Fall Clearance Sale Priced at
$14,900

Dimensions
House width: 8’
House length: 18’
Road Height when mounted on trailer: 13’ 5″ *
Dry Weight: 6,500 lbs (estimated)
Porch: 7 ½’ x 3’
Main Room: 6 ½’ x 6 ½’
Loft height: 3’ 8″
Ceiling height: 6’ 3″ at Kitchen/Bath Area
(All measurements are approximate.)

The following features are currently a part of this tiny cabin:

1. Ultra Touch Cotton Insulation – recycled blue jeans
2. Floor is insulated with Ultra Touch Cotton Insulation
3. Material is EOC certified
4. Tyvek House Wrap
5. Energy Star Steel Roof - Green
6. Wavy Edge Cedar siding and Cedar valley shingle siding
7. Fir WP4 T&G Soffits
8. Pine Exterior Front Door
9. 2 windows and screens on each long side
10. 1 Window on each end
11. Fir WP4 T&G Paneling, walls and ceiling
12. Exterior Stained
13. Loft window (awning that opens)
14. Ladder to Loft
15. Built in Bookcases and Storage Closet
16. Electric wiring and lighting fixtures
17. Trex Decking
18. Stainless Steel Countertop

* Trailer NOT Included
For more information and to see more pictures see the cabin at;
http://www.tinygreencabins.com/CabinModels/wildflower.htm

Touring websites, sub divisions, and housing developments one comes away with a feeling that living large in a MacMansion,  grandiose homes, and mini castles that tout themselves as being “green” - size does not matter. Build the house to withstand cold winters and the summer blazing sun is all that matters. What really seems to matter is keeping up or at least slightly ahead of your neighbors, family and friends. They have a parlor, formal living room, recreation room, or built in gym/tennis court and so should we.  The builder responds and tries to fill the dreams of the buyer, and build the home to code for as cheaply as possible, because we want it all! The house has to have a certain amount of glass/natural daylight, the attic has to be an R40 or better, and the house must breathe or have an air exchanger. What happens is that we have built a very large, inefficient home that wastes a lot of energy, money, and is not “green”  They are mini castles or “starter “castles  and really do not meet the green criteria, and should not even have been built under a green standard. To be built totally green, as a tiny house can be, would drive up the costs so astronomically that none would buy one, even in a prosperous market. And builders and industry think that by throwing a few “green” items at it, it is now green. They are almost right, they are - greenwashing!

So what is the big deal if someone uses some energy? Well here are some figures to think on.

Let us make some assumptions about this home;

It is 4000 square feet, has 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, Master bedroom, master bath, guest bedroom, guest bath, a formal living room, a formal dining room, large foyer and is considered green. How can it be considered a green single family home when it only houses 2 people?

The house costs approximately $479,000 and to heat/cool runs around $3,600 annually. It is a relatively highly efficient home. Traditional homes such as this one lump all the rooms and costs into one structure. That can help save energy if all the rooms are used a lot of the time. However, just the opposite is true!

For instance; the living room that is never used, consumes approximately $36,000 of the mortgage and 7% of the heat/cooling. The Formal dining room that is rarely used consumes $29,000 of the mortgage and 6% of the heating/cooling costs. The master suite that is used 29% of the time consumes $44,000 of the mortgage and 9% of the heating/cooling costs. The guest bedroom and bath which is used rarely, let us say .005% of the time consumes $27,000 of the mortgage and 7% of the energy to heat/cool. Furthermore, the air currents from the furnace and AC running deposit dust particles in all the rooms which required energy to clean them…and some of the rooms were not used.

Even the master suite, the most used room, is still vacant 71% of the time! This says that for every $100 dollars spent to heat and cool the room $71 was wasted! For the formal dining and living room, well,  for every $100 spent, $100 was wasted! Can you imagine if you could save all that wasted money and spend it on something you really liked, maybe a Alaskan cruise, a romantic vacation on a secluded island, or pay for your car with CASH!

Or a tiny house!

A tiny house uses a different set of rules, and that is subtractive design, the systematic elimination of all that does not contribute to the intended function of a compostion, in other words taking out all the stuff that is not needed; formal dining room, living room, halls, large closets, etc. and finding the essentials.  What this means is that tiny houses are created for dual and often multi-purposes functions. And just by being small, they create a smaller carbon footprint. Another benefit by being small, one can really use a lot of green technology, and materials, and still have funds left over for adding character. They do not break the bank and they do not leave you house poor!

