I built an out-of-this-world tiny home – people beg me to rent it but I can’t, it’s my ‘favorite place in the world’
AN ARCHITECT’S incredible tiny house has been showcased countless times, and he refuses to rent it out regardless of the inquiry flood.
Kurt Hughes’ out-of-this-world getaway spot is a replica of a lunar lander that the Naval architect built for himself two or so hours away from his home in Bothell, Washington.
His tiny escape overlooks the Columbia River and the 250-square-foot dwelling has been profiled in countless publications dedicated to homes and tiny houses including Architecture Digest.
Tiny House Talk called it “one of the most unique, innovative, and interesting tiny homes we’ve gotten to show you,” when it featured Hughes in 2019.
The otherworldly getaway is modeled after an actual lunar lander, down to the steel struts, stabilizing wires and front door/hatch.
Hughes made a small concession to the non-lunar location and added a two-person deck to take in the views.
When his daughter, Kiku, attended space camp as a child, Fred Haise, an Apollo 13 astronaut and pilot, autographed a 3D model of a lunar lander that the family built.
As the pint-sized retreat that he later built also in lunar lander’s likeness is the standout feature on Beverly’s Shore Drive, the tiny home naturally draws a lot of attention.
The architect has QR codes posted outside the building to direct the curious to websites where he explains details about the unusual home.
Hughes posted the info for planners and inspectors during the construction process but left them up because so many passersby stopped to ask questions, local news outlet Tri-City Herald reported.
Those interested in experiencing the greatness of the out-of-this-world getaway have to settle for reading about the project and taking photos from the outside as it isn’t available to rent.
The house next door to Hughe’s tiny spot is listed on Airbnb but his isn’t open to the public because it’s a special place to him, where he enjoys relaxing regularly.
The architect said he spends two or more weekends there each month.
“This is my favorite place in the world,” he said.
The peculiar-looking home accommodates two people comfortably.
The tiny home seats four at its table and Hughes even used it as a venue to throw a bachelor party for his now son-in-law once.
The idea to fuse boat designs, tiny houses and lunar landers began taking shape when Hughes took note of the tiny house movement taking off more than a decade ago.
He saw the value of smaller, affordable homes but he wasn’t impressed with the earlier efforts, which he described as heavy and unstable.
“They were primitive,” he told Tri-City Herald.
He figured that the approaches he used for boat design could make a difference in the quality of a tiny house.
Epoxy, common in marine designs, would be a better option than wood framing, he concluded.
Hughes decided to create a prototype and took his design inspiration from his daughter’s experience at space camp.
“Anyone can do a cube. I decided to do something as an homage to a time when anything was possible,” he said.
Hughes doesn’t expect the mind-blowing tiny home he built to revolutionize the tiny house world as the house has been met with lots of interest, but no copycats.
He did recently sell a plan set to a man in England who has not indicated if he intends to replicate it, according to Tri-City Herald.
The value of the cool real estate remains unclear as the Grant County Assessor values Hughes’ property at $58,000 for the land only and states that the building, or “improvement,” has no value.
Zillow puts the tiny home’s worth at $136,000 while clarifying that the lander is not for sale.
Hughes’ mom paid $10, which is worth around $100 today, for the land at a tax sale in the early 1960s.
He bought the land from his mother 20 years ago.