How Do You Throw A Party In A Tiny House? Get Down To The Tiny Basics.

Mar 25, 2015

Josh and Shelley like to keep a fully stocked bar and enjoy hosting friends and family, but they faced a challenge when making the decision to downsize into a tiny house. As cute as tiny houses are, they don’t work so well for hosting parties and entertaining unless you literally want to rub shoulders with people. But thanks to an extraordinary design and some help from the crew of FYI’s “Tiny House Nation” they seem to have it all figured out.

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The 224-square-foot home includes two lofts, with one used for sleeping and the other for Shelley to get ready. The bedroom loft has all sorts of clever built-in storage hidden in the floor, which keeps clutter to a minimum. Downstairs you’ll find a living/kitchen area with an open floorplan, and perhaps best of all a large pass-through window that connects to the outdoor bar, where up to 8 people can hang out comfortably!

It’s safe to say that when you add up the extra deck space, seating at the bar, and the surrounding yard, this couple has truly figured out how to live big in a tiny house!

Follow their journey at http://tinyhousebasics.com

10 Jaw-Dropping Photos Of Ceilings In Mosques Will Leave You Breathless

Mar 23, 2015

For centuries, mosques around the world have been revered for their intricate design and incredible details. Yet, unlike a place such as the Sistine Chapel, where millions of tourists visit every year, many of the most beautiful mosques remain unknown by people outside of Islam. And yet they display some of the most breathtaking architecture anywhere. Today we share some of the more incredible ones out there.

Nasir Al-Mulk Mosque, Shiraz, Iran

Known as the “pink mosque”, this spectacular place was built in 1888 and can be found in Shiraz, Iran.

Fatima Masumeh Shrine, Qom, Iran

Also located in Iran, the Fatima Masumeh shrine attracts thousands of Shi’a Muslims each year. They visit to pay respects to Fatima Masumeh, who is a saint in their eyes. This is one of the most important shrines for Shi’a.

Shah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran

Named after an Islamic revolution in Iran, the Shah Mosque is also called the “Emam Mosque” or “Jame’ Abbasi Mosque” and is located in Isfahan, Iran. It dates back to 1629.

Jalil Khayat Mosque, Erbil, Iraq

One of the most recent additions on the list is the Jalil Khayat, which was completed in 2007. It was a charity project started by Jalil Khayat, and his sons finished work on it after he passed in 2005.

Vakil Mosque, Shiraz

Another beautiful example located in Shiraz, Iran, the Vakil Mosque dates back to 1773 and was designed by a prominent architect named Karim Khan.

Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran

With some of the most intricate patterns and calming blue colors, the Sheikh Lotf Mosque is a sight to behold. Paul Steinhardt, a physicist from Princeton University, remarked on evidence suggesting a mathematical pattern called “quasicrystal” behind these geometric patterns.

Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi

The United Arab Emirates is home to this special mosque, another recent addition to the Muslim world that opened in 2007. It was completed by Yusef Abdelki.

Al Soltan Qalawoon Mosque, Cairo, Egypt

Wazir Khan Mosque, Lahore, Pakistan

A unique design that brings together Indo-Islamic and Mughal architecture, the Wazir Khan Mosque opened in 1642.

Grand Mosque of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

Photo credits: imgur.com, Ramin Rahmani Nejad, Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji, Ali Kordzadeh, Mohammad Domiri, Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji, Karam, Salman Arif, Fatima Masoumeh, Ali Kordzadeh, Habib Q, Abdelrahman Assem, Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji, wikimedia.org, my2200, my2200

She Bought A Boeing 727 Shell For $2000, And Made It Her Dream Home

Mar 23, 2015

Most folks have a style of home they like, be it craftsman, contemporary, log, or whatever. Few of them have Boeing 727, 707, in their list of dream homes. Joanne isn’t most people. She took a piece of land, a $2000 used 727 jumbo jet shell, plus a bit of creativity and created a really incredible place to call home.

At 52 years young she built an integrated house in the woods that’s as cool as anything we’ve seen.

She calls it “Little Trump”, named after – you guessed it, Donald Trump. And that’s not taking much away from his name when you look up close. The entire inside is covered in teak paneling, giving it a sort of hip island vibe meets Shangri-La sort of feeling.

