An 840 Square Foot Modern and Rustic Cottage in the Redwoods

Design Concept and Location

This modern small cottage plan was designed as a quiet retreat for two readers, one of whom wanted the tiny house to feel like an outdoor porch, with the 840 square foot small cottage plan located on a steeply sloped lot adjacent to wooded watersheds. The tiny cottage has a semi-circular concrete planter/retaining wall frames at the front terrace and a landscaped berm that diverts the significant seasonal rainwater around the small cottage into the woods below. The tiny house is sited so to preserve wide open views into the woods and enough privacy to and from the adjacent houses. On the living level of the small cottage plan, there are a few steps above grade at the front entry and sits a full story above storage and mechanical space at the back of the house. Each interior space in the small cottage plan repeats a common spatial theme with an expressed single-sloped ceiling plane over the largely window-filled walls. The overall feeling in this tiny house is that of being in a treehouse.

Eco-Building Features

Some of the eco-building features you will find in this small cottage plan include the small size with the open, versatile floorplan that allows for the conservation of resources and a reduced carbon footprint. The tiny house is sited and shaped to help maximize daylight and for natural ventilation. The small cottage plan has high-performance glass that is used indoors and in the windows. There are wood windows and doors with exterior aluminum cladding that help to prevent thermal bridging, reduce maintenance requirements, and lengthen the life span of the house.

Energy Efficiency and Materials

The Mendocino cottage has low-use water fixtures throughout the tiny house, on-demand hot water heating, high-efficiency (92 percent) direct-vent condensate furnace, and all of the lights are on dimmers. The small cottage plan is modern yet rustic with Western Red Cedar board and batting siding that was locally harvested and is naturally resistant to rot and decay. The tiny house has high R-value insulation and formaldehyde-free batts. The tiny home also has a built-in recycling center and Energy Star appliances.

Benefits of Western Red Cedar

When it comes to small cottage homes and wood cabins, Western Red Cedar is a popular choice of wood to use. There are several benefits to building your home with Western Red Cedar, and its natural beauty is just one reason. Aesthetically, Western Red Cedar is wood options that are naturally stunning with deep, tonal properties that help to accentuate the richly textured grain and the exposed heartwood. Western Red Cedar has been used for hundreds of years as a building material, and it's no wonder as this wood is naturally resistant to both decay and insects. Western Red Cedar used wood cabins and small cottage plans accept a wide variety of finishes. And the best part about building your small cottage plan with wood is that it is a renewable resource. Western Red Cedar is both resin and pitch-free, which means that this beautiful wood can hold a variety of finishes to include traditional solid colors, semi-transparent stains, shabby chic bleaches, elegant dark stains, and naturally beautiful semi-transparent stains. Western is also incredibly durable and will prove to keep your small cottage plan looking good for years to come.