#64 Tiny Texas House

 Homestead Cottages of Canyon Lake, TX

Last week Don and I spent one night in this 12'x20' gingerbread cottage.  We've stayed in cottages and cabins before, but this was an actual  Tiny Texas House.  Check the link!
http://tinytexashouses.com

These houses are designed as homes, for people who want to simplify their lives with less space and fewer possessions.  We got a feel for that... but mostly we just had fun.

Amazing Interior

The house was created with reclaimed material, pieced together like a fabulous puzzle. It felt like a tiny ship with the rounded sleeping loft.  The space was filled with clever design features, like the ladder/storage shelf and kitchen table that folded into the wall. 

Old and New

The bathroom and kitchen areas had just the right balance.  The new porcelain tub was surrounded by a wall of antique metal roof material. The smooth wood of the walls, floor and ceiling made the kitchen cozy, but the new hammered metal sink and shiny refrigerator made everything feel fresh and new.

Sleeping Loft

The trip up to the loft was entertaining, since I had to stop and examine curious items along the way... like Dutch shoes and an English riding helmet.  The king sized bed was heavenly with comfy linens, good reading lamps and a great window!

12 Windows!

The loft gave us a view of the sitting area, below a set of stained glass windows. Being in a tiny house with so many windows (7 were stained glass) made the whole experience feel open and airy. We never felt cramped.  And the fact that we could open the antique counterweight windows to let in a glorious breeze, made it feel like we'd stepped back in time.  (Not many open windows in Texas) There was a ceiling fan and a.c. and heat, but we didn't need a thing!

What to Do?

We arrived at 3 and made ourselves at home.  I thought about reading in the hammock, but it was too sunny.  We ignored the TV, which had DVDs and satellite, because we can do that at home.  What I don't have at home is an antique typewriter!  I pulled the 10-ton thing off the shelf and stuck in some paper, but the poor thing was a little too feeble.  

Details

Then it was time to search every inside nook and cranny. Don was first to notice an eyeball staring out from a knothole. Then we found a couple more.  A bit odd, but I liked the humor behind the idea.  We later read that they were the "eyes of Texas"! Then we enjoyed the exterior.  I loved the colors, that made me hungry for mint/chocolate chip ice cream.  There was such fun Victorian trim, from the teardrops around the windows to the swirly carvings under the porch roof.  I would love to know the history of the porch railing.  Each spindle was hand turned... no 2 exactly alike!
Music Break

Then it was time to take advantage of the fact we had no neighbors in hearing distance.  We got out the ukes and did a little porch playing. 

Dusk

The timing just couldn't have been better. The temps only dropped a bit with the sun.  It got just cool enough to allow us to make use of the fire pit, which was ready to go with cypress wood.  We opened some wine, played some Yahtzee and started the grill for salmon burgers. 

Honeymoon Cottage?


While we waited on the grill, we chuckled over some of the comments in the guest book. No one seemed to mention Yahtzee or ukuleles.  Evidently this little cottage has entertained a lot of honeymooners who are very interested in the hot tub and "getting to know each other!" We were tempted to add a "TMI" here and there in the little book!  

Don and I didn't "get to know each other in the hot tub", but I did open the lid half way to dangle my feet.  That was actually a bigger treat than I expected.  I sat with my wine, while Don cooked.  Then out came the moon... and the crickets! 

Two Tiny House Fans

I've always been a fan of tiny houses.  As a child, I talked my parents into buying a neighbor's shed for $15, so I could make a playhouse.  At 14, I started making dollhouses out of plywood and balsa. Don has been up on the recent Tiny House Trends for a while and now we both are fans!

What' Notable?

We had an adorable stay! That's a hideous description, but I use that word sincerely.  I'm such a huge fan of little things and an even bigger fan of old things, so this was perfect for me.  The fact that Don loved every adorable detail along with me, made it just too much fun!

I want one now!