Tiny Houses

Light-filled tiny house stands out from the crowd

Light-filled tiny house stands out from the crowd
An Onduvilla-tiled roof and its 13 handmade window frames help give the Damselfly House a unique identity
An Onduvilla-tiled roof and its 13 handmade window frames help give the Damselfly House a unique identity
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The Damselfly House is currently up for sale for US$106,500
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The Damselfly House is currently up for sale for US$106,500
The Damselfly House's exterior is clad in cedar
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The Damselfly House's exterior is clad in cedar
The Damselfly House's interior boasts plenty of natural light thanks to all that glazing
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The Damselfly House's interior boasts plenty of natural light thanks to all that glazing
The Damselfly House's living room area
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The Damselfly House's living room area
The Damselfly House's upstairs sleeping loft is reached by storage-integrated staircase
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The Damselfly House's upstairs sleeping loft is reached by storage-integrated staircase
The Damselfly House weighs in at 12,000 lb (around 5,440 kg)
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The Damselfly House weighs in at 12,000 lb (around 5,440 kg)
The Damselfly House's copper kitchen sink
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The Damselfly House's copper kitchen sink
The Damselfly House's kitchen is centered around that huge window box
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The Damselfly House's kitchen is centered around that huge window box
The Damselfly House's kitchen also includes an induction stove
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The Damselfly House's kitchen also includes an induction stove
An Onduvilla-tiled roof and its 13 handmade window frames help give the Damselfly House a unique identity
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An Onduvilla-tiled roof and its 13 handmade window frames help give the Damselfly House a unique identity
The Damselfly House's pantry
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The Damselfly House's pantry
The Damselfly House's main bedroom
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The Damselfly House's main bedroom
View towards the Damselfly House's main bedroom
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View towards the Damselfly House's main bedroom
View gallery - 13 images

Zyl Vardos has carved out a nice little niche for itself in the tiny house scene by producing one-of-a-kind dwellings like the American Craftsman and Moon Dragon. Its latest model, the Damselfly House, also stands out from the crowd with a distinctive sculpted roofline and a large window box. Its light-filled interior includes two bedrooms and lots of storage space.

The Damselfly House is based on a trailer measuring 24 ft (7.3 m)-long and 10 ft (3.5 m)-wide, with weight coming in at 12,000 lb (around 5,440 kg). However, the overhanging eaves increase its width to 12 ft (3.65 m), so you'd need a special permit to tow this thing on a public road in the USA.

The biggest selling point with this tiny house is clearly its looks and Zyl Vardos must have spent significant time on the Onduvilla-tiled roof and the total of 13 handmade wooden window frames, which include that eye-catching window box and porthole-style windows. The style may not be to everyone's taste, though it's good to see a firm trying something so different.

Once inside, the layout is pretty typical. The ground floor includes a living area with small sofa, plus a kitchen with natural slate countertop, copper sink, two-burner induction stove, a large fridge/freezer, cabinets, and a two-door pantry. The interior looks very bright, thanks both to the glazing and a couple of roof-based solar tubes (which appear to be the Solatube brand), that channel sunlight inside during daylight hours. At night, electric illumination takes over.

View towards the Damselfly House's main bedroom
View towards the Damselfly House's main bedroom

The Damselfly House's bathroom is accessed by a Japanese Shōji-style sliding door. It has a standard flushing toilet (a composting model is also an option), vanity unit with copper sink to match the kitchen sink, and a shower.

There are two bedrooms. The master bedroom is on the ground floor and has room to stand up – though it offers no privacy from the living area due to the open layout. The second bedroom is accessed by storage-integrated staircase and looks like a standard tiny house loft bedroom, with space for a double bed.

The Damselfly House draws power from a standard RV-style electrical hookup and includes an electric water heater, ceiling fan, and an electric heater.

As you've probably guessed given all the work that went into it, this one's not cheap. It's currently up for sale for US$106,500.

Source: Zyl Vardos

View gallery - 13 images
4 comments
4 comments
Tom Lee Mullins
I think that is very nice. With all that light, it would not feel so cramped.
Mark Salamon
Tucking the loft stairway into the corner niche on one side of the refrigerator is a clever design solution that saves precious floor space. I'm beginning to like these tiny houses more and more.
IvanWashington
why does it have to cost so much more than a regular aluminum trailer?
MerlinGuy
Tiny houses started out as a way to provide homes for people who can not afford the cost of an average house. But now they are nothing more than a competitive purchase for the rich. They don't even post the square footage anymore since the cost will make most people puke.