Appliances!

It’s kind of crazy how many devices we need. But here goes. I’ve pretty much got all the electronics I’m going to own, but as for household appliances, I’ve got nothing. I’ll need a…

Toaster: Originally I wasn’t going to have one because I’d like to go gluten free, but I’ve given up on that for the moment because I just love toast. I’ll look for something small to go with the rest of the house.

Toaster oven: I use our toaster oven a lot and I don’t need a full size oven for one person. There are some great toaster ovens out there that you can bake full size pizzas in as well as batches of cookies.

Fridge/freezer: I don’t want to have an under-the-counter fridge. I want more space and a decent freezer. I’ve got my eye on this one: http://www.homedepot.ca/product/45-cubic-feet-2-door-mini-refrigerator/832063 but maybe I’ll look for something energy star rated. I still have to figure out electrical and all that.

Stove top: I don’t really want a drop-in stove top because that means I permanently lose that counter space. What I want is a double burner stove-top that I can move and store. I spent quite a few hours the other night researching options, and here’s what I’ve come up with: hot plates are slow to heat, and ironically, don’t get hot enough. Then there’s electric, which would be ideal, but I haven’t been able to find one that isn’t a drop-in version. I was reading about induction stove tops, which are very sleek looking and there’s a great little portable one on Amazon: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0045QEPYM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0045QEPYM&linkCode=as2&tag=tinhoulis-20. The thing with induction stove tops though is that they only work with magnetic cookware. That isn’t really a problem for me because I don’t have any cookware that I’d have to replace, but from my research, it’s difficult to find the right kind. Plus I like the cheap non-stick pans that we have now. Lastly, I’ve been considering a denatured alcohol stove, specifically this one: http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1|2276204|2276209|2276214&id=60257, but it’s more like a camp stove and I don’t want to have to worry about running out of fuel while trying to make a quick meal before work.

Dishwasher: A lot of tiny housers opt to not have a dishwasher, but I think it will save water. And, if I load it as I use dishes, I’ll never have a counter full of dirty dishes. There are slim versions,  or there’s a counter top version that I’ve thought about, although that defeats the purpose of saving the counter from being full of dirty dishes. I’m planning on getting one that’s 18″ wide rather than the normal 24″. And I might not get one right away, depending on what money’s like at that point.

Washer/dryer: Laundry machines are another thing tiny houses usually don’t have, but I want my tiny house to have everything I need. I like to do laundry in the middle of the night and leave it in there for 12 hours, so a laundromat is not for me. There are 2-in-1 washer/dryers, so I could save a lot of space with one of those and still be able to do my laundry at home.

Have I mentioned that I love lists? A lot of my posts are just me getting all my thoughts down. Also, I’m interested to look back and see what changes.

Oh, and I’m not going to have a microwave. I much prefer to heat my food on the stove or in the toaster oven and have it take longer, rather than radiate it. And I find the stove and oven heat more evenly and don’t make food mushy.

Elevation Drawing #4

Here’s the other half of the hallway:

Hallway (Left)

You’ll have to go into tools and rotate it yourself because it won’t let me do it.

In the last hallway one I forgot to add the dimensions; both hallway drawings are 7′ high by 9′ long.

Okay, so starting on the left/bottom there’s the kitchen: upper cabinets, open shelving, counter space, drawers, and lower cabinets. I didn’t draw the stove top, the toaster, or the vent in this one. I’m not sure what the vent will look like yet. My kitchen only has two drawers while our kitchen now has six, so I hope I’ll have enough room!

I think I’ll have some string lighting underneath the kick plates or underneath the open shelving.

Then there’s a foot of space where the folding chairs will be stored on the bottom, and I’ll have some extra space above them. I might use it for sweaters or something. I also might add a door or curtain to this spot, but I don’t mind having it open for now.

Next are the closets. My original design only had one, but I’m going to be living in this house for at least four years probably, and if in that time I want to live with someone, I want that ability. I don’t expect the tiny house to be perfect for two people forever – because the house is mostly designed by me for me alone – but I don’t want to have to move immediately if I want to live with somebody just because I don’t have space for their stuff. Having an empty closet around will be tempting to fill though… conscious minimalism! I could fill that space, but I don’t need to.

I think that’s everything for that one.

Check back tomorrow for more!

 

Elevation Drawing #3

I can’t think of creative titles for these 😛

So here’s the drawing facing the kitchen sink that I mentioned:

Hallway (Right)

I’m sorry it’s sideways; it won’t let me change it! You should be able to go into tools and rotate it yourself though.

I think it’s pretty clear what everything is, but I’ll explain a little anyway.

Starting on the left/bottom, there’s the utility closet (which I might have to adjust depending on the sliding bathroom door).

Next is the laundry “room” with some shelving. I’ll probably add a door or a curtain eventually, but I don’t mind having it open like that.

Then it’s one side of the kitchen, with the small fridge/freezer, toaster oven, cabinets, window, and sink.

On the end/top there’s another upper cabinet, some open storage, and a dishwasher (I’m not 100% decided on the dishwasher, but I really think it will save water).

Note that there’s no fake drawer under the sink (I think they’re dumb). Apparently cabinetry is really hard, so might as well make everything as simple as possible.

I’ll post the other side of the hallway next.

Elevation Drawing #2

Here’s my second little piece of imagination, looking towards the back of the house:

Kitchen & Bathroom Door

Okay, so you’re seeing through the kitchen, past the laundry machine and closets. The sliding bathroom door is closed, and it has a mirror on it. I tried to make the mirror center of the hallway rather than center of the door, but it’s not perfect.

Again, coming down into the space are rafter ties, this time for the sleeping loft. In the front, you can see the ladder stored to the side.

The sink is on the right. The taller part behind the sink is the fridge/freezer (I don’t want the under-the-counter version). On top of it is a toaster oven. You can see some open shelving and there is a cabinet above. The reason why there are two little knobs is that I wanted to have some more clearance above the toaster oven in case it puts off a lot of heat, so I’ll probably make the cabinet higher there. It’ll be clearer when I do a drawing facing the sink.

On the left is a toaster and a stove top, more open shelving and more cabinets above. There are drawers on the left; that’s why there are two knobs there.

The reason the line of the lower cupboards goes all the way to the ceiling is because beyond the kitchen there is a closet (left) and a separated space for the washing machine (right).

I plan having pull-out kick plates for a little bit of extra storage.

More drawings are on the way!