blog.shelterpub.comThe Shelter Blog » “Shelter is more than a roof overhead.”

Shelter Web/Links Shelter’s Website Shelter’s Instagram Lloyd’s Blog Lloyd’s Instagram Subscribe/Contribute Search Contact Breathing New Life into Old Wood: Former Duck-Hunting Cabins Find a Home By Megan Wells on April 22, 2024 In 2017, the Millers snagged a 10-acre gem on Buchanan Lake in Minnesota, complete with a trio of old-school duck-hunting cabins that had seen better days. Legend has it, even an NFL big shot used to hunt here. Right before sealing the deal, the previous owners were close to tearing the cabins down. But the Millers saw some rustic gold in that wood and decided to dismantle the structures instead, aiming to breathe new life into the aged siding. Each cabin told its own story. One was the crash pad, still packed with a dozen mattresses—a mash-up of bunk and twin beds in one room, plus a couple of full-size beds in the next. The roof had given up on doing its job here, and most of the windows were a testament to better times gone by. Another cabin was all about the grub; its kitchen setup was surprisingly intact with a fridge, stove, and sink. And then there was the storage shack, standing firm on a concrete foundation, while its siblings squatted on wooden floors that were quickly deteriorating—think rotted planks! But here’s where it gets good. The Millers managed to rescue about 60% of that wood, trimming off the rough edges (literally) to weave it into their new digs inside a steel shed—you know, the steel shed that people use for a house—a shouse.” They power-washed each plank to its former glory, skipped the sanding to keep that rugged charm, and sealed each with a layer of clear varnish. They went all in on a cozy, lived-in vibe. Installing the siding was a bit like putting together a giant puzzle—using the tongue and groove style on stud walls, pinned down with finishing nails. Some of the boards were stripped in half for the trim to keep up the rustic look. The roofing boards got a new lease on life too. They were cleaned up, painted, and lined up for a shiplap statement wall. All in all, it took about a week of prep and DIY magic to get everything up and looking sharp. While many of our books feature recycled materials, Meg Simonds, featured in Small Homes , explains it best: Building with recycled wood is a slow and arduous affair, from finding it to pulling the last nail. It is a lot of work and rarely is it delivered. The payoff is twofold. The quality of older wood generally surpasses that of new, and its deep, rich beauty only comes with age. For us, more importantly, [we love] getting to have a truly deep relationship with the wood. All this wood once had a home, an ancient forest, the lungs of the Earth; little of this remains. The best we can do now is to have a deep respect for what was and what is. We approached building our home with this in mind.” (pg. 126-127) Categories: Architecture , Carpentry , Natural Building Tags: Cabin , Natural Materials , Recycled Materials , Small Homes Book [sharethis] Post a commentThe Shelter Publications Blog Lives! By Megan Wells on April 8, 2024 Actually, it never really died—it was just dormant for a season or two as we shifted energy elsewhere! If you’re new here, you should give Lloyd’s blog and his Instagram account a follow. If you’re still with us, it means you recognize the importance of innovative problem-solving and sustainable living. Lloyd Kahn revolutionized how people think about homes and buildings, starting with Shelter and then Shelter II . Both books were born of the same ethos and printing presses as the Whole Earth Catalog (that’s why those two Shelter books are so big!). And Lloyd hasn’t stopped spreading his love and appreciation for new building techniques and the new designers who adopt them. He just has some new help here on the official Shelter Publications blog. His books continue to celebrate the rough edges, the imperfections, and the beauty of the stories behind the designs. They are simultaneously art books, practical how-to guides, and philosophical treatises all rolled into one. The keys to the long-lasting relevance of Shelter Publications are Lloyd’s personal touch and heart, which he pours into every project. So while Shelter Publications will have a few new voices, Lloyd’s work won’t change. Since it has been a while since this blog was updated, here are a few highlights about Lloyd Kahn and his work: New York Times : The King of D.I.Y. Dwellings Outsiders Store: An Interview with Lloyd Kahn The Last Straw: Getting Loose with Lloyd Kahn GQ Style : The Last Glimpses of California’s Vanishing Hippie Utopias We hope you’ll stick around as we dust off a few things and breathe life back into this blog. We are excited to show you what gets built next! Categories: Uncategorized Tags: lloyd kahn , Shelter Publications [sharethis] Post a comment ( 3 comments ) Tom’s Lorry By Evan Kahn on May 23, 2019 …After a lot of trawling through eBay, I finally found the perfect lorry to build my house on, the beastly 1988 Bedford MJ. The build began in November 2016, and, as I was building it mainly single-handedly, I didn’t move into it until November 2017. My house has everything you need, including a fully equipped kitchen, log burner, bathroom with shower and composting toilet, and — most importantly — space for surfboards! To maximize space, the bed is suspended from the ceiling on pulleys, raised during the day over the living room and lowers down to be slept on. It’s also fully off-grid, with solar panels and a rain water harvesting system… Tom’s Lorry will be featured in our upcoming book Hit the Road Jack . Categories: Nomadic Homes Tags: Hit the Road Jack book , Nomadic Living , Recycled Materials [sharethis] Post a comment Greg Clark’s Handmade House By Evan Kahn on May 8, 2019 Hi Lloyd, I’ve been fascinated by handmade houses for years. I came across a book in the ’70s called The Wood Butcher’s Art . I now teach in a traditional school in India, and teach my students about such houses. With their help I made a house here in West Bengal from mostly local timber and I thought you might be interested. We have several of your books which are very inspiring. The boys made several models based on a reading of some of your books. If you are interested I can send more photos. The house was inspired by my travels in Cambodia, Thailand, and Assam. I teach in a traditional school in West Bengal, India. We have international students and I wanted to show them that you can build a great house out of local renewable materials. The trees for the frame and most of the floors was all local. Many students came and helped me build the house. It took about two years. I wanted to use shingles for the roof, but we can’t get cedar here. So I had to invest quite a bit to make teak shingles, which were used historically in tropical places like Hawaii or Mauritius. The walls are made from ‘Slipstraw’ but we used the abundant eucalyptus sawdust that we generated instead of straw. We finished the walls with a lime sand plaster. It came out so well we had no need to paint. The wood was finished with a mix of local beeswax and pine turpentine. The Bhaktivedanta Academy Gurukula, a traditional Vedic school with international students in West Bengal, India is helping to construct a series of houses for teachers. The boys of the academy spend a couple of hours each day learning basic construction methods based on age-old building traditions and using mostly local materials. The school’s oxen and horse also assist in the process. The boys are from all over the world: Russia, Ukraine, China, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, different parts of India, Ecuador, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Hungary, Bulgaria, etc. Before starting to build the boys spent several lessons studying your books, Builders of the Pacific Coast , Shelter 1-2 , etc. –Greg Clark Sasha making pegs Categories: Architecture , Carpentry , Small Homes Tags: Hand Tools , Natural Materials [sharethis] Post a comment ( 6...