Another Tiny Home at the Kansas City Home Show

Getting Tiny!

We recently worked with our designer friends Fancy Smith and Kimberly Anderson on decor for a tiny home featured in the 69th Annual Kansas City Home Show. Their results were so much fun that we thought we’d share photos and give some background on the project. Enjoy! 

A loft bed in a tiny home.

Please tell us a little bit about who you are, and what your role was in decorating this tiny home.

Cactus Creek was given the distinct pleasure of decorating the Tiny House at the 69th Annual Kansas City Home Show. Cactus Creek’s Design Team of Fancy Smith & Kimberly Anderson were handed an amazing, fun and surprisingly spacious 295 square foot blank palette. Our role was to provide realistic living options to maximize a small space, while bringing a design style all our own.

Before: the tiny home with no furnishings

After: the tiny home decorated! Lots of Pendleton items here. Our Design: Trailblazer Mod….designed to bring home reminders of the open road wrapped in warmth & whimsy. The Tiny house was packed with eclectic, unique goods from Cactus Creek , perfectly accented with towels, pillows & blankets from Pendleton.

Were there any specific challenges in this décor?

The main challenges were maximizing the space in a tiny home which – with only 295 square feet – means utilizing vertical space.

the staircase decorated with western decor items, including a Pendleton blanket.

We wanted it to feel cozy but truly a place where people would want to stay and even see themselves living there.  By adding a queen bed covered in stunning Pendleton bedding to the large loft we made the vertical design very livable.  The second smaller loft was styled to be storage space which is critical for tiny home dwellers.

Please tell us about the show the home was part of.

The Home Builders Association held Kansas City’s first home show in 1948 and the annual event has become the go-to showcase for home improvement, technology, and design ideas as well as a fun-filled day with activities for all ages.

The interior of the Home Builders Show.

The 2017 Home Show

The 2017 Home Show was the 69th year of the event held at Bartle Hall March 17-19, 2017.  This year the focus of the show was alternate home solutions that are rising in popularity – this  included both the tiny home and a yurt.

The exterior of the tiny home, which is parked inside the auditorium.

Is there anything super special about this particular home?

Everything about this home is special. It was hand crafted by a small family in Kansas. Every detail in a tiny home has to be thought through so that space is well used but modern day conveniences are still included. The kitchen area was truly spacious, so many cupboards, and the cubbies under the stairs for storage.  Cactus Creek’s vision is to layer a space. Fancy and Kimberly started by adding practical pieces… living area, bed, lighting, storage containers. Then the layers of Pendleton and Cactus Creek vintage decor that gave the space comfort and beauty which is what really made it feel like an amazing home or weekend getaway.

Where can interested people learn more about this brand/builder of tiny homes?

Contact Arlin at  Globe Tiny Homes 913-633-0529

Where can people learn more about you, Kimberly? 

Instagram: @americanroadtripstyle

www.roadtripstyle.com

 Where can people learn more about you, Fancy? 

Instagram: @cactuscreek

www.cactuscreekshop.com

Fancy Smith and Kimberly Anderson

Fun Facts: Kimberly & Fancy love to hit the road! They are available for your tiny home, camper, RV, yurt or whatever you can dream up. Shop  www.cactuscreekshop.com for all the rustic & eclectic items featured!

Another adorable tiny home with Pendleton

Apartment Therapy

We found some Pendleton touches in another tiny house, this one on Apartment Therapy. We were intrigued by this particular structure because it’s a conversion. Most tiny homes are built to be tiny (like Tam and Sean’s, featured earlier this month), but this one is a converted outbuilding–a garage, to be exact. With its loft and 250 square feet of living space, it has much of the aesthetic of a home that was built small, but it’s charmingly square. The plank walls and rustic rafters give this home a real cabin feel, and the exposed lathe-and-plaster over the bed is another charming touch.

So enjoy the feature!

All images and text by Apartment Therapy, and used with permission of Apartment Therapy. 

sketch of plans for tiny home

(source-Apartment Therapy)

A woman adjusts the sound on a stereo in her tiny home.

