DESIDERATA

Desiderata, named for the Max Ehrmann poem which translates to “desired things”, is a home rooted in manifesting dreams, especially the wild and unconventional ones. This tiny home was designed to accommodate creative individuals at every stage of their unfolding adventure. With an open and flexible layout and a full-size bathroom and kitchen, this home is perfect for an individual, couple, or family with room to grow and breathe with each new change that life brings.

The home sits on a 32′ x 8′ gooseneck trailer and boasts a main bedroom loft, a secondary loft for storage or guest sleeping, and a comfortable open area in the gooseneck. This open area has served as a yoga and meditation room, painting space, and now a living room with the possibility of it turning into a secondary bedroom.

Heather moved into the home with her dog, Snoop, in November 2017. In 2018 her partner moved in and they are enjoying all the ways in which the home has already grown and expanded with their changing needs. While this home is currently used as a primary residence the design would also be perfect as an ADU on a small city lot or a short-term AirBnB rental.

Notes From the Designer

The element that was most important to me when designing my home was spaciousness. I wanted there to be a visceral feeling of space when walking into the home and in every room. I knew that for my home to feel perfect in the long run I would not want to feel like I was in a cramped or tiny space.

Upon entering the home through the beautiful custom round top door, the gabled roof and high ceiling make an amazing first impression. Directly across from the door is the full-sized kitchen, with a refrigerator, gas stove and oven, sink, pantry, and ample counter space. When turning to the left one will notice at the far end of the house a custom sliding barn door behind which is the full-sized bathroom. Because I often take baths and as I planned to have children while living in the house, having a bathtub was important to incorporate into the design. Next to the bath is ample storage space which is also hooked up to accommodate a stackable washer and dryer should we choose to install one.

At the other end of the house is the gooseneck, which in the past 12 months has served as a yoga and meditation room, painting space, and now a living room with the possibility of it turning into a secondary bedroom in the future. Two windows and a skylight keep this room full of lots of natural light.

The main sleeping area is on the left side of the home above the bathroom. Tall storage stairs lead to an airy room with four windows and another skylight. A secondary loft sits above the kitchen area which is currently used as storage or guest sleeping. The loft was built large enough to accommodate a twin or full-sized mattress for additional sleeping space.

It was important to me in designing this home that each room be left open and spacious for whatever life brings at each new stage. I intentionally stayed away from any built-in furniture or convertible elements. In the first 12 months of living in the house the entry way has had at least half a dozen arrangements of furniture and the gooseneck has had about 4 different layouts. I love the flexibility that this design affords me and I know that my home will be able to grow with me and my growing family.

Basic Information

Designer

Heather Markowitz

Name of Plan

Desiderata

Number of bedrooms / sleeping areas

1-2

Square Footage

380 sf

APPROXIMATE Weight

20,000#

Approximate Cost to Build (Builder Built)

$70,000

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