Can a Tiny House on a trailer meet the green standard?  Not in Minnesota! It can meet all but one standard and that is location. For by being mobile it can never be evaluated, and by being mobile it uses a vehicle to pull it, therefore has a negative carbon footprint and can never earn the states green stamp.

Putting Things in Perspective

According to the National Association of Home Builders, the average size of a new single-family American residence in 1950 was 983 square feet. Today, it is nearly 2500 square feet. As home sizes ballooned over that time, family size shrank. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that in 1950, an average American family consisted of 3.8 people; today’s average family contains 2.6 people.

These figures prove how inefficiently we use our resources when we build homes with such drastically disproportionate size-to-occupant ratios. Instead, as we go forward, we must adhere to a stricter code of square-footage-per-person, particularly when we speak of green projects.

Denali

The ocean can look very different, depending on whether you are standing at the shore, soaring above in a plane, or swimming beneath its waves. Likewise, a mountain can look very different relative to where you are standing. Each living thing sees the world from its unique vantage point. While from your window you may be seeing what looks like a huge shrub, a bird in its nest is getting an intimate view of that tree’s leafy interior. Meanwhile, a beetle sees only a massive and never-ending tree trunk. Yet all three of you are looking at the same tree.

Just as a shadow that is concealed from one point of view is easily seen from another, it is possible to miss a fantastic view. That is, unless you are willing to see what’s in front of you through different eyes. Seeing the world from another perspective, whether spatially or mentally, can introduce us to all sorts of hidden treasures. The root of the discovery process often lies in finding another way of looking at the world. The common human reaction to insects is one example. Spinning its web in a dark corner, a spider may seem drab, frightening, and mysterious. But seen up close weaving silver snowflakes between the branches of a tree, they can look like colored jewels.

Sometimes, there are experiences in life that from your vantage point may seem confusing, alarming, or worrisome. Or there may be events that look insignificant from where you are standing right now. Try seeing them from another point of view. Bury your face in the grass and look at the world from a bug’s vantage point. Explore your home as if you were a small child. Take a ride in a small aircraft and experience the world from a bird’s eye view. Just as kneeling down sometimes helps you see more closely when you are looking for lost treasure, so standing back will help you appreciate the broader picture of your life. In doing so, you’ll experience very different worlds.

When I visted Alaska several years ago, the weather had been rainy and cloudy for many weeks and Mt Denali (McKinley) had been hidden by the clouds. A friend and I were on a tour of Denali National Park, and the highlight was to see Denali. Denali means “the great one”

We saw moose and caribou parading in the parking lots, grizzlies sunning themselves on the hillsides, and some peeks of blue sky. We learned that the reindeer that guide Santas’ sleigh at Xmas are all pregnant, as reindeer loose their antlers by then, unless they are pregnant.

And no sight of Denali, which is not really unusual, as seeing Mt Denali is unusual. My son lived in Alaska on the Copper River for 5 years and never sighted Denali on his treks from Anchorage and Fairbanks to Copper Center.

We made our way on the tour bus to the overlook of Denali, and all we saw was clouds obscuring the horizon. Sigh…disappointment from everyone.  On the way back down, we saw immense valleys, sharp drop offs that tumble to valley floors a thousand feet below us, and the weave of the rivers.

As this day progressed, the sun started peaking through the clouds and glimpses of the mountain range starting appearing from the clouds. Would Denali appear?

Rounding a bend in the road, a glimpse of a large mountain appeared…could it be Denali? “No”, said the tour guide “that is a range just before Denali, and I doubt we will sight Denali today.”

The Inspiration for The Denali Tiny Green Cabin

As we rounded the next bend, Denali finally arose from the clouds for that afternoon. It was huge! It was a magical time as our perspectives continually were changing as we drove out of Denali National Park with the realization that life also changes from different points as we awaken to our life’s journey.

At Tiny Green Cabins, we have learned to be open to possibilities and while we had a vision of a Denali Tiny Green Cabin, it alluded us! Until this week, then it sprang to life on the drafting board, just as if we had rounded the bend in the road and sighted Denali.