Name: Coralie Hews
Location: Northeast Portland, Oregon
Size: 250 square feet, including loft
Years Lived In: 7 months; Rented

A couch covered in a Pendleton blanket.
A clothing rack and piece of artwork.

Though she was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Coralie Hews has always possessed a Southwestern sensibility, especially when it comes to matters of interior design. Her beloved New Mexican textiles, cacti, and earth tones have always had a prominent place in her design palette, so it’s no surprise that all of those tasteful elements come into play in her dreamy, 250-square-foot cabin.

A sleeping loft in a tiny home.
A stack of wool blankets at the foot of a bed.

Because Coralie downsized from a spacious one-bedroom apartment to a much smaller, lofted, one-room garage-turned-cabin, she was forced to edit all of her furniture and decor down to only her personal must-haves; she loaned a few pieces to friends, got rid of things that she had no use for, and put some bulkier odds and ends into storage. What she was left with is a charming juxtaposition: a bohemian blend of desert-inspired textiles and ceramics with a well-loved collection of Pacific Northwest relics.

The tiny home kitchen.

Coralie rents the space from Emily Christensen, the Portland-based clothing designer behind Filly and Beeek, who lives in the main house. Three years ago, Christensen turned the garage on the property into a cabin which was originally listed on Airbnb, but eventually became home to year-round renters. Coralie was lucky enough to hear about the space through a good friend who was a previous tenant and was able to settle into the cabin in the spring of this year.

Though it does take effort for Coralie to keep such a small space simultaneously functional and aesthetically pleasing (i.e., keeping the place clutter-free), it is a challenge that she gladly tackles each day. The contentment she finds in living in her cozy, tiny cabin is a worthy payoff. Thanks for sharing your lovely space with us, Coralie!

Woman standing on the ladder to her sleeping loft in a tiny home.

For virgin wool Pendleton fabrics woven in our own USA mills, visit http://www.woolenmill.store for information. 

If you love the vintage Harding blanket on Coralie’s sofa, check out some of our beautiful black & white Pendleton blankets.

the door into the tiny home.

All images property of Apartment Therapy, and used with permission

Tiny Home Living with Sean, Tam and Pendleton

tamara_jaswal photography, Sean and Tam  in front of their tiny home.

Tiny Home Adventures

Sean and Tam, a Canadian couple, have recently started on a new adventure: residence in a tiny home. As part of their plan to live more and own less, they’ve chosen have quality, beautiful items that work hard while taking up as little space as possible. Fr their bed, they chose an unnapped Pendleton blanket in the Los Ojos pattern, and agreed to share their photos and perspectives on tiny home living with us. 

The Interview

When did you decide to try tiny home living?

About 4 years ago we stumbled upon a tiny cabin being sold on Craigslist by a company called Driftwood Campers.  Something about that little camper sparked a light in us about alternative ways of living.  We discussed buying the camper, but decided that we just didn’t have anywhere to store it as we owned a small apartment with one parking stall.

The conversation died down a bit until we saw the documentary “Tiny”.  As we watched we kept looking at each other saying “we should do that!”  Something just made sense about this style of living.  That was the turning point for us; we had made up our minds.

We started researching tiny houses, and over the course of two years, we sold off almost everything we owned.  It wasn’t an easy thing to do, but definitely became a freeing change.  It’s amazing how much stuff we accumulate that in some way or another starts to defines us.

tamara_jaswal: Tiny home interior

Is there anything about who you are as people, as a couple, that made you think that this was the perfect solution for you?

Sean and I have never really felt at home anywhere we have lived.  For us, having the ability to move around seems very normal and somewhat comforting. Sean spent a lot of time moving around when he was young.  His parents were semi-hippies and they lived in a RV in Florida when he was a kid.

I think what makes this work so well is that we love adventure and things that are out of the normal routine of life.  We didn’t just want to spend our lives living pay cheque to pay cheque.  Life is so short; we want to make the most of it.  Living tiny has allowed us to actually start experiencing all the things we once only dreamed of.  It’s almost as if a weight has been lifted off out shoulders.  For the first time in our lives we finally feel at home.

tamara_jaswal: Tiny home interior with view of kitchen and sleeping loft

Can you tell us a little about the type of house you chose to build, and where it is sited?

