Building tiny houses is not just about small spaces, the founder and owner of Tiny Texas Houses Brad Kittel explains on his Web site. It's about energy – how much energy was used to create the building.
There are many reasons to explore the
concept of tiny houses. You might think they're cute or clever, unusual or ridiculous. You might simply wonder, as many do, “how did
they do that?” when you see the ingenuity that goes into packing
all of life's necessities inside a box with a floor space of
between 200 and 900 square feet.
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Those who build homes for a living
also have many reasons for exploring the business of building an
entire house on a frame so small it can be hauled behind a family
pickup truck or nestled inside a space no bigger than a one-car
garage.
For some home builders, the idea
of fitting an entire living space inside a tiny box is more than
just an intellectual challenge. Nothing, after all, has quite so
obvious an environmental impact as simply building something that
takes up space on the planet's surface. For some home builders –
tiny house or otherwise – creating a home that is earth friendly is
the pivotal conundrum of the modern age. How do you build without
impacting the planet at all? Can that even be done?
Tiny Texas Houses is on exactly that
kind of mission. Building tiny houses is not just about small spaces, the
founder and owner of the company Brad Kittel explains on his Web
site. It's about energy – how much energy was used to create the
building materials – right down to the glue, the plastic and the
sheetrock that makes up a modern home.
Tiny Texas Houses solves the riddle
by combining a willingness to “re-harvest” materials with a classic sense of style and a healthy imagination. They purposefully
seek out used doors, windows, timber, flooring and other items
that were once upon a time made to last. “Tons of vintage materials are at our
fingertips waiting to be re-harvested,” says Kittel.
With his mission to build houses 99 percent from salvaged material, he says, "Sub-Zero carbon footprint houses are not only possible, they are here -- our tiny houses are proof that this concept works."
The Ellinger House is a stellar
example of the Tiny Texas Houses philosophy. It looks vintage, because
much of it is. It has classic dimensions. But it is so small that the house was trucked to its permanent location, then hoisted onto a foundation by a modest-sized crane.
And yet it still has a down-home style, quiet grace and all the comforts of home.
Another view of the front:
Before stepping inside, here's a long view of the porch, which has plenty of room for visitors:
The interior has warm colors and a rustic texture. The ladder leads to one of two upstairs lofts.
The reverse look at the downstairs room.
One view of the front door and the bar.
A charming cupboard is one of the items that turns a house into a home.
An old bathtub is just the touch to provide a home-on-the-range feel to the Ellinger House.
A better look at the bar.
Now, how small is this house? You don't need a ruler to know that if you can haul your home around on a truck and hoist it onto its foundation with a crane, it is a tiny house, indeed.
A flying house. Well, why not.
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A new gold standard for confidence -- the patio furniture and the basketball net arrived even before the house did.