You know that we have a healthy addiction to tiny design. Small houses, micro libraries, miniature paper sculptures of abandoned buildings, and pint-sized recreations of artist studios have captured our imaginations and inspired endless satisfying Google searches.
Thanks to the clever folks at the Toledo Museum of Art, we now have the chance to win our very own micro dwelling, and we couldn’t be more excited.
The Tumbleweed XS House created by the guru of the small house movement and author of The Small House Book , Jay Shafer, went up for auction five days ago on eBay. With 24 days left to go, the current bid is a mere $24,300 for 64 square feet of miniature domestic bliss valued at $38,997. Not to mention, all proceeds help fund early childhood art eduction at the museum. We get the micro house of our dreams, and the children of Ohio and Michigan get a foundation of creative knowledge that dramatically increases their chances of going to college. It’s a win-win situation if ever there was one.
Image Credit: Toledo Musem of Art
Originally commissioned to be a part of Small Worlds, an exhibition bringing together “intricate, charming, disquieting, and thoughtful works of art on the smallest of scales,” this little wooden wonder is also a labor of love and community. “A local mercantile in Toledo, The Andersons donated all the materials to build this house along with their parking lot in which to build it. The Andersons reached out to a building construction company, The Lathrop Group which donated a team of contractors to build the house. The Andersons store furnished the XS-House and the Lathrop Group built a custom trailer to transport it to the front steps of the museum.”
Image Credit: Toledo Musem of Art
According to the eBay listing, the house “sits on a custom 7×10 ft. heavy duty trailer that comes with the home. All furnishings sell with the home including a mini fridge. The home includes a sleeping loft with queen size mattress, a functional bathroom with shower, a kitchenette, and a living area.”
Image Credit: Toledo Musem of Art
And, what about basic utilities? The mini mobile dwelling “has RV style hookups for water and electrical but does not have an attached sewer tank. Bathroom would need to be hooked up to an exterior sewer system or have a sewer storage tank added.” If you’re wondering just how much you’ll need to retrofit your current set of wheels for pick-up, a ball hitch is included.
Image Credit: Toledo Musem of Art
If, like one prospective bidder, you find this cozy little abode to be overpriced, here’s the art museum’s response to what we think is an exceptionally offensive question: “The Tumbleweed Tiny House Company estimates the cost of materials for the home at $16,000 and sells fully finished versions for just under $39,000. The small house movement is about quality of space and design, not quantity. Plus, this is a charity auction of a home that was featured in a major museum exhibition, thus influencing the price.”
No need to explain to us. We’re already daydreaming about relaxing in that sunny little sleeping nook.
If you want more information on the construction of this micro gem of a house, check out the museum’s YouTube video. Then, let us know in the comments if you’re going to submit a bid!