It has been a LONG time since I’ve given you a tour of, or an update on our tiny house. As the holidays approached, our attention turned to festivities and gift-making and eating, so we let building rest for a bit. But all along, little details have been added here and there that make this tiny house seem more and more like home.
The details are so small – a hook here and a shelf there – that they seem to not even make a difference, but when I look back at photos from late October or November, and compare them to the house I live in today, they are so very different. The house, while unfinished for certain, is cozy and lived in.
The only problem is that our house is so cozy and home-like that it is hard to really get to the work that needs to be done. The Carr Siding on the ceiling is 3/4 of the way finished, but that last quarter sure feels like a big project to tackle! The gypsum plaster of the bedroom nook has yet to be redone, and for that matter, none of the other walls are finished at all! In half the house, we still look at the mesh fabric that holds in the blown cellulose insulation!
When you read about house-building, one of the biggest pieces of advice given is to NOT move in before the finish work is done, and I now I understand why! To work on the mudroom floor, a project that really only took 1.5 days and one person’s labor, took a big effort to move boxes and buckets and boots and kids out of the living space. But this week, I took the kids on an overnight trip to the big city, while Brian stayed behind and tiled the mudroom and pantry.
Beth happily agreed to smile big for the camera in this “Before” shot. This photo was actually taken in late October, but you can see the cottonwood sub-floor and the view west into the mudroom. The pigments on the ground are where our pantry is now.
Laying down the square tile. After many, many trips to the Habitat for Humanity REStore in Columbia, we finally found enough tile to finish the mudroom, with a mixture of darker terra cotta and lighter terra cotta tiles of the same shape and pattern. The total cost – a whopping $20. Finding materials for cheap requires an input of energy, for certain, but we would have spent well over $75 dollars had we bought the same tile new.
Filling in the grout.
Come on in the front door!
The “After” shots. Pantry is to the right of the photo, looking west into the mudroom. You can see to the left that the tile only went part way into the pantry room; that sub-floor will be covered by a built in bench that will (one day) be our dining area. It feels so exciting to watch this house take shape, one floor at a time.
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Thanks! We use Bluehost.
What a cozy space. Love seeing the progress. Wish I’d tried this years ago… For now, I can just view vicariously. You have a lovely property. How did you clear the land, where you decided to build the homestead? Was there already a clearing, or did you have to clear it yourself by hand or with heavy equipment? I’ve lived in the city all my life, so please pardon me for asking..
Thank you Bernie. When we moved to the land, part of it had been cleared for farming in the past. We did take down a few small trees, but that was done with hand saws and chain saws. We may need to do some heavy equipment work in the future to create a pond, but so far, it’s all been done by us.
Thanks for asking!
teri
I am 59 and if I could go back in time I would love to live off the grid in a tiny cozy house as you have done. I will just dream and enjoy your blog. Blessings.
Thank you so much for your comment!
I loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Margie!
Love to see your progress!!
Thanks Tessa! It is so satisfying having a real floor in here! Feels like big progress, and it looks so much nicer.
Lovely! I always see wonderful tile at our Habitat. It came together so well in your mudroom. Love seeing your pantry too! I really enjoy your blog so much. Thank you for sharing your world! We are hoping to buy our first homestead soon, just 8 acres, but a great start after just .50 acre in our city. Best wishes.
Hi Kari,
Thanks so much for your message. It really means a lot to me when people say hello and introduce themselves!
What an exciting time for you, planning for your future homestead! Keep me posted on how it goes!
What a beautiful mudroom!! We don’t have one, and with kids and big dogs I’m envious!
I love having a mudroom. It is our first one, and it makes such a difference keeping the rest of the house clean.
I LOVE it Teri! Exactly what I’ve been planning… thanks for the tip on where to go to get it cheaper!
Yes, if you have a reuse store nearby, it can save a lot.