Doug Fir

doug-fir-1Joseph is a talented woodworker that decided to start building tiny homes. The “Doug Fir” is one of several he has built so far.

doug-fir-1

doug-fir-2

doug-fir-3

doug-fir-4

doug-fir-5

doug-fir-6

doug-fir-7

22 comments

  • Corby Anderson says:

    Beautiful home! That staircase is a work of art. Looks like it was inspired by a tansu cabinet.

  • Alan M. says:

    Wow, that cabinetry is lovely! (But of course it is, being from a proper woodworking shop. 😉 ) And the bathroom tiles! The layout is typical, but the craftsmanship is excellent. I am curious, though, why is there a gap between the stairs/drawers and the wall? I mean, I can see the wheel well, but why leave the space above that? I suppose it would be a good spot to store the broom and whatnot…

  • Ardith says:

    This is absolutely gorgeous, with such attention to detail as well. However, there does not appear to be anywhere to sit comfortably. There appears to be very little space at the front of the house, in fact. It looks like the beautiful staircase/storage area takes up a lot of room. Perhaps it is the angles of the photos that makes it look like there is no living area. But as a whole, it is undeniably stunning.

  • Nell says:

    For 160 feet, I think it is perfect. And beautiful. Put a little love seat in there and you’re in business. Is there a toilet stool in the bathroom? Gorgeous.

  • Robyne says:

    Beautiful detail in the woodwork finishing. But why the gap between stairs and wall?

  • Kat Harmeyer says:

    WOW you should be stoked! Great job and I love the ceiling–adds height thus the addition of the ceiling fan! Im impressed–some I see people do, are so ugly inside or too much stuff for a tiny–yet Im frugal and crafty myself. hich I could have a place to land a TH then Id have one to work on–only want to live in mine permanently–not temporarily………

  • Karen says:

    Love the clean lines and cupboards. Most tiny dwellings leave open shelves which adds to a cluttered look. This is beautiful! (Is there a toilet?) I love the curved roof. Thanks for sharing!

  • Carol says:

    This is the roof line i want, it is stunningly beautiful, but there is nowhere to sit other then the bedroom. And i also wonder about the gap next to the stairs. I just envision it being the cell phone graveyard, cause getting anything out of that crack would be a bit of an exercise of wills. Do the stairs move as one, maybe? was there a purpose we are not seeing? The workmanship is a testament to your skills. Kudos!

  • Susan says:

    Okay, the gap and lack of living space are pretty well covered, and there can’t be enough said about the craftsmanship–absolutely exquisite. The tansu is a stunner. However, I didn’t see a toilet or sink in the bath, and it doesn’t look like there’s room …?

  • Peter says:

    This is not builder occupied. It’s built to sell (you can follow the advert). There will be a few, not so trivial, live-in details for the new owner to flesh out:

    How to arrange some type of seating in that small 4×7 space that allows for stair landing and full swing of that large symmetrically installed door.
    Perhaps some form of reduced footprint composting toilet to place in the bath. Hand washing will happen in the kitchen.
    A fridge, did not see one, nor a place for one.

    I like the idea that the stairs are a separate piece of furniture. Does leave a gap, but perhaps an ironing board could be cleverly stowed behind there.
    I also appreciate that you included upper cabinets, despite be located under a loft. It’s done very nicely.

    My sense is the lovely stairs would need to go to make room for removable ladder, a fridge and seating area. That’s ok.. Reuse the stairs in the next build that has a bit more space for them.

    • Skooj says:

      Not to take away from any of your other concerns, but it looks like they left a nice big open spot for a fridge at the end of the kitchen on the back wall. It honestly looks like that spot was left open specifically for a fridge.

  • Hi folks! As the builder, I thought I take a few moments to address your various questions and comments. First off, thanks so much for the (mostly) positive feedback. It’s much appreciated. Starting from the top, I’ll try my best to answer your queries….

    Corby; Yes, the stair chest is inspired by 18th century Japanese kaidan dansu. For several years, I owned a business in Southern California importing and restoring antique tansu chests. I’ve always loved the idea of kaidan dansu as functional and practical pieces of artwork. I tried to build this chest as true as I could to the original concept (okay, I cheated a little… I used a pneumatic brad nailer instead of bamboo nails). It’s made with 100% solid stock fir (no plywood), with clear vertical grain for the frame, drawer fronts, treads and exposed panels, and clear broad grain used for the side and back panels. The drawer pulls were actually salvaged from an antique tansu chest I had in storage that was sadly beyond repair. The handles were in great shape though, and it had just the perfect number of them to use on this piece. They’re hand forged iron, and date to the mid Meiji Period (late 1800’s). That leads me to the next question…

    As Alan, Robyne, Carol, and many people elsewhere have brought up, there is a gap of about 2″ between the stair treads and the wall. This is a result of the fact that I built the stair chest as a stand alone piece of furniture, and due to the soffit that covers the wheels wells, it would have been kind of odd to build it with a strange jog in it to bring it right to the wall. I could have made it a built-in, but really liked the idea of being able to remove it if (as Peter suggested), the new owners would prefer to have a simple ladder instead. There’s a couple of ideas I’ve had to remedy the gap. The first is very easy: I could simply install a trim board that would follow the angle of the steps, right beneath the back of the treads. Basically, a ‘skirt’ board. The second idea is a little more complicated, but as you can probably tell, I do enjoy a challenge. I’ve considered mounting the entire chest on a track system, which would be integrated into the floor. Then, in the evening when you were ready for bed, you could slide the stairs out toward the middle of the room for easier access to the loft, then slide them back against the wall in the morning. That, along with short handrails installed on both sides, would make the stairs more like a ship’s ladder, and easier to climb up and down. Also, it would allow for cleaning and for Carol to retrieve her wayward cell phones!