Unlike some other jets we’ve seen converted into homes, which look more like makeshift laboratories than homes, this one actually feels inviting. You wouldn’t mind sleeping here…hell, maybe you’d enjoy it. Forever.

She even outfitted a jacuzzi tub in one end.

The view of the ocean isn’t half bad either!

The Undeniably Stunning 399sf “Salish”

Jun 8, 2017

Here’s a looker! Three words: stunning, clean, bright. Ok, a few more words. This 399sf masterpiece can be found at the Wildwood, a luxury vacation resort, and is the newest addition to their set of homes. It costs $315k, but that gets you quite an impressive little home in an absolutely beautiful setting. And perhaps it can serve as inspiration to build your own version for a lot less!

Feast on the pictures below and enjoy!

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This Modern Pyramid House Pays Homage To Classic Architecture

Mar 31, 2015

Maybe the Egyptians had it right all along.

This contemporary manifestation of the iconic pyramid form makes an emphatic statement about the simplicity of an inherently structural architectural expression. Before architects and builders developed building technology to more efficiently battle gravity’s limitations, we relied on literal formal response to those rules. Simply put, the higher you built, the smaller the footprint. The result was the pyramid: a pure geometric form that allowed ancient builders to reach heights never seen before.

This conceptual design from Mexican architect Juan Carlos Ramos pays homage to this classic vernacular while mixing in features that can only be constructed using modern techniques and materials. It’s an interesting dichotomy of old vs. new, telling a story of how far we’ve come as builders. For example, one of the facades is completely transparent, housing a massive triangular glazed opening.

Horizontal and vertical slices are cut into the pyramid, opening up areas for decks, views, and even a car port.

The main living space welcomes an open view to the outside, speaking to the structural and architectural feats we are able to achieve.

This Luxury Bunker Will Make Any Prepper/Survivalist Jealous

Apr 9, 2015

When most folks build a “bug-out” shelter for the approaching end-of-days scenario, they take a fairly straightforward approach. Dig a hole, bury a container, hide lots of water, and just enough supplies to survive. Not this guy. He wanted a more permanent residence, where his family and a few others could carry on existing in comfort. So he got in touch with Al’s Army Navy Store to arrange the purchase and installation of several 32′ x 10′ corrugated tubes that cost around $60k each.

The foundation for the underground bunker is shown prior to being buried underground.

An inconspicuous square opens to reveal the entrance to this underground domain.

When the zombies come or the sky begins to fall just climb down the ladder to gain entrance into this hidden home.

Welcome to your new home! You are now 20′ underground.

Stacked bunk beds offer a place to catch some zz’s while the world falls apart overhead.

The kiddos don’t seem to mind the prospect of their new digs one bit. We’ll see how well they adapt once they learn there’s no exiting.

Demonstrating the under storage beneath the beds…

This news anchor takes a tour of the home, and exits through the secret escape hatch.

There’s a working kitchen, though we don’t see any stovetop. We’re thinking Sunday mornings without pancakes might not exist in the post-apocalyptic world…

A diner-style table provides a place to gather and share stories of zombie killings and fending off roaming vagrants.

A bunch of stinky teenagers living in tight quarters would be enough to drive most people back up the escape hatch to face reality. Luckily there’s a full bathroom, with a 2-in-1 combo washer to ensure your clothes stay fresh.

I hope they have a stockpile of DVDs somewhere!

The master bedroom seems nice. Does she come with it?

These images show the layout of the secret bunker, accessible through the main home.

The Atlas Survival Shelter comes complete with bunk beds that have under-the-lid storage, an escape hatch for emergency attacks, mudrooms with a lockable laser cut interior door, countertops, a kitchen with a sink, low voltage electric lights, electric outlets and a toilet. If that doesn’t impress you much, you can also go for the optional flatscreen TV, shortwave radios, camera surveillance, 300-5,000 gallon water tanks, 100-500 gallon fuel storage tanks, DVD player, power-generating exercise bicycle, red oak cabinets and beds, solar panels, restroom facility or an electric toilet with tank. Sounds like you’ll have just about everything needed to stay happy, healthy, and safe!