Denali Floor Plan with Loft Area

8×24′ with 14*8 loft above. This home is fully insulated, even the floors with Soft Touch Cotton insulation (recycled blue jeans)! Energy efficient Anderson Silverline Windows, single panel French door, frame material FSC CERT. MIXED * SW-COIC-000669, OSB wall and floor sheathings FSC CERT. MIXED * SW-COIC-000669, Tyvek house wrap, energy star electrical boxes with basic electrical package, Pro-Rib Steel 29 gauge panel - Emerald Green - Energy Star rated, Trex Decking (recycled plastic and wood fibers) “James Hardie” Cemplank exterior lap siding, RS Fir Soffit and Fascia, 3/8 inch fir paneled walls, energy star electrical boxes, vinyl flooring, and low VOC paints, Acrylic caulks

Options available are;

Wavy Edge Cedar Wainscoat w/Cedar Valley Option
9/16 Cedar Lap Siding
T&G 1×6 WP4 Soffits
White Ash End Matched T&G Character Grade Option
Pine Paneling T&G 1×6 WP4 Option
Cedar Paneling T&G 1×6 WP4 Option
Newport Propane Fireplace Heater P12000
Solar Tripod
Incinerator Electric Incinerating Toilet

Felling Trailer Option

Call for Pricing

Does not include cabinetry, appliances, or freight/shipping

At Tiny Green Cabins, we believe that our customers needs and desires are priority and we are here to serve you. We will partner with you in determining the level of “green” you would like to achieve from slightly “green” to green “Green.”  For that we have a list of options to customize your Tiny Green Cabin to your preferences and comfort. For more information visit our website information page or call us today.

A $2000 deposit will reserve your production date for your home.  50% deposit/payment required 3 weeks prior to production date, with the 40% balance due at midpoint of production and balance due upon delivery of your Tiny Green Cabin.

Tiny Green Cabins have many models to select from and options to make the model selected reflect your taste and desires. Since we started Tiny Green Cabins as an idea, and created a business from that idea, we also understand that what we have as a model may not fit your desires. With this understanding, we can partner with you to design a Tiny Green Cabin from your idea or thought - bringing it to form.

It’s the little things that go a long way

As you have read on many websites and blogs, there are a host of products and processes that you can integrate into your home or tiny house during its construction or remodeling to make it more Green. If you are a DIY person, a builder, or a person hiring a builder to build your home, large or tiny, there are choices you can make to be green.  However, Green is more than just low-VOC stains & chalks, insulation, and FSC certified lumber though - Green is an attitude, and a way of living.

If everyone changed a few small things they do every day, a big impact would be made on our environment and our planet. The following is a list of things that you could do to start living a more earth friendly and sustainable lifestyle.

1. Don’t print this article; instead, bookmark this page for future reference!
2. Bring your own bags to the grocery store.
3. Shop locally. Supporting your local retail establishments reduces pollution and the consumption of fossil fuels used by traveling.
4. Carpool, take public transportation, or ride your bicycle.
5. Purchase ENERGY STAR appliances.
6. Install a programmable thermostat.
7. Clean the coils on the back of your refrigerator for better efficiency.
8. Turn off any unused lights in your home.
9. Replace your inefficient windows with new double pane, Low-E insulated ones.
10. Do not recharge cell phones and electronic devices overnight. Most devices only require 1-2 hours to fully charge.
11. Take shorter showers and install low-flow showerheads.
12. Download electronic books online or get a library card.
13. Don’t let the faucet run while brushing your teeth.
14. Plant a tree.
15. Unplug electronic devices (TV’s, VCR’s, computers, etc.) when not in use or wire each outlet to a switch in the room to cut power to these devices. Many of your favorite household devices consume large amounts of electricity even when turned off.
16. Use environmentally friendly cleaners and detergents.
17. Use a clothesline instead of a dryer when possible.
18. Become a member of your local food co-op.
19. Install an inline water filter for your home in place of buying bottled water.
20. Carry your own reusable coffee mug or water bottle.
21. Use low-VOC latex paints and stains in all interior and exterior re-finishing applications.
22. Reduce junk mail
23. Use shredded paper for packaging material.
24. If at all possible, try telecommuting.
25. Use the stairs instead of the elevator.
26. Check your tire pressure once a month to improve your gas mileage.
27. Print or write on both sides of the paper.
28. After using your oven, turn it off and leave the door open to help heat the room.
29. Write your congressman about your concerns.
30. Involve your children. Teaching them how to be more environmentally conscious from an early age will instill good habits.
31. Start your own compost pile.
32. Install motion sensors for exterior lighting.
33. Replace your paper coffee filters with a reusable filter.
34. Spread the word! Tell people about the Green changes you have made.
35. Pay your bills online and sign up to stop receiving paper statements in the mail.
36. Cancel your phone book delivery and look up numbers and addresses online.
37. Make sure roof and soffit vents are clean and free of debris.
38. Replace your standard light bulbs with CFL’s (compact fluorescent lamps).
39. Reuse paper, plastic, and Ziploc bags.
40. Use cloth napkins & dishtowels rather than paper.
41. Open your window shades In the winter to take advantage of the heat from the sun. Close shades in the summer to keep your house cool.
42. Practice “night flushing” during the summer instead of using the AC
43. Use houseplants to freshen the air in your home instead of air fresheners and sprays.
44. Buy rechargeable batteries.
45. If faced with the option to download computer software or be mailed a disc, choose the download and burn a copy to disc.
46. Replace your toilet with a low-flush or dual-flush toilet.
47. Keep your freezer full. The fuller it is, the less energy it takes to cool it.
48. Have regular maintenance performed on your vehicle to keep it running at its most efficient.
49. Buy in bulk to reduce packaging materials and trips to the store.
50. Get outside! It’s good for the body and mind.
51. Use your cruise control. Doing so increases your gas mileage.
52. Buy Fair Trade.
53. Buy organic food.
54. Cover pots to reduce the time and energy needed to boil water or heat food.
55. Plant a vegetable garden.
56. Donate! Whether it be your time, clothing, kids toys, furniture or food.
57. Don’t use pesticides.
58. Put an insulation blanket around your water heater
59. Check caulk around windows and doors annually to ensure good seal.
60. Drink shade-grown coffee.
61. Use ceiling fans to improve air circulation reduce heating and cooling costs.
62. Join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Visit www.localharvest.com for more information.
63. Plant drought-resistant or no-mow grass.
64. Recycle and buy recycled products.
65. Buy renewable energy by checking that little box on your utility bill.
66. Run only full loads in your dishwasher and washng machine.
67. Buy clothing made from sustainable or recycled materials.
68. Use cisterns or barrels to collect rainwater for watering shrubs, flowers, and plants.
69. Drive the speed limit; doing so increases your gas mileage.
70. Keep water heater set at 120 degrees or less.
71. Replace your HVAC filter on a regular basis to ensure peak efficiency.
72. Drink tap water instead of bottled water.
73. Order local entrees when available at restaurants.
74. Add your sugar and cream to your coffee cup first, then fill with coffee to eliminate the use of those wooden stirring sticks and plastic straws.
75. Live small

