anything? It's not like they were hateful or anything like that. They're entitled to their comments just as you're entitled to yours, as long as everyone stays civilized.

Fair play to them. It's a charming little house, but I'm not sure I could live there on my own, never mind with another person!!!!

Tres cute! The only thing I didn't like was the placement of the bathroom basically in the kitchen (made worse by the fact there is no door).

In fact I don't think I'd want a bathroom in such a small space. I'd just as soon have an outhouse and outdoor shower (but of course that's my thinking here in FL where it rarely gets below 50)

After college, I spent a year and a half traveling and working abroad, and basically living out of a backpack. I accumulated more stuff when I stayed somewhere for a while, but I gave it away or left it behind when I moved on. It became a form of mental discipline - "do I need to carry this on my back for the next year?" It was weird, and liberating. I traded stuff for mobility, comfort for experience.

Living in a "tiny house" would require a similar sort of discipline (though I understand these folks don't live here full-time). A form of meditative practice, really - living within a very intentional frame. Do I really need this? It's a really important reflection to have, in our consumerist society - even if you only do it for a moment, while reading a blog (in my own cluttered, oversized old house... ah, youth!).

Awwwww. This is AMAZING!

Love it. Thanks for sharing!

Love it.

I love that they built it themselves, without prior training or experience.

I love the coziness of it and the streamlined efficiency. All the windows make it so bright.

I can't imagine how they'd live in it full time - where do you store your work clothes, or if you work at home, your computer etc. OTOH, they could always build another one that could be used for work/storage/guests/children whatever. That would still be under 300 square feet.

Pretty amazing DIY, looks like a very cozy & romantic space, & the view is amazing. I would love this as a weekend getaway, but for me anything longer than that would require a place to put my clothes (even if I only kept a few key pieces) and a bathroom door (or a much thicker curtain at the very least.

Thank you Valeriee. I don't understand why some people believe that every comment has to be the equivalent of a standing ovation. I think we are all entitled to our opinions.

I like the fact they created spaces for stuff but still didn't guck it up with stuff; like the walls, bookshelfs & food prep area (hard to call that a 'kitchen'). I'm guessing they really like each other's company. Must be nice to sit out there at night and look at the stars.

What a charming little space. Must have been tricky to photograph as well! Thanks for sharing.

I lived in a cabin this size for 8 months and loved it, though I could not imagine two people in it, especially in the winter months.

I've been an unregistered lurker here on AT for a while now - but felt compelled to register just so I could comment on this tiny perfect house! Hey, it may not be for everyone, not even sure if I could call such a small space home myself (although I would wholeheartedly love to give it a try.) Overall though, I LOVE everything about it - the underlying philosophy from an environmental and anti-consumer POV, the creative use of space, the cozy interior, and of course, location, location, location! Good job Merete and Christopher - enjoy!

The idea of having to climb down a ladder to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, eew. Other than that, I love the minimalism, would make a great getaway.

emmelemm: Thanks for pointing that out--I hadn't thought of it.

The eco-friendly part that I don't understand is that living in the middle of nowhere would seem to necessitate a lot of driving. If there were more storage space and a garden I could see how you could stock up on groceries, eat from the garden, and can your food, but the tiny in the middle of nowhere set up seems like an equation for a larger carbon footprint than living in a studio in Manhattan. Then again, maybe the environmental aspect of this project was not a major goal.

I lived in a slightly larger than this dwelling with my friend on her farm for a summer. We had an outhouse and cold storage, no electricity and a spring. I adored the Laura Ingalls Wilder feel to it all.

It's so funny how many people think this is crazy! I think it's crazy to live in a big mcmansion, but i'm sure there are some readers who do and love it. Mostly, though, I think a lot of Americans still have a sense of manifest destiny still encoded in their DNA. Bigger is not necessarily better, just bigger.

I love the house and think that tiny houses are very do-able for 2 people. However, it really bothers me that some many tiny house folks are only living in theirs part time. To me it totally defeats the purpose. If your goal is REALLY to reduce your footprint adding another space to the one you live in regularly regardless of it's size is NOT doing that. It is ADDING footprint.
My husband and I have lived for months at a time in small places - our rooftop tent, hotel rooms, an Airstream etc. We don't get bothered by the close quarters. It is all about how your personalities mesh.