Picture Perfect Glass Cottage With A Wall Of Moving Shutters

Mar 29, 2015

Almost as if Walt Disney himself placed this perfectly gabled little cottage in the middle of a tree specked grassy meadow, this house by architecture studio Zecc and Roel van Norel evokes warm feelings of fairy tale nostalgia. The house was built in the rural countryside of Utrecht, The Netherlands, and contains a modest floor plan with an open layout, lofted sleeping area, and functional kitchen with full bath.

The forest-facing facade features a wall of motorized shutters that have the ability to open up completely to the landscape beyond. The shutters modulate light and create varying degrees of privacy depending on the desired use.

The interiors are built out with natural materials. The finished concrete slab gives mass and weight to the floor, while the wood on the wall finishes and ceiling give the vertical elements a feeling of weightlessness.

The roof line is asymmetric, overhanging further on the end that protects the wall of moving shutters.

When the sun goes down the shutters close, providing the visual protection desired during the night.

He Made His PubShed Incredible With 5,500 Pennies

May 12, 2015

With the growing trend of “pubsheds” comes an increasing amount of creativity, as demonstrated by this guy who turned a simple shed dubbed “The Barn” into a very creative backyard bar where he and his buddies can hang out and enjoy a couple drinks. What makes his build unique though is the peculiar use of a whopping 5,500 pennies which he incorporated into the design. Check it out below.

The gabled barn style shed looks nice on the outside…

Yet the inside was lacking in proper bar decor, so he went to work building a bar.

The bar itself isn’t too fancy…yet.

Here’s where he starts to get creative, setting aside $55 worth of pennies for special use.

He even sorted the pennies, keeping the pre-1982 ones from the rest. Talk about commitment!

Before using the pennies, he decided to soak them in vinegar and salt, which removes the oxidization and brings them back to a shiny new state.

But he also left half of them to dry without polishing, which created a nice variation in the color for his project.

Then he set to work, laying the pennies in a diamond pattern according to their shades of color.

You might notice every penny is facing heads up.

Finally he slathered four quarts of resin over the top, using a blowtorch to remove any bubbles, and was left with a beautiful surface on his new bar.

And of course he installed a kegerator to dispense ice cold brews for him and his friends.

The completed project on display, with three local Virginia beers on tap!

Images via Imgur | American Standard

Offgrid In Normandy: How He Built This Modern A-Frame On A Budget

Mar 11, 2015

When you think of living off the grid, various images come to mind, and no doubt some of you envision grizzled people huddled together for warmth, living in some remote forest.

A Little Caesars commercial recently illustrated this in a funny way:

However, that’s not the most accurate portrayal of life off the grid. As Jean-Baptiste Barache demonstrated, building an offgrid house for cheap doesn’t mean you need to compromise living conditions. His A-frame barn, stationed in the middle of a field in Normandy, France, is a perfect example.

He paid a local barn builder to construct the rough frame, and then collected various salvaged materials from all over the place – lumber from theater sets, veneer and particleboard, and red cedar shingles for the exterior cladding. All said and done after 18 months of working on the build, he estimates it cost around $105k.

Going without electricity doesn’t mean forgoing power, but it does cast daily life in a much simpler mold. A gas canister fuels the simple stovetop in the kitchen; a homemade wood-burning stove diffuses heat through the house in a slow, steady burn.

The front of the barn looks decidedly antique…

While inside, the rough, unfinished walls and ceiling keep costs down. Upstairs you’ll find three “pods” for sleeping.

At night he and his wife light candles and oil lamps, and Jean-Baptiste refers to Junichiro Tanizaki’s “In Praise of Shadows” as a source of inspiration for living comfortably without electricity, noting the appreciation he has for the shadows cast by the flickering flames.

Images: Céline Clanet

63.02° House Takes A Turn On Japanese Modernism

Mar 19, 2015

This stark, utilitarian home in Nakana, Tokyo gets its geometric namesake from the angle it takes to the adjacent street: 63.02°. All windows and doors, including the main entry, are concentrated outward from the angled facade that is prominently exposed as if sliced clean like a hot samurai sword through miso.

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The abundance of exposed concrete – both interior and exterior – is common in contemporary Japanese architecture and gives the structure a juxtaposing visual heaviness that is offset by the delicately revealed curtain wall. Interiors are minimal and subdued, drawing further attention to the primary focal point that is the angled facade. The home was designed by Schemata Architecture Office.