The most common question we get about our house is "Did you build this?" We live in an Octayome, which we purchased prefab from Red Sky Shelters in NC. We did build the yome ourselves, but we didn't design it; it's sort of like a kit. The yome is 265 sq ft, and is 19 ft in diameter; it's basically one big room. Our intent is to live in it for a few years while we build a house using natural materials.
At this point, we don't have running water or electricity on our property (yet). We fill up our big water jugs at neighbors' houses, with gravity-fed spring water. We're still evaluating what the best way will be to access water oursleves, but this "bootlegging" arrangement works for now. As for electricity, we recharge the batteries on our cell phones, iPods, and laptops either in the car when we make trips into town or at the office the two days a week I work. We use battery-powerd headlamps in the evenings, and have a few awesome vintage oillamps that we inherited for light inside the yome in the evenings. During the day, the walls of the yome are opaque enough to let in alot of natural light without giving up any privacy.
That's the current kitchen. It's outside, on the same deck the yome rests on. We have a three-burner camp stove that runs on propane, and a motley assortment of cast-iron cookware. All of the pots and pans have a permanent layer of soot from exposure to the open flame of the stove. Last fall, after the last round of local elections, my husband went out and salvaged every single campaign sign he could find; in this image you can see that they've been put to use as a windbreak, attached to chicken wire fencing put up around that corner to keep Logan from falling off the deck.
We've also been using them to cover up various scrap piles. I think this one is lumber and steel. My favorite use for the signs so far has been the seed start trays a friend of mine made with them, but I don't have a picture of that.
We have a small propane heater for cold nights, and the yome came with a pretty good insulation package.
Bradley built a sink for washing dishes; we boil water on the stove and carry it over to the sink, and instead of pipe coming out the bottom we have a greywater bucket. We re-use the dishwater for the plants in the garden. We also have a compost bin. The county doesn't have a garbage service, so we try to be conscius about the waste we're generating, since we have to haul it into town to the dump ourselves.
We hung up this mirror to try to help the yome feel more spacious; you can totally see my unmade bed (oops!). You can also sort of see the swatch portraits I made with the scraps of fabric from Tokyo.
There's a garden in progress, which is really a big dug up area until this crazy freeze ends. And the chickens will be here in two weeks.
I love our little yome home, but I will also confess that I spend LOTS of time daydreaming about our "real" home. You know, the one we haven't built yet, with the spacious kitchen and plenty of attractive storage and a room for Logan and a craft space for me and.....
Dream big, right?
Please feel free to ask questions in the comments! This is my first (rough) attempt at trying to explain our life to strangers, and I'm not certain whether I've covered the intersting bits or not, but I'm out of time for now.
Hi there,
Thank you for sharing this. I find it fascinating. It sounds like a more rounded version of camping, something I have never been great at ;). How long do you think you will stay in the yome ? And what made you decide to live there instead of renting ? I am really interested in this subject so I am sorry if I am being too nosy.
Posted by: Josie | April 16, 2007 at 05:15 PM
i too am so fascinated... bathroom? shower? how does that work? do you have bears where you are, thinking of the food set up. can't wait to learn more about this. thanks for sharing.
Posted by: heather | April 16, 2007 at 07:09 PM
Hi! Can you give me the # or email address for Red Sky? I cannot open the site!!!
I would love to know how much this cost you w/ insulation & decking. I need one for a guest house for ME!! I'm in a wheelchair & have to give up my apt which is too expensive - I will rent a lot from a friend in the country. I love roughing it & your article was inspiring & great! Thanks, Kimberley C in Kings Mtn, NC
Posted by: Kimberley C | October 21, 2007 at 06:10 PM
Hi! I never would have thought someone else would live like this. I like your lifestyle being it simple yet still extravagant.
Posted by: Crystal Clear Headlights | January 18, 2012 at 10:36 PM