Sean and I designed the layout and look of our house.  We spent countless hours in shipping containers, taping out floor plans and moving things around, and visiting numerous tiny houses to see how different spaces worked for us.  Since neither of us have building experience, we decided it was best for us to have the house built by a company that specializes in tiny houses.  It was important to us to have a house that was as nontoxic as possible and built using some reclaimed materials.  We wanted the look and feel of the house to reflect us and our fun and quirky personalities.

tamara_jaswal: shelf with a Pendleton blanket

How long did it take to bring your plans to fruition?

It took about 3 years from when we decided that building a tiny house was the right move for us to selling off all of our stuff, including our apartment.  We officially moved into our tiny house in October of 2016. Currently we are parked just outside Vancouver B.C. Canada.

The tiny house builder that we chose to work with is located on Vancouver Island in B.C. Canada. They stated it would take approximately 2-3 months to complete the build of our tiny house.  It took us about 6 months to finally get the house from them and then another 7 months for us to fix all of the deficiencies/problems the house had.  It was a total nightmare.  All in all it was just over a year for the house to be done from start to finish.

tamara_jaswal: sleeping loft with Pendleton blanket on the bed

Your décor is beautiful! We are proud that you used our Los Ojos blanket. Did you have a concept or theme in mind? How did Pendleton work in with that?

Thank you!  I am a bit obsessed with interior design and knew what feel I wanted for the house from the very start of the build. We did a lot of work sourcing things out to give to our builder.

It was really important for use to use some reclaimed product with a bit of a rustic feel.  Our floor is actually from an old barn that was torn down in Philadelphia.  Our live-edge kitchen counters are from a Black Walnut tree that was ethically removed from a heritage house in New Westminster B.C.

Kitchen shot with live edge countertop

I think it’s the small details of decor that really make a space special and in the end it was well worth all the time and effort.

I have always loved Pendleton and the rich history the company embodies.  It was something we knew we really wanted to incorporate into the house.  I am inspired by Navajo art and prints so when we thought about the décor of our bedroom, we immediately thought of Pendleton.  We didn’t just want to go out and get a blanket; we wanted something high quality that would last for decades.  Everyone who comes into our house always says, “That blanket is gorgeous! Where did you get it?”

Sean and Tam relax with coffee

(You can get it here)

Do you see this as a long term, sustainable lifestyle for you?

The plan for us is 7-10 years.  We are saving too hopefully by a small piece of land in Tofino, B.C. Canada.  We would like to build a small eco-friendly house.  We will keep the tiny house for road trips and for friends and family to stay in when they visit.  Spending our days surfing, cooking and riding motorbikes!

Sean and Tam on a motorcycle

So many people are drawn to tiny home living, but struggle with the idea of such a major downsize in space. Has anything disappointed you about your choice?

Nothing about living here has disappointed us, but we were most disappointed by the experience we had with our builder.  The whole process was very disheartening.  We hope that no one has to go through what we went through.  I think if we could do it all over again we would have just built the house ourselves and hired help as we needed it.

What has surprised you about tiny home living?

The most surprising thing is how comfortable we are in the house.  We have just what we need and know where everything is, which is a really nice feeling.  We spend a lot more time outdoors living life than inside watching T.V. or on the computer.

What has delighted you about tiny home living?

I think that fact that we are doing this together is the best part.  It’s been an adventure with a lot of adjustments and things to get used to but we wouldn’t trade it for anything.  It’s definitely brought us closer together.  If you can live with your partner in a tiny house you can do anything together. We are in it together for the good, bad and the tiny!

Sean and Tam look at the mountains while wrapped in a Pendleton blanket

More information

We want to thank Tam for answering our questions, and both Sean and Tam for sharing their life with us in words and photos.

Photo credit: @irisandbloomphoto

more from Tam and Sean: Follow  @tinyhouseholisticliving

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