We recently uploaded our new episode of
The Earthy Robot Podcast, where we go on-location to interview Paul and Frank, who built a super-cool tiny home in Chicago, IL. I don't know how to include the audio here, so please click above to get to the original post (with more pictures) or subscribe via iTunes here:
http://apple.co/...
Frank Henderson and Paul Schultz talk with Keith Line on Episode Four of the Earthy Robot show. We do a remote-location interview with the guys that built this tiny house.
I like Frank and Paul. I guess if I had to describe them, "intense hippies", sort of comes to mind. OK, they don't necessarily look like hippies, but they have that certain hippie quality of an inherent care for the world and people in it. Well, maybe Frank looks a tad hippie-ish. Does this sound derogatory? I hope not, hippies.
This was our first on-location episode. I brought my flakier of computers and was a bit worried that the whole thing didn't even record properly, but it did (whew). You will hear some noises, but you will get over it, promise. Just listen to the soothing magical words of Paul and Frank while they talk about the build process of their tiny house.
My company insulated their tiny house and we made a video about it a few months ago. It's sorta fun, and you should watch it before or after you listen to this episode, but not during, because that would be hard.
I was a little sad though. I wanted to do my first business in a tiny home, but alas, there is no toilet in this one yet. They are leaving that up to the buyer's preference. I guess I will have to make the PP in someone else's tiny hizzouse. If you would like to schedule me to do a guest appearance in your bathroom, contact my agent.
Unique to this tiny house, is that Paul is a furniture designer & architect-ish person. Frank is a musician that has built EarthShips in Argentina, and collectively, they've made a lot of well-thought aesthetic choices. The look of the house is important in order to develop a comfortable vibe. They talk about bridging the exterior and interior with paint choices and material.
The use of fiberglass panels outside, juxtaposed with traditional wood has a great feel. The dissimilar products seem to work together in an unexpected way that I enjoy. For a better look at the exterior, visit their tiny house website where they have some cool photographs.
I like that the interior of the house wasn't "staged" while we recorded the podcast. The guys were working on the final touches, so you can see screws, containers, cords and other builder-y things if you look hard enough. This makes it feel a bit less pristine and more like it would if someone was truly living in it, going about their day.
It's easy to see everything as perfect in photographs or when a pro comes in and ploops everything into the "right" spot. But, when you have to throw your keys somewhere for the first time, you can tell if it all makes sense or not. Thankfully, it all made sense as I put my car keys down.
There is a lot of light coming in the house - a surprising amount actually. We recorded this under a full canopy of trees in Lake Forest, IL and ended about 5pm. The sun was low, but it still was bright and cheery. We sat on and had the computer and mics on the reconfigurable seating \ sleeping \ tabling cubes. Very comfortable and functional.
Even with the windows open, the house was extremely quiet. Wow, who did the insulation in this thing? They sure did an amazing job! They used BIBS®, which is an eco-friendly insulation product that all Tiny Houses should use! There are no toxic sprays being used nor panels laden in petroleum. The sound dampening is superior and changes \ fixes in the future are much easier than if the whole wall is glued together with foam.
There is no sheetrock in the home. Panels are wood, sometimes painted, sometimes stained so that the grain is visible. Reclaimed wood abounds from the loft floor to the moveable table top. There are unique stains and the structural elements are painted black. It helps tie the natural materials in with the appliances.
If you have questions, please comment below. We will make sure that Paul and Frank are able to see them and we can assist you directly as well. We love to help people build better and with greater efficiency.
OK now listen to the podcast episode already. DO IT. And when you are done, visit their website at toyboxtinyhome.com for a complete understanding of what their model tiny house looks like. Contact them if you want to buy one, or ten.
Thank you to Paul & Frank for this excellent tiny house podcast adventure.
If you would like to do a review at iTunes, that would be supergood.