ISSN 2631-326X
JUNE 2020
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JUNE 2020
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Contents 03 Sea Life … Page
Home - A Permanent Place to Live with Tiny Eco Homes UK … Page
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Email us at: info@tinylivingmagazine.co.uk
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For Fun Just Add Water! … Page
On the cover:
Aiken House & Garden, by Carolyn Aiken.
Published by: Tiny Living Productions Ltd Editor: Pamela Palongue Design by: Gilmour Graphics Email: info@tinylivingmagazine.co.uk
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SEA LIFE John and Nicole’s love story began in China 20 years ago, when they met on a charity cycle ride. This well-travelled pair became a couple, and later purchased a 100 year-old Dutch sailing barge for their home. They lived aboard for 14 years, travelling across the Channel to Le Havre, Paris and the French canals., exploring local creeks in England, and even
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managed to place second at the Swale Barge Match at Seasalter.
Like many boat owners, they wanted to continue to be near the sea, and they cautiously eyed the rising prices of houses on land. They decided to make a purchase, in order to have a home for the future – in more ways than one!
Nicole says, “We bought a semi-derelict, seaside hut [on the Isle of Wight] and obtained planning permission to redevelop. Living on the barge and cycling made us value Green Living and we set about designing our own eco house within the constraints for the site”. They employed six former shipwrights to erect the timber frame, slate the roof, and fit out the interior with a staircase and customised kitchen. Unlike most homeowners, Nicole and John didn’t suffer from the usual anxieties about the work. They knew the builders and were relaxed enough about the work, they took off on one of their regular cycling trips to Cuba.
The finished home is tiny, eco-friendly, welcoming and beautiful! At 1.5 stories, it makes use of the gable roof for extra vertical space. The ground floor is an open plan with a sliding partition which allows one end of the living space to transform into a small sleeping space with a sofa bed. This small space also works well as a treatment room for Nicole’s reflexology practice. Reflexology is a special type of massage that helps relieve tension and practitioners and patients alike, attest to its value in treating illness. A calming space for visitors was essential! The kitchen is raised one metre above the rest of the floor, and has a cathedral roof with a clothes drying rack.
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The dining and seating areas are heated with a sealed wood burner. (Sealing a wood burning stove helps to make it more energy efficient).
the outdoors inside. The couples’ bath has a daily service tank for rain water harvesting which serves the toilet cisterns and the washing machine.
The staircase provides clever storage underneath, providing a closet for coats, hats and shoes, and a contained area for the boiler, electrical switches and the solar inverter. The upper floor has a feeling of spaciousness with the cathedral ceiling throughout, and French doors which open onto the balcony have a view of the sea and bring
Solar panels heat their hot water during the warmer months by using an immersion heater, and Nicole and John have found that they still generate more energy than they use in total. A mechanical heat recovery ventilation system, coupled with the wood burning stove, keeps the seaside cottage warm all year.
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Their space saving ideas have extended to their choice in furniture, which are all ideas adapted from their life on the barge. There is built-in storage under the fixed seating in the dining area, and the writing desk and book cases are fit neatly into a small space. They’ve cultivated a small, but thriving
garden, with a tiny brick-laden path and cobblestones salvaged from the beach. Nicole explains that living near the sea has its advantages. “We have a wild beach around the corner from us where we can indulge in an early morning skinny dip in the sea from early summer to late autumn�.
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“ We have a wild beach
around the corner from us where we can indulge in an early morning skinny dip in the sea from early summer to late autumn.
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Nicole and John have also bought the cottage immediately adjacent to their own, which is a 1922 timber frame construction. When the property came up for sale, to Nicole’s dismay, everyone wanted to level the house and start over. “Originally all the buildings on Shore Road were wooden with a veranda at the front… These are now almost a hundred years old and needing major repairs, many not having survived in their original form… they are sadly being demolished and replaced with
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ostentatious development that is out of character with the area”. Instead, Nicole and John have chosen to renovate rather than demolish. With the same care that they have taken with their own cottage, they are now refurbishing the little cottage. It is now structurally sound, but will require replacing all the external plaster, increasing the walls thickness which will naturally support insulation, and providing good ventilation to the interior. It will one day be available for rent on Airbnb when the repairs are completed.
