A Tour of Tee Tiny Houses

As I teased in Friday's blog post, and on my Instagram over the weekend, my husband and I got to tour a tiny house built locally in Arnaudville, Louisiana.


The weather was absolutely perfect for a 20-mile drive out of Lafayette, after Friday evening's rainy weather cleared out and my first pot of gumbo for the season was put away in 309 containers.

We bundled up in comfy clothing, finished our first cups of coffee, and headed out along Louisiana's scenic by-ways.


Side note here: If you go out to visit Tee Tiny Houses' studio...make it a point to visit Little Big Cup down the street. I've still never been, but it's on the top of my restaurant bucket list! Make a day and visit Nunu Collective for some local art and Bayou Teche Brewing for a cold beer.

Okay, back to the tiny house.



Phillip and I really enjoyed getting to check out this house under construction in July, but I was really antsy to see the finished product. You may be walking in the same space, but the feeling is completely different. Saturday, we got to truly envision what it would be like to call a tiny house 'home'.


The Zaunbrecher model tiny home was expertly designed. It has what I call the Joanna Gaines feel - horizontal panels on the walls, a gorgeous navy blue accent on the couch and kitchen cabinets, and dark wooden ceilings that don't make the space feel small at all. It's both rustic and modern, warm and cozy.


The large windows help to give the space an airy feel. I love the large window over the kitchen sink that cranks open, but my favorite is the picture window over the couch.



One thing I love about this tiny home is that it doesn't go tiny on ALL the features. The fridge, while smaller than standard, is anything but a dorm room mini-fridge. There's a four-burner propane-powered stove and full-size microwave. There's a full-size sink (but no dishwasher).


There is a combination washer/dryer, which completely intrigues me.
 
 

Also, the shower is full-size and the toilet is not a composting toilet. :D I am definitely not there yet on my green journey!


I didn't get a photo of it, but in the bathroom is attic access for additional storage inside the home.


Built into the stairs to the loft are storage drawers and an inset for a television. There's a large cabinet to the left of the couch that can fit a lot of things. It would probably be the best space to hold clothing, since it's next to the bathroom.

Tee Tiny Houses owner Cherie Hebert mentions that they planned to build a second locker-style storage on the right side of the couch, but decided it was too overwhelming for the space. So instead, they put a small shelf and very important space-saving wine rack. Could I see myself lounging on the couch, feet up on the small ottoman, with a glass of red? Of course I can!



Upstairs, the loft is small, but still super cozy. For the open house, the team set out a full size mattress, but the loft can fit a queen.




All lighting is LED and will be set with dimmers. The energy-efficient ceiling fan puts out a good breeze. The water heater is housed in an external storage space. The house uses a wall-mounted compact energy efficient air conditioner/heater.

The home's construction definitely had a local focus. As Cherie explains, "Our beautiful cabinets, framing, stairs and finishing work were done by Arnaudville locals, Myran Richard and David Robin with Robin's Construction, LLC. Kent Trahan and his crew with Kentint Construction, Inc provided interior trim and exterior carpentry."

For the tour, the home was located inside the warehouse, and the Tee Tiny crew set out a bistro set where a deck could be. The team tells me the home can easily be outfitted with a raised deck, and we talked about the possibility of adding a retractable awning that hides under the canopy but could extend out over the deck for a real outdoor space.

There is an electrical outlet and cable hookup on the exterior wall, so you could even add a TV to your outdoor space.

I can definitely envision a home like this on some property next to a lake, and that deck would be the perfect place for some morning coffee.





One thing I have to note is how much I loved the coffee available for open house visitors - there were real coffee mugs and spoons available, and creamer was in a glass shaker. Almost totally zero-waste! It's so great to attend an event and not see disposable stuff everywhere. (Also, the cookies that were set out are some of the best we've ever had. I'm still dreaming about them.)


The Zaunbrecher tiny house comes in at 240 square feet, loft included. It measures 8’x24’, is 13’6” tall, and weighs between 10,000 and 12,000lbs. It can be pulled by a one-ton truck or can be moved onto location by a transporter.

Tee Tiny Houses also has a few other models and floor plans that they can build, which can suit different needs.

We joked with one of the Tee Tiny women, Denice, about how awesome it would be to have a tiny house hotel available for rentals. We would absolutely be up for a short-term stay to get familiar with tiny house living.





Could Phillip and I live full-time in 240 square feet? Maybe not yet, but we still dream! The notion of really downsizing our material belongings and keeping only what's most important to us, conserving resources, saving money on a mortgage and bills, and living a more clutter-free life is definitely one that will keep calling to us. The reality may not happen right now, but who knows what we'll be up for in the future.


VISIT

On the web | Facebook | In person: 1056 B Coteau Rodaire Hwy, Arnaudville, LA

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