Though brand-new, the Earth and Sky Palace tiny house has a pleasantly weathered appearance that helps it stand out in the crowded small living scene. Inside, the towable dwelling is laid-out on one floor and boasts some high-end additions that are unusual for a tiny home, including an app-controlled air-con unit.
We asked builder Dan Huling, who makes his living as a theatrical prop and stage designer, about the impetus behind the home's design and were told that it was inspired by memories of the remnants of old mining towns in the Colorado Rockies, where he was raised.
Based on a 24 ft (7.3 m)-long trailer, the Earth and Sky Palace has a total of 200 sq ft (18.5 sq m) of floorspace and a steel frame. It's clad in reclaimed heart pine and blue stained cedar, with steel trim. The roof is lined with Onduvilla tiles and there's also a small steel pet door.
The home is entered by a large sliding glass door. Its small kitchen includes a posh Verona oven with propane-powered stove and a solar power-ready fridge (i.e. the fridge is energy-efficient and can be run either from 12 V DC or 110 V AC). There's also a butcher's block countertop, porcelain sink, custom cabinetry, and a small dining area with two adjustable stools.
The Earth and Sky Palace has no separate living room as such, which is the price paid for having the bedroom on the ground floor. That said, the bed can be converted into seating and there is also a small storage/bedroom loft that's accessed by a stowed away ladder.
The bathroom lies behind a sliding partition and includes a brass sink, toilet, and walk-in shower – the latter sporting a US$1,000 shower head. Indeed, there are other expensive little touches throughout the home, such as replica embossed alligator skin wallpaper, and a section of wall covered in late 1800s antique pressed tin from a prison in Nebraska.
The tiny house has in-wall wiring for a 5.1 surround sound/home theater system to be installed and the Friedrich air-con unit is controllable by an iOS device (we're not sure if Android works too). A Thelin Hearth gnome pot belly direct vent gas heater is also installed.
The Earth and Sky Palace gets power and water from standard hookups, and the toilet is plumbed for a septic tank (it was originally envisioned as a guest house). It is "solar-ready" though, which means all the space necessary for batteries, wiring, etc is ready for a solar power system to be dropped-in with relative ease if the owner wanted to take it off-the-grid.
Insulation is spray foam and lighting is LED throughout. The propane-powered tankless water heater is touchscreen-controlled.
The Earth and Sky Palace is currently up for sale for $74,000.
Source: Handsome Little Devils
1. Change the bed into a murphy bed. This would allow that area to be used as a small living area. With as light as many current generation televisions, DVD players, ... are, you could probably attach a television to the bottom of the murphy bed allowing it to be an entertainment system also. I believe a custom murphy beds run $1,500 - $10,000. This would necessitate the storage under the bed be moved (unless their is a strap or something to hold items in place when the bed is raised. If the storage must be moved, I would suggest something like a current generation military wall locker. It would combine a closet to hang up items and drawers for storage of other clothing. 2. Change the fireplace/oven and stove to something like this "http://www.houzz.com/photos/81281410/Wood-Burning-Cook-Stove-North-Black-Left-Flue-traditional-gas-ranges-and-electric-ranges". I believe there are models that are able to use firewood, wood pellets, or natural gas. This would provide both home heating when needed and as the cooking range and over while reducing footprint therefore increasing user floor space. Multi fuel models start around $1,700 depending on source and go up to about $17,000.