    Moving on to the bathroom… I have not installed a toilet as of yet. My intention is to use either a Nature’s Head or Separett brand composting toilet. Both of these have received really positive reviews, but they’re operations are slightly different, and I’ve found that people tend to gravitate towards one or the other. I figured I’d let the buyer decide which they prefer, and I’ll be happy to install the one they want. If you absolutely can’t cotton to the idea of a composter, I could retrofit a traditional toilet it (provided there is a septic or sewer system available), but it would take a bit of doing.
    There is not a bathroom sink, nor will there be. It came down to this: I had room for either a tiny bathroom sink or a secondary wall heater in the bathroom. Being from the Pacific NW, where it’s a bit chilly in the winter, I despise cold bathrooms! I figured that since the kitchen sink was literally one step away, that I would rather have a toasty warm bathroom and brush my teeth in the kitchen sink than brush my teeth in the bathroom with cold toes. Call it an executive decision…

    No, Ardith, there’s not a ton of room for lounging in the living room. Personally, I’m kind of a “chair” guy, but I certainly don’t discriminate against the “couch” nation, so if someone wanted a built in couch (perhaps one that fold up or down like the kitchen table), I’m more than happy to build one. In hindsight, I kinda wish I would have added another four feet to the length, but I wanted to keep it a tandem axle trailer, and I really felt that a 24′ model would be better served with triple axles. However, I’m a pretty creative dude, so if you want a couch, by God I’ll find a way to get you a couch, even if I have to have to retract the damn thing to the ceiling!

    Finally, Peter, there is a dedicated space in the kitchen expressly for a fridge. It is at the ‘bow’ end of the kitchen, and there is an open cabinet above it for a microwave also (and dedicated circuits for both). There are actually several models of fridge that would fit into the space no problem, all the way up to a 9.3 cubic foot model. However, the larger the fridge, the tighter the space gets, so again, I thought I’d let the new owners prioritize cold storage vs. elbow room. If I were to keep it (and I might, I’m pretty attached to it!), I’d go with the Avanti 7.4 cubic foot model, which has a separate freezer compartment (a must for me), good energy rating, and would fit nicely in the space without impeding too much into my kitchen working space.

    I hope that covers everything. Again, I really appreciate the praise (everyone loves praise!), encouragement, and respectful constructive criticism. It’s nice to get feedback from folks who have legitimate questions, concerns and ideas, and are able to articulate them in courteous manner.

    Thanks to everyone for checking it out, and most of all, thanks to the great folks at Tiny House Swoon for all the wonderful work they do!

    Cheers!
    Joseph Clark
    Shibui Woodworking Inc.
    (619) 980-4577

  • Ps. I noticed I mistakenly used “they’re” instead of “their” in my toilet description, which is a huge pet peeve of mine. I forgot the Cardinal rule: Always proofread before you hit ‘submit’!!!

  • Ronda says:

    It looks like a fridge may go on the back wall. There are plugs that imply (to me) that someone may be able to put two devices on that wall if they where small. I like the design and feel a small flush toilette could fit in the bathroom (with a sink in the top) but a composting unit is costly to install if its something a purchaser does not want. A chair space is provided and the stairs have more storage than provided in a couch (as seen in most tiny houses). I think this design would work well for a singleton. Love the finishing and am also wondering about wall/stair gap.

  • phil says:

    The craftsmanship is amazing, but, and these are some big buts, where is the toilet? Fridge? Living space? I kind of like the gap between the stairs and the wall, but seriously, where is the living space? I see room for maybe one big comfy chair and that’s about it. There is nowhere to even squeeze in a fridge, unless it is supposed to go at the end of the kitchen by the bathroom. The tilt down table serves no function as it doesn’t free up any usable living space when stowed away, and where would you store the chair(s)? You’d have to move whatever you put in front of it to use the table. Again, craftsmanship is amazing, but functionality/livability had definitely suffered.

  • Connie Murray says:

    Wow, what difference real craftsmanship makes! Gorgeous! In terms of tweaks, I would move the door to the side where the steps are. Then I’d position a love seat where the door was. Also I’d install an incinerating toilet in the bathroom (no composting toilets for me!). And to complete my wish list, I’d make it a little longer (maybe 30 feet) so I could put the bed on the main floor and not have to climb up the steps (unless I needed something from storage or had a guest who was staying over).

  • Connie Murray says:

    What difference real craftsmanship makes! Gorgeous! In terms of tweaks, I would move the door to the side where the steps are. Then I’d position a love seat where the door was. Also I’d install an incinerating toilet in the bathroom (no composting toilets for me!). And to complete my wish list, I’d make it a little longer (maybe 30 feet) so I could put the bed on the main floor and not have to climb up the steps (unless I needed something from storage or had a guest who was staying over).

  • Julie B. says:

    One of my fave, thus far. Just beautiful finishes and great innovative ideas!

  • Pam Livingston says:

    Wow. The craftsmanship is exquisite. Your attention to detail, flawless. You have talent! Wish I could afford this for my daughter.

  • Ellen Gude says:

    Absolutely beautiful work and one of my favourite swoons so far. Thanks for the explanation of the ‘faults’ or omissions.

  • Annette says:

    Beautiful cabinetry. A little jewel box.

Leave a Reply to phil Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *