Lusby
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117 square feet - click here for more dimensions
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The Lusby is popular for its downstairs bedroom with extra loft sleeping above. The kitchen/main room has vaulted ceilings which make this tiny house feel much larger than it really is. The interior is completely finished in pine with stainless steel counters. The bathroom has a full shower, toilet and sink. Two full size closets flank the front door on either side.
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Comments
55 Responses to “Lusby”
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Two quick questions: does the Lusby have the tiny fireplace featured in many of the other homes? Also, the plans seem to indicate that the bathroom wall is flush with the downstairs bedroom but the photos show a short hallway leading to the bathroom. Is there a hallway? Thanks!
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Steve with Tumbleweed reply on June 1, 2008 5:10 pm:
The Lusby comes with a forced air heater. The little fireplace can be put in the Lusby if you choose. There is no hallway to the bathroom.
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Todd reply on July 21, 2008 2:35 pm:
what is the differences between the little fireplaces and a forced air heater?
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Steve with Tumbleweed reply on July 22, 2008 12:44 am:
The forced air heater can fit underneath the bed. However, you can choose whichever heater you prefer.
It almost looks like the storage loft above the closets in the Lusby and Tarleton is large enough for a twin bed (39″ by 75″ or 80″ for a twin extra long). Would this loft area work for extra sleeping space?
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Daniel reply on June 20, 2008 4:44 pm:
I think it could be a bed, and perhaps the lower part can be either a closet like you mentioned or even some time of office space too.
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Valerie reply on June 22, 2008 9:08 pm:
I did a mock-up of the loft space in my living room so I could see what a 3′ 8″ ceiling height felt like. I’m 5′ 7″ and found that, though a mattress would fit in the space you’re suggesting, if I stretched out on the bed my feet would hit the ceiling where it slopes to meet the wall. It could work for a child, though.
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Steve with Tumbleweed reply on June 24, 2008 11:00 am:
Try lying the other direction. Your body should be parrallel to the ridge beam.
Valerie reply on June 24, 2008 11:29 am:
Exactly. Which is why the storage loft in the Lusby, though technically big enough for a bed, isn’t big enough for an adult to lie in the bed…
Steve with Tumbleweed reply on June 25, 2008 6:21 am:
Yes, the storage loft is not large enough for an adult. However, if you wanted to extend the loft over the porch, you can do that. You can see an example here. Doing that would make the loft longer. In fact, you’re probably the third person I’ve discussed this with in the past couple months. After Jay’s tour, I’ll talk to him about creating a supplemental Lusby design with two sleeping lofts.
gerrie r. reply on July 27, 2008 3:47 am:
Hi Valerie, I know what you mean. Here is what I posted on the TARLETON page.
The DOUBLE LOFT idea:
Don’t build inward and lose floor space and ceiling height! Build outward and increase the front porch space.
If you added an additional 12” to 18”, extending the depth of the front porch, you could have an extra, full, sleeping loft (or for storage) and have a usable porch that would accommodate two chairs or rockers, comfortably, and extend the outdoor living space, which, to me, is as important as the inside! The porches on some models are very narrow and I am a porch lover! Extra support would have to be added to the porch to support the new loft but it probably wouldn’t add to much weight, I don’t think.
This idea is for the TARLETON and the LUSBY models.
Another idea:
The LADDER! If you look at the photos of both of the models, that ladder takes up a lot of floor space (I am estimating close to 3’)! Especially, if you have two sleeping lofts with two ladders or WORSE sharing one ladder at night, this could be hard, OR WAR!
Suggestions: Both models have an interior wall (similar in both designs, the TARLETON has a large wall separating the kitchen/bath from the main room and the LUSBY has a tiny, interior wall separating the lower bed and bath from the main room).
These walls could be used to support a permanent, fixed ladder (like the kind that some office buildings attach to the wall for access to the roof) to get to the original lofts. If supported properly and given adequate, larger rungs, one could do away with ladders altogether and gain more permanent floor space. The bookshelf area, on both models, could be strengthened to support a similar ladder to the new, second, “guest loft” side.
These Permanent ladders, that I suggest, take more arm strength and coordination to climb so a portable ladder could always be on hand if needed.
Gerrie
Comments?
I can’t get these tiny houses out of my mind
I love the style of the WeeBee (the bump-out windows), but the Lusby has the interior space (1st floor room) that I need (and the open ceiling that I really like)
I looked across the website, and I might have missed it, but will it be possible to make changes? For me, a Lusby house with a WeeBee front would be incredible. Alas, I am not an architect.