And let’s face the brutal facts.

Practicing and living green is for a better lifestyle for us and future generations. It is not about saving the planet as many claim. Planet Earth was here a long time before we arrived and will go on no matter what we do.  Living green responsibly is about our families, now and for future generations. So, learn to minimize your carbon footprint with a sustainable healthy lifestyle.

I fell in love with Carriage Houses when I lived in a tiny house off of an alley in South St Paul.   Years ago, there was a large influx of workers that moved into the area to work at the Stockyards and processing plants and this high demand for simple housing created an opportunity for folks to convert garages and add tiny houses to their backyards as an added source of income. It was a win-win for everyone and it was great place for me to live for over a year.

My carriage house, tiny house was just over 400 square feet. It had a small bath, kitchen area, living/dining area, a small bedroom, and minimal storage.

Have you ever wondered exactly what a “granny flat” is? Granny Flat is a term used primarily in Australia and Great Britain. It’s a small, private home that sits on the same property as a larger home. A granny flat is a small, detached residential structure or tiny house that shares the same lot as a single-family home.  A tiny house is self-contained, having its own kitchen, bathroom, & bedroom, and physically separate from an owners primary home.  Carriage Houses are typically limited in size to no more than 800 square feet of finished living space.  Carriage Houses have also been called ‘Detached Accessory Dwelling Units, Granny Flats, Mother-in-Law apartments, & Tiny Houses. We have built several granny flats over 2 car detached garages as mother-in-law apartments or nanny quarters.

Another advantage of a tiny house is that they frequently are sitting on a trailer and transportable, so they miss the additional property tax fees. Since Tiny Green Cabins and houses are transportable, you can take them wherever life takes you.

A granny flat is a dwelling unit that can be in the form of an upstairs apartment, a garage apartment, a tiny house, or a carriage house. This tiny house has its own entrance and they are growing in numbers and popularity.

The main advantage to having a granny flat, from the homeowner’s view point, is the potential for bringing in extra income from renting out the unit. Some homeowners view the additional space as a great way to create a living place for their teenage family members to hang out, or even for their elderly parents to live. The granny flat also makes a great guest house due do its privacy.

If you have aging parents, moving them into a granny flat on your property has great advantages. By having your parents living on your property, you will be able to check in with them on a regular basis to see how they are getting along. Since the granny flat living unit is a separate from the main home, your elderly parents will still have a place of their own with a kitchen, bath, living space, and bedroom. Granny Flats are another way of keeping families together.