“ We hope upon completion, we will not have altered the essential character of the building. The improved thermal performance will enable us to extend our letting season into the winter and the building should not need major repairs for the next hundred years.
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Let’s hope 100 years from now, the little cottage finds an owner who is devoted to preservation, and not demolition. To learn more about Nicole’s Reflexology practice, visit www.reflexologyiow.co.uk
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SUMMER PRINT SUMMER 2020
ISSN 2631-3251
On sale now!
- according to the Canal & River Trust, 26% of the UK’s 33,000 boats are used as primary residences? - thousands of people in the UK are already embracing small-space living in studio flats, student accommodations, and small terraced houses? - there are over 80 shepherd hut building companies in the UK? - prices for a well-designed tiny house fitted with kitchen and bath starts at £26,000? - according to Popular Science, human beings are hard-wired to like tiny things? www.popsci.com/why-do-we-think-tiny-things-are-cute
Abundant Tiny Living!
Our Spring issue is available across the UK, mainland Europe and North America at:
www.newsstand.co.uk
Send Us Your Photos!! Are you living in a tiny house, a narrowboat, a studio or other small space? Your story can help inspire others to follow their dreams! Email us at: info@tinylivingmagazine.co.uk
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A Tiny Living Promotion
Home - /hōm/
1. A permanent place of residence. As anyone who’s ever moved their place of residence can tell you, moving house is a time of uncertainty and major stress. Wouldn’t it be great to never have to move again, unless it was your choice? -To never have to face that time of confusion, trying to figure out where you will go next? -And that uneasy feeling after signing the lease when you wonder if you picked the right flat or chose the right neighbourhood? These major upheavals when you change your place of residence are a huge source of stress, and inevitably lead to at least a short period of feeling a little lost. It’s part of what makes home ownership so attractive. You never have to worry about someone raising your rent or keeping your expensive deposit. If you own your home or have a really low mortgage payment, you can sail through rough financial times feeling more secure with a bit more control over your destiny.
A house truly becomes a ‘home’ when all the walls are painted your favourite shade, the plug-ins are in just the right spot, your familiar pictures are on the wall, and your favourite jeans are in the cupboard you designed. A customised home is truly yours in every way. Tiny Eco Homes UK is not just building affordable houses, they’re creating homes – homes that are specially designed for the way that you want to live. You can choose to incorporate solar and wind power options for an economical source of energy, and a greener future for our planet. And if you need financing, they can help you to get the affordable loan you need. With prices starting at just £26,000, your mortgage may actually be less than the rent you’re paying now. Visit their website and see what home is all about: www.tinyecohomesuk.com
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FOR FUN JUST ADD WATER! Simply stated, fish make great pets! They’re never noisy or demanding, they won’t eat your favourite snacks, and as long as you’re not keeping piranhas in a 200 litre tank, most landlords will be okay with your fishkeeping activities. Some studies even show that they may lower blood pressure, stress and anxiety. And it’s little wonder, since watching them is like viewing a water ballet with their graceful flowing movements. Two relatively easy types of fish to keep that are fun to watch are Fantail Goldfish and Betta Fish. Bettas in particular do not require huge amounts of water, so you don’t need tons of space.
The items featured on the site are literally works of art! Please visit the shop at www.etsy.com/shop/IDIDTHATdotcom If you’d like to create your own TV fish tank, you’ll need some power tools and knowledge of DIY, but it is possible. If you’re not handy with DIY yourself, perhaps you have a friend who can lend a hand. Here’s a good video on how to create one www.youtube.com/ watch?v=xH6WHpUVg5Q With new products made from recycled materials, you’re not only helping the environment, you become the owner of something that’s special and one-of-a-kind. Recycling + Fish = Happiness!
A fun project that makes use of old unused electronic equipment, is a TV Fish Tank. The ideas for turning an old TV set into an aquarium are as varied as the individuals creating them. The charming combination bar cabinet and aquarium pictured here was made from a 1950s TV and radio cabinet. It’s from a shop on Etsy that has all sorts of inspired ideas for recycling items into useful, cool décor.
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Fish photography by Foad Memariaan and Dvortygirl.
We’re not naming names... but a celebrity dog was recently spotted reading our magazine. -Tiny Living is fun and inspirational!
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