Thanks! I love the site, and the houses! (I have a tumbleweed image as the desktop on my work computer. I swear it helps reduce my stress just LOOKING at a Tumbleweed house. I can’t wait to get started on one)
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Tracy reply on June 23, 2008 1:10 am:
I have been thinking the same thing, Nate!
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Steve with Tumbleweed reply on June 24, 2008 11:08 am:
We are working on the design you have suggested, and it will be available in about 1 month.
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Lisa reply on June 24, 2008 10:34 pm:
I am so excited to read this. I have been thinking the same thing since I first discovered your homes.. I can not wait to see the plans. If it includes shelving space and a closet it is exactly the plan I want. I will be keeping an eye out for it.
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Jason reply on August 23, 2008 1:57 pm:
YES! I have been thinking the same thing. In fact, I got online to order the weebee plans the other day, but decided to take another look at the Lusby, where I saw these comments. I’m now waiting for the new design before I decide which plans to go with! So, ya know, the sooner the better!!!!
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I love these houses i want to own one so i can have a smaller impact on the envioroment.
But can these come with composting toilets.
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Nate reply on July 1, 2008 1:05 am:
Evan, yeah, they can. The FAQ page has this info, and other questions answered, here’s the link:
http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/faq/whats-inside/
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Steve with Tumbleweed reply on July 1, 2008 3:42 pm:
Absolutly. We can make them with a composting toilet, conventional RV toilet or insinerating toilet. (Although the insinerating toilet doesn’t smell too good).
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David Lutz reply on July 21, 2008 10:54 pm:
I just completed the Humanure Handbook by Joe Jenkins and it is quite easy to simply create a 5 gallon bucket toilet that you empty after a number of uses into a compost pile. There is no smell as you cover each elimination with a number of handfuls of sawdust. I wouldn’t have guessed this is possible without many flies or smell but it works as I’ve used such a compost setup at Solarfest in Tinmouth, VT and was thoroughly impressed. Cheap and provides an excellent resource for your garden!
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I thought the same thing reguarding the WeeBee’s design and the Lusby’s space, if a new design comes out combining the two, please let me know, I plan on building one very soon!
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Steve with Tumbleweed reply on July 1, 2008 3:46 pm:
The new design will be available relatively soon.
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As a lanscape artist I see your faboulous homes as a base of operations away from the hystle and bustle. However,
shipping from California is costly. Any companies that you can recommend that might build theses homes on this side of the Mississippi? Did you ever consider starting another base of operations in the scenic Shenandoah Valley?
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I am from Ontario and also would love to have one of these tiny homes. I too am looking for someone closer to home. If anyone knows of anyone.
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Have you ever considered making an off the grid version of the lusby?
You could easily place a small rainwater catch tank and small filter in just part of the upper spare loft of the lusby. Additionally you could even fit all of the systems you needed to have an all solar electric home (inverters, batteries, and charge controllers) in that space above as well. Maybe placing the batteries and charge controller in that spare loft above the closets if needed.
Using the simple propane air and water heating systems already in place and throwing in energy efficient lighting and refrigerator
Then there you have it..
an off the grid home.
And even if you get creative enough and still want that loft, you could build small boxes at the bottom of each closet and place the rainwater catch in one and the solar equipment in the other. Thus freeing up the above loft for further use.
And even further if you wanted a more water storage for longer more permeant use, you could completely substitute one of the closets for a tall rainwater storage tank.
Either way this could provide both free water for additional or sole usage.
just an idea.
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Oh also mounting the solar panels to one side of the roof would do it.. maybe 3? of them would fit all of your electric needs and it being a moveable home, you can orientate the solar side of the roof to south to optimize performance..
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Any setups with solar panels?
Seems all that roof space could be used.
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Chris, I was just thinking that same thing as I was looking over this fantastic site. If you could work in a solar power supply (I hadn’t even thought about the rain water catch. Brilliant)… off the grid!
Oh, I think I might have to find a nice 5 acres some place and plant one of these right in the middle and call it heaven on earth
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I’ve been turning the Tarleton design over & over in my mind today and I just can’t quite make it work the way I want it to. Perhaps the Lusby would be a better option, if I could put the toilet against the exterior wall (I’m planning to use a composting toilet anyway), use a non-swinging bathroom door, and eliminate the bathroom sink (the kitchen sink is enough sinks for one tiny house, I think!). Would doing all of that give me just enough room to stuff a King size mattress into the bedroom?
