Is a house ever really ever complete? Probably not. However,
I am pleased to announce that I have been living full-time in the Gold Thread
Tiny house since August, 2012, and have been truly enjoying it. The Gold Thread
Tiny house is parked near Harlemville NY, in the beautiful Hudson Valley of New
York State, on a friend’s land. It
sits atop a grassy hillside with beautiful views of rolling hills, and the
Catskill Mountains to the west where I was born. I have three cows, and sometimes two horses, as neighbors,
but they are not my own.
Two and a half years of research, writing, design, gathering
materials, and building is drawing to a close and is accompanied by a
corresponding feeling of sweet completion. This was really brought home yesterday when I gave a
presentation and slide show about Gold Thread at Columbia-Green Community
College, in Hudson, NY. I spoke in
the literature class of my former professor, Gregg Berninger, who’s class had
been reading Thoreau’s Walden. What a pleasure it is to be freed up
from the building process and begin to share my experiences with the community.
It is exciting for me to see how affordable and environmentally responsible
lifestyles is a very relevant topic with the younger generation and our larger
community here in NY. State.
I have included some photos and a video of the Gold Thread
as it is today. I hope you enjoy them.
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The Main Room with Table set for two. |
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Propane range illuminated by flexible 12V LED strip lighting. |
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Kitchen with drain board/ dish storage behind. |
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Desk with table open. |
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Writing desk with a single draw and space for a lap top computer to the right. |
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Bookshelf with Violin hanging underneath. I teach violin to several students in tiny house each week. They all seem to love it, as do i. |
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Shoe rack with indoor and outdoor shoes. |
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Clothing closet with shelving and food storage on the door. |
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Composting toilet has been working well for the most part. |
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Sleeping loft with the ladder in its raise position as it is during most of the day. |
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Propane heating stove from Woodstock soapstone. It is a direct vent unit with a thermostat adjustment. |
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Clothing storage beneath the bench. |
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Gravity fed water above the sink, both for drinking and washing. it has been an adjustment to live without running water for me, but proving very workable with a little care. The rain water from the roof has proved enough thus far for all my dish washing needs. |
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Drain bucket beneath sink. |
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12V DC refrigerator uses about 400W per day, about 1/4 of my total electricity production per day. |
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Outside shed holds the batteries and electronics for the Photo Voltaic system, as well as some tool storage. |
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DC circuits and charge controller. |
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Exciting to have my rain catchment system finally hooked up. Come next spring i will make something more permanent. |