Continuing

I'm finishing up the interior walls and trim. I'm leaving the section between the windows open for shelf space. The windows face NE and NW, making ideal light for a studio. There will be a wrap-around desk in this section.

The final step is to put blocking in the roof, then insulation, then the ceiling. I am going to go with fiberglass insulation due to its performance with moisture. The denim-cotton wouldn't hold up. For the ceiling's center section I am looking online at decorative pressed tin that comes in 2' panels. I am looking for a lightweight wood to use on the sides going up to the center.

The farm cat exploring.

Parked next to the grain silo and the goats.

BUY PLANS

Plans of my first tiny house on a trailer will be ready for sale soon!

The plans will be included in an ebook to help guide the capable dreamer.

They will be affordable and full of inspiration.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT! BOOKMARK THIS PAGE!

Also bookmark: www.ForgeAhead.org

Trailer #3 Early Interior

Here are a few shots of the interior of the boat trailer. Originally, I wasn't planning on insulating it at all. I painted, the winter came, and I decided I better insulate after all. I did a combination of salvaged rigid foam insulation and bought denim/cotton UltraLogic insulation. The interior is salvaged fir and redwood. The electric runs through the walls, and through the ceiling, leading to a chandelier toward the windows. The trim work is yet to be completed. I am considering a pressed tin ceiling.

Great Success!

The trailer boat shack studio has come to! It's been a beautiful thing to put together. Not quite finished, but thought it was about time I post another photo.

Update

Things are going well. I chose a waterborne clear sealant for the exterior. And chose a cobalt blue for the trim color.

Small Triumphs

We moved the shed/shack/studio around to the west side of the house for easier access when building.

Pictures to share.

And pancakes.

Birthday

Today is my 29th birthday. I have put up the fourth wall. This makes me very happy. I will post a photo soon.

Breaking "Ground" Again

I've gone and done it. Started a third trailer.

Saturday we moved it.

Sunday I cut off unnecessary metal parts and ground out rust.

Monday painted places without paint,

built the floor joists, and decided on the fastening system

for connecting the structure with the metal frame.

When Rian and Jess came home we moved the trailer

around to the back of the house where I'll continue building.

5 Minute Interview with William Kentridge for NYSS

Another Trailer Purchased

For $300 a duel axel 18' foot boat trailer came into my life on the 1st January 2011. I'll start collecting supplies, with no clear date to begin. Planning stages for now.

ANOTHER Trailer WANTED

Believe or not, I'm on the lookout for ANOTHER trailer.

TRAILER WANTED

Around 8' - 14' long

Could be a boat trailer, or utility flatbed trailer

Email me jenine.alexander at gmail dot com

if you have any leads

When It Comes to Creative Freedom

I have the good luck of having incredibly creative and entrepreneurial friends. Look into this amazing artist residency started by Amy Harwood and Ryan Pierce, outstanding people from Portland, Oregon, bring people out to Mt. Hood National Forest.

The project began when Amy renovated a travel trailer into a studio space for artists. Her inspiration has wafted over the border and given me my own dreams of starting some kind of artist residency. Click on the link below to learn more about their project.

Tiny House Trailer #2 Moved

The scene:

Happy new owner hugs the very good box.

Home in new location.

Getting it up the driveway was a little dicey.

A lovely event, moving Trailer #2 to it's new home, nestled in the Madrone and Oak trees in Sonoma County.

With that, the beginning of a new era for Forge Ahead Productions.

Stay tuned.

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

TINY HOUSE FOR SALE

One of a kind Mobile Home. 128 sqft. Passive solar design. 100% wood interior.

Bamboo flooring. Pine ceilings. Denim-cotton insulation. High energy efficiency doors and windows. Sleeping loft. Kitchenette. Granite countertops. Plumbed for bathroom option. Full trailer hook-ups.

www.forgeahead.org

Made by jenine alexander & amy hutto

ATTENTION BUYERS

A Few From the Interior

TINY HOUSE BLOG

Kent just did a post with photos of the interior on his Tiny House Blog. Click here to check it out. Thanks Kent!

...

A big

THANK YOU

To everyone who helped make yesterday's street show & tell come together.

Thanks to everyone who came from near & far. It was a treat for us to share our project with so many curious & wonderful people.

HOUSES HAVE BEEN MOVED TO THE STREET

FOR THE OPEN HOUSE

TODAY

4pm UNTIL DARK

All Night!

Bless the deadline!

Wrapping Things Up

Amy completed the electrical finale, sink plumbing as well.

We just picked up last pieces of trim and we prepare for the afternoon and long evening of work with a late lunch.

OhMyGodLike

It's getting so beautiful. Amy & I are working our asses off. Come this Sunday to see: Tucker Street, between First and Second Streets. Near downtown Healdsburg. The two trailers will be out on show for all to come enjoy in whatever way. 4pm until dark. Bring a friend. Bring some beers. Bring whatever. We'll be here. Time willing, I'll make a big batch of mojitos.