From reading the dimensions, it sounds like there’s a maximum of 60″ available for the bedroom, but the drawing shows what looks like a little room for a night stand on one side of the bed. Might that give me the 16″ I need for a 76″ wide mattress?
Would I have to shove the kitchen down into the closet space (and move the closet into the bedroom) in order to leave enough room for the shower and the intermediate wall?
What are the shower dimensions? What are the options for handling shower flows if we’re not hooked up to public sewers?
Also, I looked on the What’s Inside page and a few others, but I don’t see anything on tiny fireplaces. Where can I get more info on them? Can I substitute a tiny woodstove for the stove? Wood is a lot more accessible than propane in the places where I’m planning to go, though a small propane-powered hot water system will probably be necessary to use the shower.
Thanks!
~ Crystal
P.S. Chris, I was thinking the exact same thing — rainwater catchment and solar electrics in the loft space!
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I wonder…how much would it cost to make an off the grid little house. Since i think solar panals are expencive. And if there is someone who would build it since i think this kind of modification might be to much to ask the tubbleweed company to build for me.
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Linda reply on July 21, 2008 3:40 pm:
I am sure they are charging you for the plans alone. To build it would be more expensive. Unless I missed the “Cost of building” link or something. I would like to see more pictures of these houses, inside and out. They are very cool.
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Hey there, I love your site - who did it if I may ask? -I’m a web developer over at redtiedesigns.com and I was thinking about adding on another excellent wordpress developer to our team.
Thanks,
Ben
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Jay Shafer reply on August 20, 2008 3:13 am:
I draw ideas up with colored pencils and Steve critiques them and turns them into something digital. But you can’t have him.
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I am in need of a reality check. I’m a mother of 3 boys, and am considering building one of the smaller Tumbleweed homes. I recently ordered the portfolio, and definitely plan to build a Tumbleweed home, but which one will mostly be up to the bank and what exactly they are willing to finance. The more I think about the idea of minimizing, the more I like the idea of the homes less than 150 square feet. I think that having less indoor space will motivate my t.v. and video game loving boys to migrate outdoors during the nice weather (not to mention their bookworm mother). With that being said, I am also somewhat of an extremist and often get carried away. What in your opinion(s) would be the minimum size home for a mother and three boys?
Oh…we are small people also. I’m an even 5 feet, and my sons’ projected heights aren’t more than 5′8-5′10 fully grown. However, I realize that doesn’t matter in the area of rowdiness and horseplay.
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Nicole Marie reply on August 1, 2008 5:44 pm:
Hi Brandi,
I think you’ve got a great idea but let me share a family story with you. My great aunt raised 5 kids in a 700 sq ft student housing unit in the early 60’s, while my great uncle was in graduate school. In the summer she had an additional 5 kids when my mother and her siblings showed up. That’s right 12 people in a 700 sq ft space! My mother says no one liked it and that her cousins always felt crowded even when the other kids were not around. One of those people grew up and went into design and construction and has a great rule of thumb for designing with families. “A person needs 100-120 sq ft to feel comfortable.” I think the goal of living in a Tarleton is great, but since you’ve got your boys for the sake of familial bliss go with the Loring or Bodega or similar with the extra room. You get your space, the boys get the loft, everyone is happy. You can always move into a Tarleton once they are grown and out of the house. Good luck in what ever you choose!
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Brandi S reply on August 2, 2008 11:42 pm:
Thanks so much for sharing your story. I certainly don’t want to make their childhoods miserable by having them always feel cramped. After some reasoning, I agree that one of the larger Tumbleweed homes is also a good idea and would be a better fit.
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WOW. Keep us posted.
People have raised large famiies in small houses or apartments for generations. And you’d think with the miniturization of appliances, electronics, etc, it would be easier than ever..
But can 3 modern boys overcome the consumerism and privacy demands that are the norm for today? Personally I think your reality doesn’t need as much checking than the standard suburban reality which seems to have gone the way of Disney World and Reality TV. But not sure what 3 young boys would think. It certianly would equip them with some tremendous life lessons and values..
How small? Maybe go rent a small rustic vacation cabin for a few weeks and see how that goes and start from there.
Guess you could also build small modules like a little compound - gets you the feeling of more space and privacy without much more cost or upkeep…
Very ballsy of you to even consider it. Congrats on the thought and good luck. Maybe you will get your own reality show on green tv!
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Brandi S reply on August 2, 2008 11:39 pm:
Thank you for your input! We are currently in an 1800 square foot home we have put up for sale. While we are waiting for the house to sell, I’ve been experimenting to see how much space we really need. I’ve put all 3 boys in one very small room, and at bedtime, they seem to feel more secure knowing they are all in the same room.
