Building a whimsical tiny home from scratch is a magical and fulfilling journey. It allows you to craft a space that embodies your unique vision, personality, and aspirations, starting from the foundation.
While the process may involve challenges and require hard work, the result is a testament to your determination, creativity, and the enchanting experience of bringing your imagination to life in a tangible form.
The satisfaction of witnessing your dream take shape before your eyes is unparalleled and makes the entire endeavor a gratifying and meaningful achievement.
This is how Cass and Emma built their whimsical tiny home.
About three years ago, they decided to create their dream home-from-home. They wanted something unique and artistic, so they handcrafted most of it, using reclaimed materials to add that special touch.
Cass is actively involved in the family business, Enumclaw Recyclers & The Use Again Store, which holds a crucial mission—to make a significant impact in reducing the amount of recyclables that end up in landfills every day, according to Home Hacks.
The build process was challenging and took them longer than they expected, but the joy of creating something extraordinary kept them going.
About 90% of the tiny house was built by hand, showcasing Cass’s dedication and creativity. The remaining 10% was carefully chosen reclaimed items, making the project affordable and sustainable.
Cass constructed its chassis using recycled steel and made the wall frames from reclaimed aluminum box tubes. He also found many rejected materials from mills, which helped keep the costs down. The entire project cost about $40,000, which is quite reasonable for a custom-built tiny house.
However, the amount of labor that went into it is hard to put a price on. The process involved countless hours of hard work, dedication, and creativity.
Here’s the twist – when Cass and Emma started dating, the tiny house was already a work in progress.
Emma was amazed to see the transformation and supported Cass’s artistic vision, even during the crazy moments. She understood his passion for creating a home with a “wow factor.”
The exterior of the tiny house is quite different from most homes. One distinctive feature is the unique roof line.
Cass intentionally broke up the roof to maximize the ceiling height in the lofts. To achieve this, he hand-built the chassis using recycled steel, and the elevated center provided an extra eight inches of ceiling height in the lofts.
The front of the house features two decks constructed from thin steel and aluminum and cleverly hinged.
These decks can be lifted by a single person and locked into place using latches, eliminating the need to remove them during transport.
The tiny house is about 37 feet long and eight-foot-wide for the floor. However, the eaves extend a foot on either side, making it 10 feet wide, requiring an oversized load permit but not requiring pilot cars for transport.
With the floor space inside, including the two lofts, the house has around 500 square feet of living area with additional decks that fold up both in the front and back, providing even more usable space.
There is also a cleverly designed mudroom area allowing Cass to have a space to leave his dirty work boots and pants since he works outside.
He also built a three-foot deck with an additional prow, creating a sizeable dry area for getting undressed comfortably. The railings in this area are all hand-forged, adding a touch of artistry to the space.
One of Cass’s favorite touches in the mudroom is the unique door handle.
He said that he loves collecting novelties during his travels, and the door handle comes from an antique shop in Egypt.
It’s a fascinating piece, with a hand holding what looks like a crystal ball. These little flares of creativity make this whimsical tiny home truly special.
The interior was just as impressive, with a living room boasting a circular hobbit door.
When the couple started building the house, they wanted easy access and versatile furniture that could be rearranged and adjusted effortlessly. So, they decided to take on the challenge of constructing a unique hobbit door.
The door is crafted from box tube steel and insulated, with a plain fur exterior and birch plywood on the inside. All the door latches are meticulously machined and handcrafted, including the skeleton key hardware for the locks.
“We wanted the entertainment area to have a distinct personality, so instead of generic furniture, we added some cool 70s pieces,” Cass shared.
The TV is mounted on a swivel to offer flexible viewing angles. You can pivot it to watch from the kitchen while cooking or enjoy it from the living room, the designated viewing spot.
He also added a small shelf for DVD players made from reclaimed wormwood that a friend generously donated.
In terms of heating, the whimsical tiny home has a heat pump as its primary heat source, but there’s also a small auxiliary heater to ensure a comfortable and stable temperature throughout the entire house.
The tiny house boasts three entrances and three-fold-out decks, ensuring convenience and accessibility from different angles.
The purposeful seating area is a cozy, relaxing spot and features functional storage with a full-size pull-out drawer and additional space for essentials.
Some lights in the house were salvaged from an old naval ship, adding a unique touch to the interior.
