June 15, 2012

Shared on the Tiny House blog from

David Dees-illustration


April 8, 2012

Hawaiian Yurt Village Retreat

Looking for more luxury and services than the Chic Eco yurt in Pahoa?

Located on Big Island's Island's North Kohala coast is a full off-grid retreat. Five yurts offer a simple alternative to the boutique-style facility at Ahu Pohaku Ho'omaluhia in Kapaau.

See Green Lodging News story for details or visit the Hawaii Island Retreat site.

March 29, 2012

Weddings + Events Yurt-style

Fashioning Felt in Palace Yurt
Creative interior options for weddings and events are abundant in yurts.

Betz White photographed the Palace Yurt at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in New York City for the Fashioning Felt exhibit. The lace-look opened eyes to visualize a ceremony, ― be it wedding, funeral, reception, etc.

Laurel Nest Vendor Yurt
Laurel Nest Yurts of North Carolina shares their vendor yurt to distribute information at festivals and conferences. Can't you also vision a crystal boutique, ― or something with spiritual and meditation tools? Shopping with a cozy-charm sense!

The Alaska Yurt Village is filled with artsy vendors who treasure sustainable living. Find seasonal yurt-boutiques who offer handmade goods that range from yarns to jewelry and more.

Viking Yurt
How about dinner ambiance? The Viking Yurt in Utah's Park City Mountain Resort offers a fine menu with a pianist ready to take requests.

www.hooesyurts.co.uk
Reserve a yurt for intimate dinning, or for a small party, ― an idea for most any location, but especially here in Hawai'i where organic and raw local foods are available year-round!

RELATED POSTS:
Interior Decorating Intro
Weddings + Special Events

March 23, 2012

Awnings, Gardening + Yurts

Morning Glories Climb Awning Hardware
Before ordering or building a yurt, one must decide if and where there will be windows.
Tropical Vines Climb From Ground to Tree Stump,
to Awning to Lanai

First you study the property: ― sunrise, sunset, typical wind direction. Next it's the interior floor plan.

Then regardless of the kind of window/s you select, consider exterior awnings. Why go the extra expense? Because they're functional.


Yurt awnings provide privacy and weather protection. My particular location has windows open most the time, but seasonal high winds and heavy rains are common. Yet with an awning, the need to close a window is very rare.

Gardening is my thing and I get a kick out of seeing blooms climb up to my windows. Pictured below are morning glories germinated and grown with the help of awning-rainwater runoff.

Hence, I discovered the awnings very useful for starting plants. Those hard-to-germinate seeds come alive with this method. Not pictured are impatiens that thrive in the heat under another window due to the consistent moist ground. There's an inside blooming view from every window now.

My location is in the rain forest, so of course required maintenance will vary. But typically, the usual daily rain will bring beautiful benefits with minimal effort.

Last, but not least reason to love awnings, ―ambiance!

There are awning downsides illustrated below. All it takes, however, is some periodic mildew cleaning and rust preventive measures on your awning hardware. For yurt dwelling lovers, it ain't no big deal, ― just a little forewarning.
Rust Development on Right Rod