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Jay Shafer reply on August 20, 2008 2:36 am:
Chris Alexander highly recomends “dorm” sleeping in his “Patern Language” book.
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Could a pop out window/daybed be achieved on the Lusby? I would sacrifice the porch in order to have more inside seating and light.
p.s. Thanks for inspiring so many…I show people pictures and it always amazes me what an excited and happy reaction they receive.
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Jay Shafer reply on August 20, 2008 3:07 am:
I just recently combined the Weebee with the Tarleton and came up with something we’re calling the Fencl. It’s in the new portfolio. The same could be done with the Lusby.
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Has anyone built a tiny house in Hawai’i? If so, what modifications — if any — were necessary? I love the idea of an off-the-grid house, especially for living there (on Hawai’i Island, in particular — and I ADORE the idea of turning one of the closets into a catchment space!).
I was also wondering about modifications to the Lusby, adding more porch space, and maybe even larger windows. My daydream about modifying for Hawai’i includes some kind of added eaves (maybe fold-down?) to keep out rain and provide more shade; perhaps the underside could be screened and become an additional porch or veranda space.
Any thoughts? ideas? suggestions? Mahalo!
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Jay Shafer reply on August 20, 2008 3:04 am:
I did actually customize one of the tiny rolling ones for HI by adding a wrap-around porch once.
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Steve,
I received the portfolio and love it! I really love the Whidbey (the bump out windows are just so incredibly cute on all the houses that have them). I do have a question about the math on the Whidbey. I can’t figure out how the total square feet equals 444 without the extra room, porch, and loft included. When I try to figure the square feet based on the footprint, I get 348 minus the porch. When I add each room, I get a different number. I’m not trying to knitpick, but I am not a math-minded person at all, and I do need a good idea of how big this house is because I am seriously considering it or the B-53 in the (hopefully) near future. I know the B-53 is a sure thing in being big enough, but I like the Whidbey’s style so much that I’d rather have it than the B-53 if possible.
Thanks!
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So I’m convinced that this is the way to go for me…every way i see it. I know a tumbleweed would make me happy the only question on my mind is for people like me that live in south Florida, a hot and humid state, not only do i not need a fireplace but would benefit from air conditioning… so would the tumbleweed company design for customer that live in such places? would I be better off on planning how i can add air conditioning? perhaps one that feeds hopefully from solar panels? any ideas? exactly what how are the homes ventilated? maybe the answer is somewhere in the site but i haven’t seen it yet. Thanks : )
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Hunter reply on August 13, 2008 9:01 pm:
i’d like to build a tumbleweed house in Tampa and will definitely have A/C. Any luck discovering any options?
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Jay Shafer reply on August 20, 2008 1:22 am:
A small window unit works on most houses.
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Christopher reply on August 16, 2008 1:12 am:
I had the same concern about the A/C, so I went to Home Depot for some ideas and saw these portable air conditioners. The sit on the floor on four wheels and have an air hose running out of them (similar to ones on dryers). You put the hose out the window like you would a window A/C but this way you wouldn’t have a large thing blocking your light. Plus, it can then be rolled around easily. I have never seen one of these houses except in pictures, but maybe, for example, you could put the portable A/C in the storage loft. This would not only blow the air on you while you’re sleeping, but it would keep the main room free from obtrusion and keep the unsightly hose up in the window of the storage loft.
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Miller reply on August 16, 2008 1:41 pm:
Have you considered the “Mr. Slim” option from Mitsubishi? It is a ductless system that has an external condenser. The blower could be mounted high on a wall and cool the entire house. I believe this system will cool up to 500 s.f.
Link: http://www.mrslim.com/Products/Category.asp?ProductCategoryID=24
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Jay Shafer reply on August 20, 2008 2:29 am:
A widow unit will fit in pretty much all of them.
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has anyone ever bought an already built tiny house and then attatched solar panels to it.
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Is it possible to use the downstairs sleeping area as a den/ office?
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Jay Shafer reply on August 19, 2008 8:38 pm:
Yup. The last one we made had a sewing room in there.
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My wife and I have figured out all but where this thing would go. Does anyone have some good ideas about where you would live that would allow you to have easy access to water and sewage…and possibly an electrical hook-up?
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Jay Shafer reply on August 19, 2008 8:42 pm:
I rent a spot in an orchard and hook up to my landlord’s house w/ an extension cord. I use a composting toilet and I get wifi.
I also used to live in my own backyard and rent out the big house to cover mortgage and taxes.
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