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I’ve blogged several times now about the surprising trend among Americans—known more for excess—to fall in love with small homes and cottages. By our standards, many of today’s cabins and portable homes are miniatures, akin to dollhouses. But now, of all places, I’ve found that paragon of West Coast taste, Sunset Magazine, trumpeting the virtues of vacation mini-homes.
Snug as a Snowbug
Sunset Magazine features the 850-square-foot mini-lodge in Winthrop, Washington in its latest issue. It’s located in the Methow Valley, summer home to the state’s apple growing industry.
Extra Twispy
Ray and Mary Johnston of Johnston Architects designed and built this 1,200-square-foot cabin for their family in Twisp, overlooking the Washington Cascades.
Nighty Niche
Sunset editors marveled at the “bed cabinet” that the Johnston’s built into the heart of their Twisp getaway. I love the affect of the sliding barn doors.
Wallowa the Day Away
In the same issue this month, Sunset Magazine featured the diminutive, 130 square-foot cabin built on Wallawa Lake by Mariah Morrow and Ryan Lingard for $57,000, including the acreage. The couple constructed their tiny getaway six hours from Portland at Joseph, Oregon. The cabin uses wood heat, has no electricity or water. (That’s off the grid!) Ryan, an architect, designed the cabin with its metal roof and cedar siding. The entire project was completed in two weeks.
Small IS Beautiful
If you want a small cabin getaway, or small permanent home, Thoreau devotee Jim Wilkins of White Bear Lake, MN, is here to help with plans. He creates designs for Tiny Green Cabins, which you can take with you, or for permanent small dwellings like the wildflower (pictured).
You gotta love it when Jim says, “There are trade-offs in everything, from owning a big home to a small compact tiny house or cabin; from a long commute wearing expensive suits to a short bicycle ride to a low stressful job; to living green in an earth friendly environment or living in a high rise condo that spills energy into the night. These are all choices, and we are each investing in our thoughts that will produce the life of our choice. Let’s make a smart choice, and rethink our bigness to one of living in harmony in earth-friendly products.”
3 Responses to “It Takes a Big Person to Appreciate Small Homes”
Just need a house with only the bare necessities. I stayed in a 49 square foot hotel room that had bunk beds with another person. I lasted 1 night…some of us are too spoiled for small places like this
I live in NW Montana resort town and our area is scattered with “log cabins” and second homes (most of which are in the 7000 to 10,000 sq.ft. range) They are used a few weeks of the year, but burn vast amounts of energy all year round!
[...] diminutive houses, but I’ve weighed in early. Nearly a year ago I blogged about the flurry of small homes, cottages and cabins that Americans were buying or building as if their bank accounts depended on [...]