Small House Society > Resources

Summary. Below are personal blogs and online journals of people working on constructing, renovating, or designing small homes. Some of these include all stages from design to the finished project. Through sharing stories, photos, videos, floor plans, and other details about the process, others are able to learn about the experience.

  • 100khouse.com – “This blog is a record of one development team in downtown Philly trying to see if they can build both a modern and ‘green’ house for a measly $100,000.”
  • Building Home & Garden by Greg Manter [ Website | Blog ]
  • ComingUnmoored.com by Stephanie Reiley (Steph). A very well written online journal/website seasoned with plenty of humor and beautiful photos. Steph describes her blog in these words, “I’m in the process of renovating a 600 square foot floating home that was originally a boat house built by Ed Hargraves back in the 1960’s. I didn’t realize quite how much I’d bit off when I started. But, I was looking to seriously downscale, and I fell in love with the little place when I was researching various options. Simply put, this blog is about my attempts to rebuild/redesign my life in a Portland floating home.”
  • Constructing a Simpler Life. This is an inspirational and beautifully written blog by Amanda and Tyson who live in Aromas, California.
  • Daniel Baker’s House on Washington Island [ Website | Story | Photos ]
  • Deer Run 16×26 home in Oklahoma by Joseph Scott Anderson. “We are just getting started. I’ll update as we progress. This structure is based on the Victorias cottage but it’s been changed a lot. I’ll try to get a plan up soon.”
  • Henry David Thoreau [ Waldon.org | FiddlersGreenWebsite | Writings | Wikipedia ]
  • Judy of the Woods. A woodland permaculture woman. [ Website ]
  • Mobile Hermitage. A beautifully designed tiny house. [ Website ]
  • Smallest House in Rich County. Scott and Lolit Smith constructed and now live in what is probably the smallest home in Rich County, Utah. “We built it on a shoestring and working on it off and on it took about 41 days from start to finish.  The concrete pad was poured on 30 April 2008 and we spent our first night in it 10 June 2008. We insulated it well since it is in a hight mountain valley.  The interior paint color was chosen by default – Home Depot sells “Ooops” paint so we got 5 gallons of great paint for $15.00.  It is well insulated – since it is in a high mountain valley at a high elevation.” They also manage the smallest store in that county.
  • SmallHouseLiving.com – “Tiny House Living is a weekly newsletter that covers the world of tiny houses and the people that choose to live this simpler life. Each entry is a short summary that links to the original article.” by Michael Janzen
  • SmallLivingJournal.com – “The Small Living Journal is the joint project of nine writers who are active in the small home movement .  Issues of the journal will be released on a bi-weeky basis every other Monday, with individual issues focusing on a different aspects of small home living.”
  • ThisTinyHouse.com – “For the past 7 years I have been living in very small spaces. Among the highlights of my living situations are:  a car, a yurt, a treehouse, a “chicken room”, a 186-sq-ft studio apartment, a rooftop shack and a rural hippie commune. My desire to own my own tiny home (and not go into debt) led me to buy a used lightweight fiberglass travel trailer in January of 2008.”
  • Tiny Free House by Michael Janzen. Michael explains, “I’m embarking on a little experiment. I’m going to build a tiny house that’s cross between Henry David Thoreau’s cabin at Walden Pond and a Tumbleweed-like Tiny House on wheels. The only difference is that it will cost me nothing. Any money I spend will be recouped by selling discarded things I find and most of the wood will come from old shipping pallets. Why Pallets? It just seems like poetic justice for a house that questions consumerism be made from the very things that carried the products to market.”
  • Tiny Pallet House by Michael Janzen. Michael Explains, “This micro-blog explains how to build a tiny house quickly out of shipping pallets.”
  • Turnbull Tiny House – “This blog follows the inspiration, construction and inhabitation of a creative 144-foot space.” by Elizabeth Turnbull
  • Vardo For Two – “My life with MCS (multiple chemical sensitivities) is being transformed with Hope, Innovate and Appreciation. Welcome to our Vardo For Two (Vardo: a traveling gypsy wagon)… the space we are creating both on this blog and in real-time/real-life. Follow our journey from utter dispair as fugitives from a chemically threatening world, to a place where tiny dreams (of tiny homes) grow gigantic hope!”

Other Resources. Below are some other similar resources.

  • The Jewel Box Home by Genevieve Ferraro. A beautifully and thoughtfully written journal with photos and suggestions on how to live well in a smaller space. Genevieve describes her blog in these words, “It covers decorating, entertaining and living in a smaller home.  Some of the most popular topics I have covered include Ten Tips for Raising Children in a Smaller Home – this blog led to a long discussion here on SHS – My Favorite Kitchen Things, Top Ten Reasons for Living in a Smaller Home and Carlos Santana and The Jewel Box Home.” From her website: “Hello, I’m a wife and working mother, and the creator and champion of the Jewel Box Home. After living with my husband and two sons in an 1800 square foot house for over 15 years, I am here to say that successful small home living is within anyone’s grasp. In The Jewel Box Home I will give readers a step-by-step guide to decorating, entertaining and living happily in a smaller home. If I can entertain 30 people for a sit down dinner and cook the meal in an 8×8 foot kitchen, anything is possible!”

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Honorable Mention. The Small House Society has been mentioned on numerous blogs. Here are a few recent entries.

  • LittlePaperHeart.com – “I understand the spirit of organizations like the Small House Society…” 7 March 2009
  • PeachyGreen.com – “Many owners and would- be owners belong to the small house society, which brings tiny house aficionados together and offers online resources, recommendations, forums and even a facebook page for online networking.” 5 March 2009
  • RichDadsPoorDad.com – “Over the last week, several readers have written to me with various comments, suggestions, and questions related to the so-called small house movement. Given that it’s a great way to save money (as I’ll discuss below), I thought it’d be worthwhile to investigate the movement in detail.” 13 November 2008
  • BluePlanetGreenLiving.com – “Use the word downsize with most folks, and they might picture moving from a two-story house to a bungalow or apartment. But Gregory Johnson, co-founder of the Small House Society, gives downsizing an entirely new meaning.” 26 October 2008

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