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Erika Woelfel of Minneapolis, Minnesota writes: "I’m sending you photos of my own little house retreat. It is a single room, 14 x 16 ft. shack with cedar siding. The previous owner salvaged the metal from a dismantled mining building for the roof. Its original use was as a hunting shack. Though it only boasts 224 sq ft. inside, the previous owner lived in it for two years while he built a larger home! "Today the cabin sits beside a small pond in a meadow on a 40 acre piece of property outside of Grand Rapids, MN. There is no plumbing or electricity. A barrel stove heats it in the winter. A matching outhouse came with the purchase of the cabin, and a sauna is in the process of renovation out of an old 8 x 16’ tool shed. "When the cabin came to the site a year ago—it was in need of new paint. We painted it red on the outside, and covered the dark paneling inside with a lighter, khaki-gold color. Two walls were knocked out and large picture windows (saved from another renovation project) were installed to allow panoramic views of the changing seasons. "All of the furnishings within the cabin collapse, fold up, or slide underneath to save space (it feels like a motor home!). A kitchen with gas stove and dry sink are in one corner. A fold-up table and chairs make up the dining area. The living area contains a futon style sofa that turns into a bed. The scale of everything is small so it doesn’t feel crowded. Five adults can comfortably sit inside on a cold, rainy day and wait out the weather! "The deck was added in the spring of ‘05. This addition greatly expands the living space in the warmer months. "It is the perfect place to camp, take naps, read, and brew cowboy coffee. It is also an idea theater for watching stars, northern lights, meteor showers, blizzards and thunder storms. Birds, deer and other assorted wildlife have accepted the tiny house in their surrondings. "What I like best about this place is that it makes an exchange between nature and civilisation without overwhelming the landscape. "I love the contrast of the red cabin and white snow!" Erika Color is of paramount importance to Erika; she's the senior color designer of the Colwell Color Studio in Minneapolis. Here are links to a few of her published articles: "The Moment of Discovery" "The Color of Young. The Color of Old. What are the Shades of Age?" UPDATE TinyHouses' favorite color consultant is just back from China. Here's her report: "The trip to China was very fun. I've been there before, and each time I go it changes. Right now they're gearing up for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing--so the entire city is one big construction zone. Indeed, the ancient vermillion red is a color you see everywhere. I was asked in an interview in Shanghai what color I thought best represented China, and I wanted to say "Its that red I see everywhere!" but that was too obvious. To me, modern China is best represented by the fresh, lime green color that seems to be so hot in fashion right now--its young, progressive and optimistic, the way China feels to me right now." And, of course, her comments on the Minnesota shack: "The shack is one of my favorite subjects to photograph. I've directed many people to your website to see the shack and its comrades, and I talk about it in presentations as well--people are very into the idea of small structures, especially as the cost of building materials is on the rise... I'm sure TinyHouses.net gets lots of attention! "The shack has been enjoyed immensely this year already--despite mosquitos and woodticks that plague us in Minnesota north-woods summers. "The sauna house is in its final touch phase. The half-log pine siding went up this week, so now all that's left are the "colorful touches" that will make it look really great. I'm looking for that rich honey-toned sealer for the outside; the the roof is a dark brown sheet metal and that will also be the color of the door and trim. We actually were able to take the first sauna last weekend and it was most enjoyable. Its suprising how many people show up when you tell them the sauna is stoked and ready to go! "Here are a few more pics from this winter--a different perspective." Cheers, Erika | |||||||||||||||||
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