Sustainabile Living

This great video of Rebecca Henderson's talk at VERGE is worth the 10 minutes. She lays out four elements of a needed cultural shift: Adopt an entrepreneurial mindset Develop compassion for the core (e.g. the mainstream, the status-quo, those who don't see the need for change) Become rational about emotions Develop a systems mindset Henderson explains each of these concisely in her talk below, and stresses, that like the "fifth discipline" the need for a systems mindset is the most important. Moving groups, organizations, and societies as a whole towards sustainability requires great collaboration and profound shifts in worldviews, values, and mental models (e.g. habits of thought, assumptions and blind spots). I believe we have everything we need in terms of resources, tools, technology to create a sustainable society (though continuing to work and improve on those fronts is important, beneficial, and can potentially make the shift easier) -- and that we still have lots to do in bringing about the culture shift. That calls on us all to be open and provide leadership at all levels. Those acts of leadership often involve simply being strong enough to let go of assumptions and preconceived notions; to rethink success, and reevaluate what our fundamental needs are, and how we can most effectively go about meeting them. Stay going. .

I wanted to show you this tiny cabin with its 18′ vaulted ceilings in Asheville. It’s a vacation rental you can actually stay in if you wanted and I find it to be the perfect size house. It’s really spacious compared to a little house on wheels but has a similar design concept. A cabin that’s a little larger, more spacious, but still very small relative to even today’s smallest homes. Jenny’s cabin is 16′x25′ so it’s approximately 400-square-feet with a large deck. And for those of you who don’t like the idea of upstairs sleeping lofts, maybe something like this is what you might want instead? Come on, let’s go inside! Large Deck 18′ Vaulted Ceilings Windows & Natural Lighting Throughout Notice the Optional Storage/Sleeping Loft Below Open Floor Plan with Bedroom Full Bathroom Kitchen with Granite Countertops I like how there are no cabinets or shelves on the walls of the kitchen because it gives it a clean look and also makes the space seem bigger. View from the Loft I don’t believe there is a bed up there it’s probably just used for storage but obviously you’d be able to do whatever you want with your own. I’d probably go ahead and use it as a bed or maybe even an elevated office or writing area? Book your stay to this tiny cabin in Asheville here. More info on the structure here. More photos here. Did you enjoy this post? Join our free daily Tiny House Newsletter for more! If you want you can help me spread the word on tiny houses and this particular cabin with a “Like” or share using the buttons below. Afterwards I’d love to read your thoughts on it in the comments below. I’m curious, would you rather build and live in a tiny cabin like this or a tiny home on wheels? Thanks!

I’m so glad Deb Nardi sent me this article on Ken Ilgunas, a Duke graduate who is now telling all about how he lived in a van to stay out of debt while finishing his grad studies at the University. By the way, before that, he had completed his undergrad studies in Buffalo, and ended up with $32,000 of debt because of it. And he was turned down for 25 paid internships after that with his college degree. So he was working at Home Depot for $8 an hour. Before he went back to graduate school, he dedicated two and half years to working and paying off the student loan debt he accumulated. Even after all of this, Ken was NOT willing to give up on his education. In fact, he seemed to be even hungrier for it. But how would he afford it without getting another student loan? His solution? To create his own “Walden on Wheels,” as he calls it. Photo Ken Ilgunas “The van was more than just a way to save money. I wanted it to be an experience, to see how little I could spend. I didn’t want to be borrowing money from my parents any time I had a hardship.” Photo Ken Ilgunas Read the original article and see more photos of his van dwelling set up at Yahoo! Finance. Preview and consider buying a copy of Ken’s book, Walden on Wheels, where he goes in depth about the experience.

Have you ever wanted a to convert an existing structure like a shed, barn or garage into a tiny cottage or other type of home? It’s a great way to transition into a simple lifestyle especially if you have a solid structure that you can already use. With a good architect or some of your own design and DIY skills you can create an amazing tiny house out of an existing structure. Let me take you inside below: Interior of Seattle Backyard Garage to Cottage Conversion As you can see it’s a super simple design with a very basic and open floor plan. This project was remodeled by Seattle Backyard Cottage. Original story here. Would you ever consider converting a garage, shed or maybe a barn into your own beautiful tiny house or cottage? If so, “Like” and tell us about it in the comments below. Thanks!