Today we did so much it's hard to recall. Wainscoting, trim, counter support, marble install, sink dropping in, touch up work... And Greg with Kublai, bless the man and the dog, brought over a 3 foot magnet on a roller like a push broom so we can get all the metal debris out of the driveway to spare the tires before Sunday's rollout. He also busted in the door handle hardware and ladder, as we push to have everything ready and pristine for Sunday.

Deadlines can be great.

Friday Morning

I can't believe how tardy I am with uploading photos! And now still, I don't have the time. The floor is in, wainscoting begun, & now for the trim monster. The marble sink hole cut this morning, installing this evening?

Getting ready for show down this Sunday.

You're invited!

4pm - dark

Interior Walls

It's feeling more and more like a livable space every day. Yesterday Amy finished the masonite interior while I did the interior bay window ceiling. Then we joined forces to get the beginning of the loft framed along with the wet bath / closet. We brought in one bank of the marble counter top--both of us were a bit taken aback--it looked stunning.

Today we plan on finishing the wet bath / closet (we like to call it the wet closet) framing and walls, the loft framing and floor, and then, time willing, begin on installing the bamboo flooring.

Next up: wainscoting.

OPEN HOUSE THIS SUNDAY, AUGUST 8TH, 4pm till dark!

Near Downtown Healdsburg

Tucker St. Between First & Second St.

Inside Work

Amy and I have been putting in long hours, thus the slow-down in posts.

After finished the exterior, we moved onto electrical, plumbing, denim/cotton insulation, and interior vapor barrier. Today we are getting in the interior walls, and it's looking great!

Photos soon.

Roofing & Fender Framing

Working with Hydro-Stop on the roof.

Got the framing all cut and painted for the fenders. Ready to install and move onto electrical etc.

OPEN HOUSE

AUGUST 8TH SUNDAY

4pm till Dark

Tucker Street (between First and Second Streets)

In Front of the Old Oak Grove

Healdsburg, CA

95448

Exterior Completed

Photos soon.

Another Bay Window Side Day

Amy on the roof checking out how our drip edge will look.

And at the end of the day, some results. But still not quite done...

Bay Window

Today we will finish up the trim, flashing, and exterior siding on the hitch side of the trailer...

So we didn't get as far along as we had projected. The bay window is a doozy. But it's coming along and super solid.

Trim & Inside Layout

As we finish the exterior, we mark our rough layout for the interior.

Painting trim.

Bay Window, Bay Window, Trim, Trim

Many things to bang your head against, in the end, we will win.

Front Door

Relaxation

Important.

Silicon

Also important in certain spots.

Metal Cutting

Day after day.

We sufficiently wore down our grinder blade on the skill saw (below).

So we got a new one, and a bigger one to use on the table saw.

Talking with Kent

We're so lucky to have the Tiny House Blog maker in our hometown. Go Kent!

Tiny House Design

Things are going great and looking great. This is one beautiful trailer home! For sale, ready in August 2010.

Jay Shafer is getting the news out on the tiny house movement. Great news!

Night Time in Trailer #1

Last night I took some photos of my home to show you all.

My desk: I used to always work on the floor with my supplies spread around me. After time sitting on the stoop above the wheels and fender, relaxing by dangling legs out the double doors, it's natural for me to set up a "desk" for myself on the floor using the threshold to the door as a raised level. On the far right you can see my toilet.

My guest room: the loft!

My kitchen: on the far left you can see my bathroom (a chamber pot), just above that you can see the ladder that goes up to the loft. The oven works like a horse. The oak cabinet will not live there, where it is now, between the oven and sink, but for now it isn't tripping, and fits with all my postcard making, letter stencils and stamps, and wood and lino cut supplies. Then on the far right, bulk foods.

My bedroom: layered fabric protects me from the sludge of the day.

*faircompanies Documentary

In the first week of July 2010, Kirsten and Nicolás of Faircompanies.com came by the building site and documented Amy and I as we worked on trailer #2. Later this summer their bilingual website will feature short documentaries on this project, in English and Spanish.

Faircompanies is a project of Faircompanies Barcelona, Spain, created and developed by Nicolás Boullosa. The website is the consequence of notes gathered during travels, valuable lectures and conversations; as well as the direct contribution of Kirsten Dirksen, co-founder of Faircompanies and director of its English version and multimedia content. They cover green products, ethical consumption, clean technologies, social responsibility, ethical investment, and related topics. Viewers are invited to participate and share formulas to improve the world right now, beyond the noise of demonstrations or the imposition of ideologies.

You can see photos taken during the shoot by clicking here. I've put a few below too.

Steady Days

Another long few days getting the exterior flashing and siding on with attention to every detail. Amy left this evening to pickup some bamboo flooring from someone on Craigslist who had 300 sqft of left overs. We'll only need 128 of it for the floor, but can use the rest for other interior trim and detailing.