Tiny House Love!
ISSN 2631-326X
FEBRUARY 2021
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FEBRUARY 2021
Send Us Your Photos!! Are you living in a tiny house, a narrowboat, a studio or other small space? Your story can help inspire others to follow their dreams!
Email us at: info@tinylivingmagazine.co.uk
On the cover:
Inside The Pirate’s Rest, New Zealand.
Contents 03 12 13 The Pirate’s Rest … Page
The Incredibly Helpful Hedgehog … Page Did You Know That... … Page
Published by: Tiny Living Productions Ltd Editor: Pamela Palongue Design by: Gilmour Graphics Email: info@tinylivingmagazine.co.uk
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The
Rest
Even pirates need a break now and then. But they probably seldom have such stylish digs to relax in‌
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This month we’re taking a short escape to one of the most beautiful countries in the world – New Zealand to explore a gorgeous tiny house equipped with wind and solar.
His home has an “old world bach” feel to it with ocean views. A bach (pronounced ‘batch’) is New Zealand speak for the small beach houses that emerged in the 1950s culture of the island.
Scott Henderson wanted to create a contemporary home with a nautical vibe, that was both fun and quirky. Mission accomplished!
The vintage marine décor has portal windows, bunk pods and brass marine style lamps.
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“ Living off grid and in small spaces became an absolute reality and normality for me” He’s also used plenty of recycled bits, like the 100 year-old wooden doors and recycled Rimu floors. There’s also some ancient Kauari wood used for shelves. This unique native wood has been preserved in peat swamps for thousands of years and has a rich beautiful tone. The concept for a tiny home came about from Scott living on his 44-foot launch in Tauranga Harbour, while he rented out his house to pay the bills.
The idea for the build started with a spot of gin, as many good ideas often do. While looking out over the corner of a family plot of land, he realised there was enough space for a tiny house. But the house would need to be wedge-shaped in order to fit the small tract of land. He enlisted the help of a friend who’s an architect with Creative Space to design the structure which overlooks the Alderman Islands in Pauanui on the Coromandel Peninsula.
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Fortunately, this forward-thinking architect also believes that tiny houses are the way of the future and was totally onboard with the idea. When it came time to submit the design to the local council an architect who was familiar with the local codes was able to help ensure smooth sailing through the legal process. For the electrics, Scott hired a semi-retired electrician who had just completed a course in solar energy and was eager to put his new knowledge to work. Scott and his wife designed the interiors. “I wanted to incorporate as much native timber as possible as I find it so rich in history and so beautiful. The insideoutside bar is a 3.8m slab of Macrocarpa, a local hardwood. I filled the holes with doming resin and a blue tint in layers, and added some seashells, so it looks as if you’re staring into the ocean… I’m not an artist but I do have creative tendencies and I know what I like. For inspiration, I’ll sometimes look on Pinterest for ideas, and then modify them to my taste and materials available.” Even though Scott’s home is a new build, with all the recycled pieces, it has a definite ‘old soul’ to it.
“I find new builds so devoid of soul or character with caustic manmade materials. Old wood gives so much life to a space and makes it unique. The 100 year-old doors are from a building recycler who retrieved them from an old villa. The floors are from a guy I found online who buys up native timbers from demolition sites (in this case an old department store) and mills it into flooring.” The swamp Kauri trees are ancient, and a licence is needed to retrieve the wood from where they have fallen in the peat swamps. Scott found a gentleman with Maori family with a licence for the wood. He then had a friend mill the wood and shaped it himself. The perfectly preserved, fallen trees could be as old as 60,000 years old! For the electrics, Scott had a fair idea of how much energy was needed to run a home. Hot water and cooking is done with gas, and everything else is 12 volt electricity. His system has a capability of 600 watts solar power on 800 amp hours of batteries. For backup, he is combining the solar with a wind generator for the darker winter months.
“ I wanted to incorporate as much native timber as possible as I find it so rich in history and so beautiful” 08
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For now, Scott plans on renting out The Pirate’s Rest to holiday travellers before making it his permanent retirement home. Before building the home, he had a fair bit of DIY experience. He participated in the build, but the help of a knowledgeable builder and electrician have ensured that it was all done perfectly. The result is like work of art that blends harmoniously with its natural surroundings, and he’s enjoying the attention from passersby who stop to enquire about the lovely tiny home. To see some more small dwelling home designs by Creative Space Architecture, visit www.creativespace.co.nz/concept-designs/ creative-space-passive-pods
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A Tiny Living Promotion
Home - /hōm/
1. A permanent place of residence. As anyone who’s ever moved their place of residence can tell you, moving house is a time of uncertainty and major stress. Wouldn’t it be great to never have to move again, unless it was your choice? -To never have to face that time of confusion, trying to figure out where you will go next? -And that uneasy feeling after signing the lease when you wonder if you picked the right flat or chose the right neighbourhood? These major upheavals when you change your place of residence are a huge source of stress, and inevitably lead to at least a short period of feeling a little lost. It’s part of what makes home ownership so attractive. You never have to worry about someone raising your rent or keeping your expensive deposit. If you own your home or have a really low mortgage payment, you can sail through rough financial times feeling more secure with a bit more control over your destiny.
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A house truly becomes a ‘home’ when all the walls are painted your favourite shade, the plug-ins are in just the right spot, your familiar pictures are on the wall, and your favourite jeans are in the cupboard you designed. A customised home is truly yours in every way. Tiny Eco Homes UK is not just building affordable houses, they’re creating homes – homes that are specially designed for the way that you want to live. You can choose to incorporate solar and wind power options for an economical source of energy, and a greener future for our planet. And if you need financing, they can help you to get the affordable loan you need. With prices starting at just £26,000, your mortgage may actually be less than the rent you’re paying now. Visit their website and see what home is all about: www.tinyecohomesuk.com
The Incredibly Helpful Hedgehog Who can resist that adorable little creature, the hedgehog? But did you know they’re also incredibly helpful? They contribute to the ecosystem by eating slugs, beetles and caterpillars, and help keep gardens from being taken over by these insects. A night time visitor, they will not disturb or harm your garden in any way. And they are fun to watch! Amazingly, these creatures have been around for 15 million years. Though they’re named for the hedgerows they frequent, they can live in many different habitats. They do not favour wet areas or
pine forests, but unlike many animals they can actually thrive in urban environments, needing only small patches of land to survive and an ample supply of insects. There is a lovely blonde variety of hedgehogs on Alderney Island, the northernmost of the UK Channel Islands, and about 17 species of hedgehogs across western Europe. Like many species, hedgehogs are a bit of bellwether of the environment. A healthy natural environment will have a plentiful population of hedgehogs. For more information on these adorable little animals, visit the British Hedgehog Preservation Society at www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk
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- a ccording to the Canal & River Trust, 26% of the UK’s 33,000 boats are used as primary residences? - thousands of people in the UK are already embracing small-space living in studio flats, student accommodations, and small terraced houses? - there are over 80 shepherd hut building companies in the UK? - prices for a well-designed tiny house fitted with kitchen and bath starts at £26,000? - according to Popular Science, human beings are hard-wired to like tiny things? www.popsci.com/why-do-we-think-tiny-things-are-cute
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Well-read dogs agree: Tiny Living UK is fun and inspirational! DISCLAIMER: The above survey was conducted by dachshunds
with questionable math skills and skewed scientific methods.
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