More Media for Tiny

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Ashlee Cunsolo

It seems like everyone is interested in Tiny, and where she ended up and what it’s like to live small. Recently, Tiny has been featured in a CTV National News story, and a BuzzFeed Canada story!

The CTV story weaves together clips from two separate interviews conducted by CTV Atlantic about Tiny.

The BuzzFeed Canada article covers living in Tiny, with a particular focus on the doggie elevator for the lovely Corgie, Shanti.

Matt has been fielding phone calls and emails from all across the country about building and living in Tiny Homes, and it is so exciting to see such interest. The Tiny Home movement is here to stay!

Favourite Feature #4: Crafty Cupboards

Posted on November 1, 2015 by matthewwillox

Cupboards are essential for any home; but in a Tiny Home, they are even more essential. Matt and the clients wanted to find ways to maximize every available space in the kitchen, creating a kitchen area that is not only spacious, but stores a surprising amount of items.

All the cupboards were handmade and custom built to space, out of plywood with a maple face, and finished with varathane to give a smooth, durable, and natural finish. Some of the interesting features of these cupboards are drawers at the bottom of each cupboard where the toe kick normally is, avoiding 4 inches of wasted space. The drawers feature full extension sliders, to easily access all parts of the storage space. The drawers were also specifically designed to accommodate all their kitchen appliances and pots and pans, ensuring that every item had its place.

The bank of drawers next to the desk function as office supply storage, with the top drawer containing an inner charging station to avoid unnecessary clutter from electronics.

Finally, to allow two people to easily work together in the kitchen, a custom fold-up countertop was designed, maximizing the working and chopping space in the kitchen.

Kitchen cabinets

In production

Looking more like a kitchen

Fling cabinet and charging drawer

Kitchen is looking good with all the faces on

When more counter space is required this leaf just swings up and locked in place.

when more people space is needed in the kitchen the leaf drops down.

lots of storage, including in the toe kick.

Spice rack

Toe kick drawer, can be opened with your toes!

The Circuit panel hidden at the back of the pantry.

File drawer with hard wood rails to hold file folders.

This is the charging drawer. The end of the charge cords sit in the slots and the unsightly mess of wires hangs out of sight behind the drawer.

Working on installing the cupboard doors.

Faces drying in the sun

Favourite Feature #1: Integrated Couch, Desk & Table

Posted on October 13, 2015 by matthewwillox

As promised, here is the first installment of Matthew’s favourite features of Tiny. First up, the integrated couch, desk, and table set that was designed specifically for the needs of the owners and for the space.

This unit is a big part of the central house design, and is not only a main decorative feature, but is also a critical piece of the living space. This unit incorporates multiple storage spaces, a shelving unit, a permanent desk and foldaway table, and a comfy couch.

The whole design was a challenge, given the space requirements and the multiple uses and functions the unit had to perform. A lot of thought and prototypes went into this design, and we are so pleased with the results.

The shelf unit functions not only as a needed storage unit, but also as a way to hide the sliding ladder leading up to one of the lofts, and cover the sliding door to the bathroom.

It was important to maximize the storage capacity of the couch unit, by building in storage units under the sitting space. These units also add a great accent of colour and can also function as extra seats when guests are over.

One of the hardest parts was the design of the desk and table unit. The challenge: the desk needed to be a permanent fixture, but the table needed to be able to be stowed when not in use, freeing up the couch space. This design enables the table to be pulled out, while the desk is in use. Matt went through multiple designs and prototypes of the leaf system, finally settling on the one you see in the pictures, both for strength, durability, and ease of motion and use.

The custom-made upholstery adds the final finishing touch to this unit, and creates a very comfy couch and extra bed. It also adds a bright pop of colour to the unit, creating a warm and welcoming space. Overall, this has become one of the most eye-catching and innovative parts of Tiny!

Maple bracket to hold up fold away diner table

Mounting bracket to couch frame

Working on the table bracket

Couch base and attached shelf

Desk, couch, table, storage and shelf, all one integrated unit

With extra leaf unfolded there is room for four.

Clips on the underside hold the leaf in place when not in use

Plenty of storage under the couch, they also double as extra seats

A latch cover mounted in the floor provides a an anchor spot for the stand.

Pieces of wood on the underside help guide the stand into place

Door and Ladder stowed away behind the shelves

These boxes under the couch double as seats for when company comes over.

Going Live (Almost) & Keeping Warm

Posted on May 24, 2015 by Ashlee Cunsolo

We are learning that when you build a Tiny Home, things take longer than expected. Working in a small space means that you have to slow down and take great care with every action and decision.

The electrical work was no different and, as with everything else, took longer than we all expected. One of the main reasons for the extra time was the sheer amount of planning that went into the electrical layout. Matt was lucky enough to work with Brandon Nielsen from Flux Electrical in Cape Breton, who understood the importance of getting it right the first time, and minimizing the number of holes drilled in the structure in order to run the wire.

Overall, the wiring process went very well. It seems like a lot of wire for a Tiny House, but every circuit has its purpose. We also had to run some 12 volt circuits to support the winch for the dog elevator (everyone’s favourite feature), and for the on-demand water heater control.

Next steps with electrical: once the house is finished, the final lights, receptacles, and switches will go in, and then Tiny will be ready to be hooked to a power source!

Once the wiring was done, it was time to insulate the inside. Once again, we used spray foam for its high R Value and air sealing abilities, as well as to provide further structural stability. Before EcoHome Insulation could spray though, all the Douglas Fir had to be covered up to avoid getting foam on it. It was challenging for the installers at times, because there were a lot of small spaces to fill, which are difficult to fill evenly. But the results are great, and all this work should help to keep Tiny nice and cozy.

It all starts with a panel.

Conduits to the main feed.

Light box, hand-made by Matt out of Douglas Fir.

Custom conduit for light boxes.

Lots and lots of wires.

Brandon from Flux Electrical surveying his great work.

Nicely labelled circuits.

Okay, so this isn’t electrical. But it’s the start of plumbing. More on that soon.

If it doesn’t want foam on it it has to be covered up.

All wrapped up.

EcoHome Insulation installing the spray foam.

All done.

Douglas Fir-ing it Up!

Posted on May 23, 2015 by Ashlee Cunsolo

Once Tiny was water tight, it was time to start getting to work on the inside details. First up, was the loft framing, which was not only an integral part of the structure, but would ultimately be exposed wood. This meant we needed to find a material that was both strong and would finish beautifully.

Douglas Fir became the obvious choice, because of its strength. Matt was extremely happy with how this turned out, as the Douglas Fir has a subtle red tone that adds richness and depth, and will be a great accent to the overall aesthetics of the finished home.

The post you see in the middle of the house in the pictures below is designed to bring the load down from the roof onto the black steel angle. Being able to transfer the load at a midpoint meant the ridge beam could be reduced in size, allowing more space in the loft. In a Tiny House, every inch counts!