Dave Herrle of Westbrook, Connecticut built this gorgeous tiny house in the woods for his wife. Dave owns his own carpentry company, Herrle Custom Carpentry. He built the little cabin from salvaged materials where possible, and kept the footprint small to better fit the couple’s sustainable lifestyle.
The cabin is 11×14 feet (154sqft), took six weeks to build, and only cost $4000. The cabin is perched on a hillside, and sits about 12 feet off the ground on one side. The cabin sports a wrap around porch for viewing nature.
“My wife and I built the wee house last March. At the time we weren’t married or living together. It was new year’s eve and we were talking about her moving in but there was a problem…I owned the house with my brother and we had all the rooms rented out to friends (total bachelor pad). After quite a few drinks I said that I would just build her a house of her own. I woke up in the morning with a slight hangover and realized that I better build her a house!! We went and walked my property (only 2 acres) and picked the build sight. That week we went to a salvage yard and bought window sashes and got to work. I had all the lumber felled and milled locally, my wife and I did all of the work ourselves, and six weeks after we got the lumber we had a house! I had two years carpentry experience at the time and after building the cabin decided to start my own business. We sleep in the cabin every night, there is a composting toilet, hot plate, electricity (underground cable run from the main house) but more than anything an amazing view (an old cranberry bog) and very peaceful sleep.
Regrets-none! I think this was a determining step in becoming the people we want to be. Every morning when we wake up in our tree house we are inspired to continue that evolution.” – Herrle Custom Carpentry
Images: Sarah Grote Photography
With the addition of the sleeping loft, the house is a total of 248sq ft. It has no running water, a composting toilet, and a kerosene heater for winter.
Now that is living big in a tiny house! Small price, small cabin, and big dreams. This is how you live life BIG while also giving back to the earth. Truly inspiring.
Great job!