They definitely have an eye for the beautiful. Congratulations! I drive through the area they live a couple of times per month. It is quite dry. A friend built a home on similar land though his was about a quarter mile from a hot springs. He spent thousands on a well and the water has a high mineral content so it's not that safe to drink - they have to bring water in from outside anyway. The mineral content also corrodes the metal fixtures and tile. It's kind of a difficult place to live. Extremely intense winters with blizzards that are killers. I personally figure that if you are going through the trouble of building a home - would it hurt to add another 100 feet of flooring? It's good for the soul to have a place to pace :)

I toured a tumbleweed in April, and had trouble figuring out where I'd work. My plan was a live/work space for my massage and alternative health business. I do have hopes for a 250-300 sf plan, but those are not "RVs" under Colorado land use. A yurt is.

This has me looking again, especially as I am aiming for a mountain town not all that far away, and have many questions about insulating and keeping warm enough for clients.

Great use of a wood that makes my heart ache. If only we didn't have beetle kill to work with. It is eerily beautiful, like Anais Nin's descriptions of tubercular women. Beauty at such a price.

Thanks for this post, AT.

Yikes, I think I'd go crazy living in the middle of nowhere.

Christopher
how much do you estimate this project cost ...excluding furnishings ?

That's what I call dedication!

Where are the mountains? Was this taken before being moved? Very cute place and kuddo's for building it yourselves with no prior experience.

It reminds me of when I was a teenager and would imagine my 10x10 bedroom being an whole apartment just for me. I would imgaine one corner being the bathroom, one the kitchen and so forth. This tiny house is much in the same vein.

I know I'd have a hard time making it my primary residence, just because I like to entertain some and of my hobbies make it hard to not need space to work on them in. Storage might be an issue, even if I paired down the wardrobe even more than I have, and the collection of books. (I don't see that ever happening. I love books just too much).

I choose to save on heating and cooling by just not using it. Wear layers in the colder weather, and less in the summer. Problem solved.

I'm so inspired. Wow!

Wow! Amazing what they did with that tiny space. You really can make any space a home. We don't need that much 'stuff' at all to be happy.

I really admire the courage and conviction it must have taken to try something this radicle - and without any prior experience!

i love this. i love the tiny house thing, but this one actually looks livable, except...

no running water. there's a canteen next to the sink, the toilet looks like it has no plumbing, and who knows what the shower is like. obviously, they're in the middle of no where so plumbing would be hard/not possible anyway, but i'd love to know what their solution is.

also... where do you put clothes? even if you go super minimalist and only have 3-4 of every item, where can it be stored? maybe on the ground floor, on the wall with the sofa, they could've bumped it out a foot and put a bunch of built-in drawers. i appreciate the small house movement, but i think someone can go up from 150 sq ft to 200 without sacrificing the intent, and they'd actually have a place to put stuff.

Great job! I just love it!

I live in New Mexico, but grw up in South America. For a long time here in New Mexico I lived on a Native American reservation & we had to bring all our water in. The drive each way was almost 2 hours. Made very good use of the trip- as there was no running up to the "convenience store" later for a candy bar & coke! Made me veeerrrryyyy careful with water. Growing up we always had to be conservative with water, gas, etc. Living on a reservation made me even more so. Every drop gets used. No fresh water ever goes down the sewer drain without being used for something else first. And 90% gray water goes to garden, rinsing food scraps from dishes, toilet, etc. (one does NOT have to do their business in pristine water- think about it! What a true waste of water!) I am sure that Christopher & Merete respect their limited supply of water in a similar way. I give these folks so much respect for doing it themselves, admitting their mistakes, & not giving up. No, living like this is not for everyone. So even if it's not for you, we still have to give them credit for not begging a bank to help them be in debt for the rest of their lives!!!

Love all the wood and how it was moves the inside. The wood behind the bookcase that leads to the loft is offset at a pleasing angle. The whole thing is fun to look at and admire. Tip of the hat to you two!!! Love it to death!

Truth is, there are larger homes on wheels for those who need a wee bit more space. There are also houses on foundations that go up to 800+ square feet. It's definitely not for everyone. Even Jay Shafer, who now has 2 little ones, live in a 500 sq. ft. home. The small house movement isn't about sq. ft. It's about perspective and lifestyle. You can live in a larger space and need every inch.

I, too, am one who would consider 300 sq ft "tiny enough!" Partly, though, that's because my getting-elderly body doesn't like to twist and turn a lot - like, when I saw the loft bedroom I thought "So cute! Fantastic!" but then realized that making the bed in that tight, low space would be truly challenging and uncomfortable for me.

Instead of making blanket decisions on how big/small houses "should" be, maybe it's wise to take into account that we all have a natural sense of how much space makes us feel comfortable. For sure, this natural sense has become buried under mcMansion-style living, but can potentially be re-discovered.