Another great advantage of a granny flat is that the energy bills will be substantially lower in this smaller living space. Many elderly couples find that they must move out from their large, spacious homes as they often find it difficult to maintain a big house and property.  Granny Flats are another way of keeping families together.

Living in a granny flat can be the perfect answer for single people, young couples, or aging grandparents due to their features and pricing.

Now is a great time to create your own Granny Flat, Carriage House, or Tiny House.  Give us a call and let’s explore the possibilities.

I was told by a friend that all a man needed to be happy was a polebarn, an ice fishing pad/house and enough space for a pillow and his blanket. The ice fishing house/pad sounds very much like man cave, as they are termed in the last couple of years. So what is a man cave?

Definition;

A man cave (also sometimes mantuary) is a male sanctuary, such as a specially equipped garage, spare bedroom, media room, den, basement, or Tiny Green Cabin.

Purpose;

A man cave is loosely a male-only space to retreat to, watch sports matches, or play video games. According to psychiatrist and author Scott Haltzman, it is important for a man to have a place to call his own, referring to a male area to retreat to. Some psychologists claim that a man cave can provide refuge from stressful surroundings and be beneficial to marriage and committed relationships.

The Little Rascals had a Man Cave, except it was their club house; when I played Wild Wild West in my youth, my fort was my man cave; when my dad retreated to the garage to play with his car…that was his man cave; and now all those places have been elevated with the formal name – “Man Cave”

The Man Caves of today have high tech features, huge flat screen TV’s, bars that are fully stocked, and comfy seating for friends, internet hookups, and video games . In  man cave law, No man shall ever cancel plans with his buddies at the last minute. Exceptions: You win free tickets to the Super Bowl, Carmen Electra is unbuttoning your shirt, or in cases of death (your own). For more laws, click here

Triggered in part by the “Man Caves” series that airs on the DIY Network, men across America are daring to visualize something they’ve craved in the most primitive recesses of their brains for years: A place of their own.

It doesn’t matter whether the magic happens in a basement, a garage, an attic, a shed or a barn. What’s important is that the man of the house gets a refuge that’s tailored to his specific interests.

The Wildflower cabin is my Man Cave, as it is my place to think, talk with a friend or two via my cell, a place to relax, to read, and to feel safe. When I started living in the Wildflower Cabin, it was my proverbial doghouse and developed into finding out how to make the tiny cabin better. To that end, there have been thoughts for improvements, suggestions noted, and different designs contemplated. Since I built the Wildflower, there was already a lot of me built into the small cabin, so one could say I had a special attachment to it, it was my nest, my man cave.

Here are some pictures of man caves. One of them is mine. Which One? The  person to email me the right answer closest to the 27th email will receive a $50 gift certificate to Home Depot.

By definition from Wikipedia

Carpenter Gothic, also sometimes called Carpenter’s Gothic, and Rural Gothic, is a North American architectural style-designation for an application of Gothic Revival architectural detailing and picturesque massing applied to wooden structures built by house-carpenters. The abundance of North American timber and the carpenter-built vernacular architectures based upon it made a picturesque improvisation upon Gothic a natural evolution. Carpenter Gothic improvises upon features that were carved in stone in authentic Gothic architecture, whether original or in more scholarly revival styles; however, in the absence of the restraining influence of genuine Gothic structures, the style was freed to improvise and emphasize charm and quaintness rather than fidelity to received models.

We did mention that possibility in the previous post, and Tiny Green Cabins has a preliminary plan for a Carpenter Gothic cabin.

The history of the Carpenter Gothic style started in the early 1800’s via tents, and most notably the Methodists camp-meeting grounds. The largest of these camp meeting grounds was at Martha’s Vineyards off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. These tents evolved into canvas topped, wood framed, wood sided, and candle lit structures that glowed in the night. They are an interesting link to Carpenter Gothic designs and homes of the later 1800’s.

As time progressed, people dressed up the front of the canvas roofs by designing unique cutouts in the front flaps and adding carvings to the front to stand out from each other. The sides and rear remained simple and plain. So, in a nutshell, Carpenter Gothic homes have carved and unique decorative moldings/features on the front and few, if any, on the sides and rear.

This style works well on a Tiny Green Cabin as one could design their cabin with their own unique personal style and ideas without breaking the bank. Just think of the possibilities that your mind could play with. Are you a hermit - then play around with the door and other features, a person that loves moose - then create a moose motif, so many possibilities…..

Call Tiny Green Cabins TODAY to start your personal design of your own tiny house!