I thought I’d show you Nancy’s tiny house. It’s approximately 14′x9′ and is really unique because it’s a flexible, breathable structure. And it’s made from materials around the sheep pasture where it’s located in Turangi, New Zealand. These materials include bamboo, silage netting and wool from the thousands of sheep there. By the way, Tika Whare means “true home” in Maori. And Maori are the people of New Zealand. Photo Credit Nancy Milliken I know this is a completely unrealistic tiny house option but it’s so unique I just had to share it. And Nancy, the creator, built it as art. It definitely got me thinking of how fortunate we are to have the ability to build more permanent and durable structures so we don’t have to constantly rebuild after bad weather. So yeah, I just thought I’d share and I hope you enjoyed it and that it also got you thinking a little. How they Built it Tika Whare Structure For more interesting posts like this join our free Tiny House Newsletter!

Just wanted to let you know that I’m on my way to the Vermont for the Yestermorrow tiny house fair this morning. I’m so excited to get to hang out with 30+ other tiny house enthusiasts along with the likes of Dee Williams, Jay Shafer, Derek Diedricksen, Brian Levy, Lee Pera, Abel Zyl Zimmerman, Peter King, Dan Louche, Mariah Coz, Tammy Strobel, Logan Smith, Abe Noe-Hays, Gwendolyn Hallsmith, Lina Menard, Sam Harrington, and more. I’m so excited! For complete list of speakers and topics they’re covering at this event click here. I’ll do my best to update the blog and our Facebook while I’m there and Yestermorrow will be doing the same thing here. Photo Credit Four Lights Tiny Houses I’m looking forward to sharing photos and information from this weekend with you soon so stay tuned and thanks. See you soon! To receive free daily updates from me join our free Tiny House Newsletter!

I thought I’d share this tiny house community that’s been around for more than 100 years in Toronto with you. It started many years ago when for less than 100 dollars you could buy a lot and you were sold the lumber to build your own home. It is located in Craven Road in Toronto and the houses are all under 500 square feet. Photo Credit: Rick Madonik/Toronto Star Enjoy the video tour of this community and more info below: It’s amazing to me that this community has lasted so long and I think it speaks to the potential of tiny house communities around the world. Video Tour of this Toronto Tiny House Community Here is the link to the original video. Also an article with more pictures as well. Original story here. If you enjoyed this ”Like” and share and join the conversation in the comments below. Why do you think more communities like this don’t exist?  Why don’t developers see the potential in this in a time now that many people are downsizing and simplifying their life? Well, looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks!

