one step forward

After yesterday's creative aside I'm back to getting the saucer section right. Husband looked at it, and you remember that look I was talking about. Anytime "ladder" entered the equation he got that look. He much prefers the stairs we saw in the park models, steep - but functional. He likes the way they were sandwiched on either side in this model (and many others), but I don't think I can pull it off at this width.

I played around with this stair calculator and for our tiny home it is going to take about 6 linear feet to get up to the loft. That leaves only 18 inches for the landing, which in my world is 12 less than optimal and if it were side ways, well then you have a 9 inch landing at the bottom and top, uh huh sure.. So anyway, if we need stairs they are going to run the long way.

You'll notice my beloved pocket doors are gone. I'm pulling a page from the other pod(om) and simply plan to add in the doors when the shuttle is built. I will frame the rough opening such that there are no mechanicals in the way and it should be an easy weekend chore later.

The tiny bench/sofa/trundle kid sleeper has also gone and the bathroom has shrunk down to a less indulgent size. On the bathroom, it is my thought that the saucer is a functional space, not indulgent. a small tub is adequate for bathing the kids so we should only have a small tub. Likewise, if this is to be our home for the next few years, we need semi comfortable day space, i.e. the sofa.

The entertainment center is large.. but I feel like the tiny home is taking my previous bad habits with it, so that's going to get changed. I might go back to the bench too, what do you think? One important thing I learned from this one is that the roof pitch change has to happen before the loft, in order to allow adequate head space when the entrance is on the side instead of centrally located.

I'm also missing a porch. There is ample space for a swing in, if you don't see all the toys and kids all over the floor like I do. My solution, well also not my idea, but its such a great inspiration - a fold down deck.. easily bigger than the deck I had before. They also have a video tour of this home, which is where I had my realization about the head space issue. I would have caught it in the elevation mockup later, but better to think about it now.

tiny home v2

So this began as shuttle #2, also known as the escape pod which was really supposed to be a dining room/en suite but it took on a life of its own and here it is. My first run that I'm happy with the bathroom and kitchen, but I drew in my current sofa (a queen sleeper) and it dominates the little space left.

I try again with a smaller but still roomy sofa and it works out.

This is a 24 ft trailer, and there would be a loft over the kitchen and over the bathroom. Separate closets for grownups and kids, toys in the ottoman, good sized pantry and utility closet space. I figure my son can sleep on the sofa and we can store my daughter's crib sized mattress under it during the day. By any realistic stretch she will be out of the crib by the time the tiny home is built. I like the side entrance to get away from the corridor effect. The entertainment center will have to be very functional, this is what I had in mind:

After looking at it, it won't actually work with full size appliances, but with more standard tiny home sized stuff it might work out. I don't have time for more drawings tonight, so until next time...

saucers, shuttles, doors.. oh, my!

So here are some preliminary designs for the saucer section (24') as well as the shuttle #1 and shuttle #2, which I will likely call the escape pod (this first design is tarleton-esque, it was unintentional). You'll notice that the saucer and the shuttle both have 2 sets of patio doors. This is key for the docking, the door openings must be the same size so that the weatherstripping on the exterior trim can make a solid connection. We considered smaller door openings, but the feeling of space with the larger opening is just too big a lure in the planning stage, we'll see how it goes when I get to the price quote stage. I've also dreamed big here. You'll see that on the saucer the patio doors are actually pocket doors (I have them drawn that way on the shuttle too, although that is definitely excessive, which my dear husband helped me realize).

This first saucer has the full tub and I've switched to a humanure toilet. I've also scaled my kitchen appliances down to tiny home sizes. The desk and chair I have, the desk doubles the size of it's top, so it's big enough for us all to eat at, barely. I've seen some clever ideas on pinterest so you may see them included, just ask. I really want a porch but it really cuts into the usable space in December, and this one really doesn't have a place for the kids to sleep so..

Basically the same bathroom but I've moved the pantry and make the deck just big enough for the out swing of the door (which is allowed in some codes if there is an adequate step, your mileage may vary). This gives us room for a bench, which just so happens to be the same size as a crib mattress. If the table folds up and the two chairs are really ottomans with toys, and I put a trundle with a second crib mattress in the bench, well then I've done it sure enough, we could live in this. At least for a year or two while we get enough together for the shuttle, shown below.

So now you have a saucer and a shuttle. With the furniture arranged as shown they would be sitting side by side, like a double wide. If this was the only intended upgrade, you could do the roof like a double wide too, half pitch on either trailer and put down on a ridge cap when docked. it would be a nice simple, roof line for construction purposes as well, if slightly modern looking when the saucer is separated.

You could also arrange them in the L shape I originally intended. The living room furniture would need to move some, and possibly be sized down for scale. As I stated earlier, the doors would not be pockets due to prohibitive expense. But no worries. Most properly installed patio doors can be removed in about 10 minutes with only a screwdriver, leaving a nice big expanse most of the time. I'd probably build a custom crate to stash them in securely under the trailer when docked.

Last but not least is the escape pod. It's main function by day is a dining room/craft room/homework/office.. basically anything you typically use your dining room table for. By night it's a master suite, thank you Murphy bed, no more loft climbing (by the time we get around to building this addition the kids are really going to need a place to entertain their friends, the old loft will fit that bill.. at least if the weather is iffy enough I can't make them go outside).

Yep, an en suite, we've definitely entered the luxury stage folks. The bath is purely functional, honest. Remember I was happy about being able to close the doors when I'm cooking? If I have this beauty I can lock them out and not even feel bad. The kitchenette will probably hold drinks and snacks, nothing vital. As far as attaching to the rest of the house, it can attach to the shuttle making a U shape or if I put some more doors on the saucer in the T shape or some strange shape by pulling up along side one or the other... oh my I think I've hurt my brain. Sufficed to say I keep shuffling my pages around looking for my optimal blend of form and function.