Hello CP forum,
I lurked these threads for hours when we thought we might be buying a country parcel & building a little off-grid house (2009). Instead we ended up with acreage close to town & a century old farmhouse in need of love. Years went by, but eventually we got around to the guesthouse I had always imagined would sit in the adjoining lot, which once held a one room schoolhouse.
The design is an unconventional 1.5 story with a curved roof. The footprint is 8' wide by 12' long (main section) with an additional 2'x5' jog off the back. At the peak it is 11.5' tall.
The design is our own. I created a 'builder's blog' where I dumped all the photos in reverse chronological order & many additional design details: http://baratidetinyhouse.blogspot.ca
For a time we thought it might go on a friend's weekend property near a national park - so we originally made it to road-friendly dimensions with an idea it may hold 4 close friends and 2 friendly dogs for the occasional camp out. In the end we placed it just next door to the main house, where friends and family can stay during the 3 seasons we have it open. I rent it out during the other times to help pay for my thrifted materials (i.e most of it - my budget was minuscule and the main farmhouse took most of our resources). Since it occasionally holds tourists, the inside is pretty fancy for a sub-100 sq ft cabin. It has power from our barn, an outhouse and it is propped up on wooden blocks. It took about 18 months to build while we worked full time jobs and also tackled major renovations in the farmhouse.
The above blog has a ton more pictures and design details but I'm happy to talk at length here on the forum if you'd rather not read the back-posts. I'm a scientist and my husband is a red-seal carpenter. The build was my pet project and an excellent way to hone my carpentry skills, which were basically non-existent. My skill set extended to framing the floor & walls, refinishing the reclaimed doors & windows, part of the wiring (not my thing!), insulation with Roxul, vapour barrier, interior t&g (although I got helping hands from friends), all the exterior shingling, and the painting/window trims/furniture. He framed the crazy roof, did the asphalt shingles, finished the wiring when I gave up in frustration, created the built-in cabinet, loft bed & crazy staircase and laid the hardwood (ceiling & floor).
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c84zix_WLc4/WRoacjvnDxI/AAAAAAAADIs/QmXFr8a0Hb8VDT3jH2MljnXGQFzP0wXPgCLcB/s400/IMG_1669.JPG)
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Very nice!
[cool], Sounds like you guys are living the dream. Nice job, I like the roof/ceiling. Check out flyingvan's thread, he did a cool curved roof a year or two ago.
[cool] It's nice to have something unique.
Searched out flyingvan's thread but the photos are all held hostage by photobucket
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7UaKc2k_Heo/TTyG7dB4_TI/AAAAAAAABYI/vVSyaA9_9wQ/s400/Front_WEB.jpg)
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0t4AOmHtEk/TyrdO4PjrNI/AAAAAAAABgk/p4emSh74uFs/s320/Curved+rafters_WEB.jpg)
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Super, thanks. That roof style is very common in Quebec, but hardly any here in the neighbouring province.