When Matt and I decided we wanted to build a tiny house we weren’t familiar with many designers. In 2009 we bought original Jay Shafer plans for the Tarleton model. Originally designed to be built on a trailer, the Tarleton, like many of Jay’s other designs, featured a loft space for sleeping. Having never built anything before, besides a shower platform which is terminally unsquare, we wanted to follow the plans as closely as possible. Photo by Laura M. LaVoie A loft never seemed like a bad idea for us. Our loft, which is over the kitchen and the bathroom space, is a little bit bigger than the original design. This is because we built our home on a foundation which allowed it to be slightly larger than the footprint of a trailer. Once the loft was complete we needed to make some choices for the design and functionality. Our first choice was to add FLOR to the loft. FLOR are modular carpet tiles made of recycled fiber and rubber materials. We had always loved the product but because of the expense waited until we were decorating the tiny house to use it. That way we needed less. We chose a bright spring green to add a pop of color to our space and to match the stain we used on the counter tops. And we liked the idea of a soft surface on the loft floor. Photo by Laura M. LaVoie As an added bonus, FLOR is durable and Piglet can use it as a de facto scratcher without harming it in any way. We decided to put it on the storage loft floor, the rungs of our ladder, and on her loft access platforms as well. Read more after the cut. Once the FLOR was in place we needed to figure out a bed solution. The original plans suggested “building” a bed out of foam. While this sounded doable the thought of sleeping on a foam mattress of our own design as we entered our 40s didn’t sound comfortable long term. So we measured the loft and considered our options. Our first thought was to purchase a nice air mattress. We camp frequently and have always found air mattresses comfortable but we decided against it because the mattress would need frequent maintenance to make sure it stayed inflated properly. Also, no feeling is worse than sleeping on a deflating mattress with an unseen hole. Because of an air mattress failure I learned the hard way that sleeping on the rubber floor of a Honda Element is extremely uncomfortable. I didn’t want to be in this position in the middle of the night on our mountain. Photo by Laura M. LaVoie Then we had an idea that I consider a stroke of genius: a futon mattress. Long gone were the days of uncomfortable dorm style futons. We wandered into a local Futon store in Asheville and learned all about the new manufacturing techniques. We tested out a number of options and ended up with a really nice full size futon with springs just like a traditional mattress making it one of the most comfortable things I have ever slept on. There is enough room for a queen sized mattress up in the loft; however, we opted for the full size to give us some space on either side of the bed to put things like battery powered fans, my glasses when I sleep, and my inhaler for asthmatic emergencies. Matt and I easily fit on the bed and don’t find that we are in each other’s ways at all. Your mileage may vary. Piglet is the biggest bed hog in our house. It is amazing how much room a 9 pound cat can take up if they try hard enough. Photo by Laura M. LaVoie The ladder was the final consideration for the loft. So here is a secret: I am terribly afraid of heights. I don’t even have to be that high off the ground to have a panic attack. Before we had a permanent ladder in the house we leaned a construction ladder up against the loft. I could get up the ladder no problem but when it came time to get down I couldn’t do it. After a lot of tears and with a promise to hold the ladder I made it back down to ground level. Not wanting to deal with that again, Matt went about constructing a ladder. Photo by Laura M. LaVoie It was originally intended to be tem

Second Nature has just announced the winners of this year's Climate Leadership Awards -- "an award program that recognizes signatory institutions of the ACUPCC for their innovation and excellence in climate leadership." Click on the following links to learn more about what's happening on these campuses, and watch videos from each. Winners of the 2013 Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards Associate's Colleges Bellevue College University of Hawai'i Kaua'i Community College Baccalaureate Colleges Middlebury College Oberlin College Master's Granting Institutions Chatham University Goddard College Doctorate Granting Institutions Missouri Institute of Science and Technology Portland State University SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Special Focus Institution Pratt Institute Finalists in the 2013 Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards Associate's Colleges Glendale Community College Saint Louis Community Collegeat Florissant Valley Baccalaureate Colleges Carleton College Hobart & William Smith Colleges Master's GrantingInstitutions American Public University System Western State Colorado University Doctorate GrantingInstitutions Georgia Institute of Technology Indiana State University Special FocusInstitutions Massachusetts Maritime Academy University of Massachusetts Medical School Stay going. .

I smiled from ear to ear when I read these words from the messages area of our Tiny House Talk Facebook Page. “I haz a tiny cabin in the woods! I’m on the Olympic Peninsula.” Yes! I love when I get to hear of people achieving this goal. Bogdan was nice enough to let me share his photos with you. Please enjoy more photos and info on this little cabin in the woods below: Interior Bowie looks happy. :) Front Here are some highlights based on the cabin and the land directly from Bogdan: So it’s near Lake Cushman, on a mountain so it’s at about 1200ft elevation. About 3 miles from the grid, so I bring in my own water, cut my own wood, bring in lamp oil for light, etc. The cabin was built by Rough Cut Sheds (search FB) and Ron, the owner, helped me move it up there. It’s sitting on a super steep grade, that a local man with a dozer helped me level a ledge to put the cabin on We live in Seattle so we go out to the cabin on weekends. It’s beautiful, silent, it smells amazing. The property is 5 acres of mature forest, surrounded by protected state land. Bogdan, thank you so much for sharing your tiny cabin with us. For more posts like this join our free daily Tiny House Newsletter! If you enjoyed this little cabin in the woods please “Like” and share using the social buttons below. And I’m curious, are you interested in a tiny house as your only home or so that you can use one as a peaceful getaway or really inexpensive vacation home for the family? Would love to read your thoughts in the comments.