This colorful cottage looks like it might be on one of the Caribbean islands, but it actually sits in the middle of north central Seattle, Washington. Using wide board paneling, buckets of paint and a lot of imagination, someone transformed this small dwelling into their own tropical paradise. It is complete with a thatched tiki-style shelter in the yard for enjoying a rum punch in the shade.
The owners of this small house on Camano Island in Washington originally intended it to be a vacation cabin. After using it a short while, they soon decided to make it their full-time residence. Given the location and the quality of the space, that likely wasn’t a difficult decision to make. They built the home themselves from a design by architect Tim Carlander of Vandeventer + Carlander Architects. He was faced with a number of requirements: The cabin had to be built on an existing 16′ by 22′ foundation, provide privacy from nearby neighbors, take advantage of an existing garden, and be easy for the clients to build.
This rustic cabin is on San Juan Island in Washington state. Perched on a hill, it has a commanding view over the islands and waterways below. The 672 ft2 (62.4 m2) cabin was designed by architect David Vandervort. The cabin consists of two 2-storey “towers” joined by a single storey living area. The towers are reminiscent of forest fire lookout towers, with wide overhangs supported by knee braces providing shade for the wrap-around banks of windows.
photo by Benjamin Benschneider
The owner of this rooftop residence wanted to downsize from his 3,500 ft2 house. When he learned that the industrial zoning would allow a small “caretaker’s unit” in the marina his company owned, he envisioned enjoying the views from a small loft-like home placed on the roof of one of the warehouses.
One of the advantages of small houses is that sometimes they can go where larger houses can’t. In this case, zoning regulations limited the house to 800 ft2 (74.3 m2). And, the warehouse required significant structural upgrades to support even a house that small.
The Mini-B is a small prototype dwelling intended to demonstrate that building to the Passive House standard is achievable and affordable in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, and will result in comfortable, energy efficient homes.
photo by Ira Lippke for the New York Times
Artist Michelle de la Vega decided to generate extra income by renting out her house while moving into the standalone garage out back. But first, she had to transform the dumpy building into habitable space. Acting as her own designer and general contractor, Ms. de la Vega had the roof raised 4 feet to provide enough headroom for a sleeping loft. A small unfitted kitchen is placed along one wall and an addition to one side houses a spacious bathroom. The finished home has 250 ft2 (23.2 m2) of comfortable living space.
