Compact Cabins: Simple Living in 1000 Square Feet or Less by Gerald Rowan is a nice book to give you some beginning ideas on building a small dwelling. There are 62 plan idea in the book, most of which are very unique. There are even a handful of designs that utilize shipping containers [...]]]>

Compact Cabins: Simple Living in 1000 Square Feet or Less by Gerald Rowan is a nice book to give you some beginning ideas on building a small dwelling. There are 62 plan idea in the book, most of which are very unique. There are even a handful of designs that utilize shipping containers as a basis for the living space.

Even if none of the designs really strike your fancy the author discusses designing a compact cottage based on assembling modules (on paper first). Draw out squares on paper representing the sleeping area, kitchen/dining area, and living area. Then multiply each module to accomodate the number of people that will stay in the cabin. Maybe you need 2 sleeping areas, just one kitchen area, and 2 living areas. Then arrange and rearrange these squares to give you an idea of your final floor plan.

The only thing I didn’t care for with the book is the style of the pictures. It really reminds be of a 50′s Boy Scout manual or 50′s Popular Mechanics type of style. Not very cozy. But, if you grew up in that era this kind of artwork would probably be more appealing to you.

A chapter on more details of framing and construction would have been helpful, too.

Thought you’d be interested in a peak at some serious playhouses for kids! This would make a pretty cool Christmas/holiday present!! Kits, pre-builts, and plans are all available at Wood Manor Playhouses for Kids.

There are several running blogs by contributing editors. Topics include:

* Building Science * Business Advisor [...]]]> Tuanton press has a wonderful website dedicated to green building practices and advice, Green Building Advisor. Lots of free information is accessible without needing a membership, unlike their Fine Homebuilding site.

There are several running blogs by contributing editors. Topics include:

* Building Science
* Business Advisor
* Code Green
* Design Matters
* Energy Solutions
* Green Building Miscellanea
* Green Building Curmudgeon
* Musings of an Energy Nerd
* Think Spot

Check it out, there’s a ton of information there. Plus several green building projects that they follow, so you can see others building their own green/sustainable homes.

Another reader passed along this link to a great website by the University of Tennessee Extension. There’s a wealth of information there! Most of the plans are for agricultural related buildings like barns and sheds, but there are a few for simple cabins.

The plans come in pdf format that are printable on [...]]]>

Another reader passed along this link to a great website by the University of Tennessee Extension. There’s a wealth of information there! Most of the plans are for agricultural related buildings like barns and sheds, but there are a few for simple cabins.

The plans come in pdf format that are printable on regular 8.5″ x 11″ paper. That makes the final printing rather small and difficult to read. But, for someone with some background experience in building and construction these plans will be easy enough to follow… and modify. I would venture to guess that you could even take any of these print outs to your building department for permit approval.

Even if you significantly modify any of their plans they’re a great starting place for thinking about building a small house. I printed out several of the small cabin plans and immediately started visualizing how to modify floor plans. The plans for the cabin shown here are under the Dormitory Loft Cabin heading.

The picture is Gail’s own [...]]]> Gail, a regular reader, submitted a suggestion of starting with a closet shelving project to get the feel for building something. I think that’s a great suggestion! Many home improvement stores have modular shelving of one type or another, so you can buy the components as you need them.

The picture is Gail’s own shelving project for one of her daughters (she’s a mother of 4 great kids). She writes about her dream place: “someday I would like to have some acreage with a residence (at least 2 acres with zoning to keep farm animals, and the house at least 3 bedrooms, since I have a big family). Later I may build 2 additional guest houses connected with a porch (this is my idea, since my oldest two daughters someday will need their own places to live). The guest houses would have a loft and possibly a basement. When the houses get too small for my oldest daughters, they can be used for my youngest two children. I also want to have a barn.”

Thanks, Gail for submitting your idea! If anyone else out there has ideas for building projects that would help get you used to using power tools and lumber, please send it in.