Gambier Islanders Homesteaders – James Spouler and Lara Kehler
Gambier Island
January is that time of year where people take stock of their lives and ask that all important question: “What am I doing with my life?” Usually this results in a few trips to the gym and then it’s back to business as usual. But for some, it leads to something more radical.
Backyard Bedroom Kit: Our customer came to Westcoast Outbuildings with a problem. Their children were growing up right before their eyes. Brother & Sister once happy to share a single bedroom, it was now rapidly becoming a dysfunctional situation.
Modern-Shed: Backyard Bedroom installed by handy client.
Mixed Use: 7′ x 22′ Backyard Office / Storage
SEATTLE — Chris Hansot was used to paying $400 a month for an office in Queen Anne he barely used. It got him thinking about a Backyard Office.
The software salesman travels regularly for work around the Northwest and Canada, but when he needs to get projects finished, he needs the privacy and space to do so.
Chris found himself working more and more from home, in order to be close to his wife and four kids — a 6-year-old boy, two twin 8-year-old girls, and a 10-year-old boy.
He has another office in Bellevue, but he hates going there, he said.
After four years paying monthly rent on the Queen Anne office near his home, he finally made the decision to build something even closer to home, a backyard office.
“I thought, ‘Why am I paying money for this?’” he said. “I need a place to go and have my own space.”
Chris looked into building a garage with a home office attached, but he was surprised at how costly a home addition could be.
In June of 1956, Frank Lloyd Wright — a man posthumously recognized as “the greatest American architect of all time” by the AIA — received an unusual letter from 12-year-old Jim Berger, a boy looking to commission the design of a home for his dog, Eddie, by the same architect who designed his father’s house 6 years previous. Incredibly, Frank Lloyd Wright agreed and, as seen below, supplied a full set of drawings for “Eddie’s House” the next year. Construction was eventually completed by Jim’s father in 1963.
Architect Frank Lloyd Wright
Unfortunately Eddie hated his new home. It was demolished in 1973.
The full exchange of letters can be found below, along with a photo of the completed dog house. It was the smallest structure ever designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and possibly the least used.
Vancouver BC: Backyard Artist Studio
Our client had a dilemma, he had just moved into a cute little East Vancouver BC bungalow The upstairs was the perfect size for he and his wife and their two cats. In the basement was a revenue generating bachelor suite.
That meant no room for his design studio!
With the size of his lot there was no room for a full-fledged addition to the house. Read more ›
Seattle Seahawks Modern-Shed Fan Cave Seattle Seahawks Modern-Shed Fan Cave
Modern-Shed SEATTLE — When Joe and Lisa Sakay moved into their new home in the Leschi neighborhood of Seattle this past June, they both felt as though the home was missing something.
“For some reason, the house didn’t have a basement or an office, a space where I could go and work and watch football,” said Joe Sakay, an attorney who puts in many hours over the weekend. “I needed my own office space to get my work done.”
In addition to work, however, Sakay has been a “huge” Seahawks fan his whole life.
Click to view this info packed FREE Special Edition
Ever thought about owning a Prefab House? If you are as passionate about prefab houses and construction as we are they you’ve gotta check out this FREE Digital Issue of Dwell Magazine.
Page 4: Prefab 101
Everything you wanted to know about prefab houses but were afraid to ask! We’ve tapped the brain behind popular Web resource FabPreFab to explain the birds and the bees of manufactured housing.
As a homeowner and private contractor, I understand the importance of sustainability. Having worked on Long Island Homes for over 3 years now, I’ve seen a lot of things that are commonplace, along with some that are newer to me.
Tankless water heaters and radiant roof sheathing are among the most innovative energy-saving home improvement technologies available today. Many homeowners overlook these devices. However, they can help people save a lot of money on energy expenses.