Meanwhile, the ladder used to access the loft is an artistic element made from reclaimed materials, reflecting the desire to make every part of the home special.
Working in the recycling industry allows Cass to acquire fascinating materials that add a unique touch to their tiny house.
Reclaimed jungle gym pieces, plate steel, and water pipes were creatively incorporated, adding character and functionality.
The tiny house’s loft area features a tangled arrangement of pipes and metal, serving as a sturdy support for hanging hammocks and adding an artistic flair to the living room.
The primary guest loft is still in the process of finishing, although it has yet to be needed for guests; this area was thoughtfully designed as a dedicated guest bedroom.
The loft’s unique feature is that it cantilevers out over the full back porch, allowing them to accommodate a spacious king-size bed with room to spare.
The couple added an exciting touch to the loft regarding design and functionality.
An old, reclaimed furnace vent found in a house now serves as a peephole feature. Cass made it functional on its edge by filing it down and making some adjustments.
The plan is to add a curtain to block off the peephole when desired.
“We wanted our guests to have a way to see what’s happening downstairs without intruding on their privacy, and the twist mechanism to open and close the peephole was intentionally designed to work smoothly and flawlessly,” said Cass.
The surprisingly spacious kitchen in the tiny house efficiently combines multiple functions and appliances.
It houses the toilet, shower, washer-dryer, and sinks, all thoughtfully arranged for practicality.
The sink has a fascinating story, they found it at a recycling store for $50 and they customized it with hand-soldered faucets.
On the other hand, repurposed items add functionality and uniqueness, like a storage container from Emma’s old farmhouse.
Hand-constructed cabinets with reclaimed materials and hand-forged paper towel holders showcase the couple’s dedication to detail and creativity in every aspect of the tiny house.
The tiny house also boasts two lofts, each serving a different purpose.
The first is the guest loft, which provides a comfortable space for the visitors, and the second was designed entirely for storage.
Accessibility was a crucial factor, so they incorporated two ladders to access it to avoid any potential issues with items getting stuck up there.
On one side, the ladder begins with two steps on the counters, allowing for a unique entry. The rest of the ladder consists of bent stainless-steel rods, adding an artistic touch to the loft’s functionality.
They also added a convenient handle, which assists in climbing up and doubles as a tie-in spot for the hammocks on the other side.
Functionality and comfort were paramount to the couple while designing their tiny house. They wanted to ensure that it could offer the same level of convenience as a standard-sized home.
They invested a lot of time and effort into carefully selecting and incorporating full-size appliances to achieve this.
For example, the stove, the Insta-hot water heater, and even the dryer in the house are all powered by propane, which is efficient and helps make the most of the available space.
Despite its compact size, the whimsical tiny home includes a 110-volt fridge, which is energy-efficient and adequately serves their needs.
Cass and Emma ensured the entire house could run smoothly on 30 amps, even though it was wired for 50 amps, ensuring it operated efficiently without unnecessary power consumption.
The tiny house’s bathroom is a space that often goes unnoticed but has received tremendous work and attention to detail.
The couple designed their custom sliding doors with copper flashing to ensure a perfect fit and prevent water leakage.
The shower was a challenge due to its unique size, but they found a creative solution by using sheets of stainless steel that look great and are easy to maintain.
One of the bathroom’s highlights is the vintage vent fan made by Vent-Air in Seattle. This fan serves a dual purpose: as a steam fan for the shower and a ventilation system for the stove and overall air circulation.
Cass said they love these older, well-built pieces that are made to last, ensuring the tiny house remains in great shape for years.
Moving on to the master bedroom, the couple has a queen-size bed that can be lifted using hinges and a ring to access a vast storage area beneath it.
This private space has its entry and deck, allowing them to enjoy open-air mornings with birds chirping and a sense of serenity.
Many people wonder why they built the whimsical tiny home; the answer lies in their passion for artistry and creativity.
It started as an art form, but when the time came to live in it, Cass and Emma found it surprisingly comfortable and functional.
Living in a small space has brought the couple closer together and made daily life more manageable. It’s an intimate and unique experience that has left their friends and visitors in awe, and ultimately, they built it simply because they wanted to create something extraordinary and meaningful.
“The house is a huge reflection of him and how he sees the world,” Emma said.
Explore Cass and Emma’s whimsical tiny home by watching the video below:
