I spent a whirlwind week with Yannik and Delphine at their small farm near Lake Geneva in Switzerland. From harvesting plants and seeds to learning about moon cycles and living off solar power, I got to experience life in a fully functioning, off the grid home. Check out the video to see how they do it!
Furniture Recovery And Repair – Fast And Easy Extra Income
Don’t throw out that old dresser! There are a ton of ways to save furniture and extend it’s useful life, from drawers that won’t slide to removing paint from finished surfaces! With a little finesse you can find an easy way to bring your dresser or ottoman back from the brink, and keep using it or sell it for some cash! Here’s my failures and successes with a whole variety of pieces I found for free which just needed a little TLC, and now they’re ready for market!
Venetian Cistern/ Well
One simple way to collect and store potable water is with a Venetian cistern. In ancient times, Venetian cisterns were often constructed in courtyards near homes for easy access.
Earthbag Dome Homes – Baja, Mexico
Baja BioSana is a living and learning center, a demonstration site for local and global solutions. Educational advancement occurs through immersion in a living regenerative model of the world we wish to live in. This includes a peaceful permaculture-based resort retreat, a sanctuary for residents, visitors and wildlife.
Quonset Hut Homes Taking Off in Detroit
One of our readers (J. Bowie) kindly sent me some links about new quonset hut projects in Detroit. He’s currently building his own quonset hut home and is in the process of trying to figure out the best, most practical and affordable way to build it. One tip he passed along is he’s using recycled SPF foam insulation because he reasons the outgassing has already occurred or at least will be greatly diminished. Below I summarize two projects in Detroit.
$300 TINY ROOFTOP APARTMENT TOUR WITH POND, PATIO AND TERRACE
This tiny apartment has dozens of interesting space-saving features that could be used in any small home or tiny house. Note the outdoor clothes drying rack, accordian style screen doors, storage features, retractable range hood and laundry in the hallway. The glass bathroom door and clerestory windows with screens add extra light and cross ventilation. There’s even a water saving rain shower head that swivels out of the way. Not too many tiny houses/apartments have a fish pond and outdoor BBQ on the patio. Apparently the $300 also includes almost all utilities.