This house is definitely wonderful and impressive. When we're first becoming builders, it's on-the-job training, and "mistakes" are bound to be made. In my experience though, professional builders make just as many unless they're VERY high-priced and detail-oriented. With "normal" construction guys, if faced with some way they haven't done things before, you can expect they won't take the time to figure out all the minute details. (Unless you're very lucky to have found a gem of a guy. Or gal.). As long as your place is structurally sound and well-insulated, you as a "beginner" have done a superb job here!

good for u!! really cute, inspirational and homey!! i grew up in WYO/CO and yes, the outside world there dictates. the earth thanks you for not being excessive and wasteful! best wishes!

Impressive and accomplished!

Congratulations on a job well done...especially with no experience!
The only thing I'd have a problem with is the bathroom location...I couldn't deal with the curtained entrance being in the kitchen, but that's just me! Not sure if there's any other spot for it though.
Again, wonderful place!

Absolutely darling. I wish you great happiness in your creation. So satisfying to learn and apply real skills! Www.peacefulones.blogspot.com

Tiny and tidy a must combination. Luv it!

Love it! Congratulations on such a beautiful, hand-made home. I dream of a place like this!

My husband and I lived in 126 square feet (a Toyota Dolphin motorhome), along with a 55 lb dog. The close quarters, and lack of material things, brought us only closer together, forming a bond I'm not sure we could have found any other way. As Leonardo da Vinci (apparently) once said: "Small rooms or dwellings set the mind in the right path, large ones cause it to go astray."

One note about the bathroom situation. Our motorhome had a full bathroom – shower, toilet, sink, and a closet – and it was never a problem considering the small space. A place that small… always have matches on hand. ;)

Hi everyone,

Merete here, 1/2 of the team behind this tiny house and the documentary film. Thanks to everyone for your enthusiastic comments about the house and design. Building this house was A LOT of work, so it's very rewarding go get such wonderful comments and questions.

In response to a few of the questions that have been posted so far:

Bathroom door: There is actually a heavy, double-sided curtain between the bathroom and the kitchen (I think Ashley had it swept to the side while she was photographing to get better images of each room). Having privacy in the bathroom was important to us, and so far the curtain has kept out any bathroom smells or sounds just as well as a door would have.

Water: There is no running water on the land, so right now we are hauling water in, in large jugs. We now have a full camping shower set-up, where we heat up water on the stove and then pump it into the shower in the bathroom. Because water issues are so heated in this part of the country, we actually kind of like knowing exactly how much water we consume, in a way that we're not aware of when it's free-flowing from the tap. In the future, we might decide to drill a well on the land and outfit the house with a more traditional plumbing system.

Groceries: We're about 35 minutes from Fairplay, Colorado and 40 minutes from Buena Vista, Colorado, which both have large grocery stores. Because our fridge is so small, we end up buying a lot of fresh veggies and bulk grains that don't need to be refrigerated and head to the store every few days.

We LOVE the SolMan portable solar generator. The fact that we could simply plug the house into it with no assembly required was really refreshing after building a whole house from scratch, and it is super high quality and durable and can withstand the crazy mountain weather.

Thanks again everyone! If you'd like to stay updated on the film, you can 'like' us on facebook (a link to our facebook page is on our website), where we post frequent updates. We'll also be sending out an email as soon as the film comes out, and you can sign up to be on that list on our website too.

Amazing work! Love how you create each space and the details are exceptional.

Great space.
I love the detail of your loft ladder.
how did you determine relative angles?
Plans?

love.

Nice & cozy :)

IMHO this is great for the under 45 yr old crowd. Once the knees start to go, going up and down that ladder to crawl into bed aint gonna be pretty!

Re the person above that said american families used to live in places this small...they had outbuildings,such as a barn, and most would also have a cellar and an outdoor cooking space. As it stands, the house isnt practical for anyone with parents that might want to visit, or serious food prep/preservation. Living there fulltime is a nice idea, but winterclothes would be stored in the cars if they keep it that small.

Oh my god, that makes me claustrophobic just looking at it. I'd feel like I was smothering in that loft bed.

This is the epitome of simplicity. It's a great realization of how much space we really need : )

just totally great!

thank you for showing an alternative to the "mcmansion". i personally believe that our society teaches us that bigger and more means better. this leads people to feel that they have to clutter up their lives with huge houses that they then need to fill. their stuff ends up owning them and then they end up on "hoarders". thanks for showing that life can be stripped-down, simple AND fun.