DYY (Do Your Yurt)
Posted by Sam Kigar on Tue, Jun 01, 2010
Yurts run the gamut from DIY (do-it-yourself) to pre-fab. Most people who live in a yurt purchased a kit from a professional company. Recently though, I was looking at some pictures from a Colorado Yurt Company customer when hit me: all yurts, to varying degrees, are do-it-yourself. While some of our customers contract out bits and pieces in and around their yurt (e.g. site preparation and deck) the vast majority play a large role in giving shape to their yurt. Each customer builds a unique yurt; we just facilitate. Take the case of Samantha Swenson and Duncan Masters.
Envisioning
The first step in the building process for the Swenson-Masters began with a stroll across their land in eastern North Carolina. When they imagined a home there, they saw a yurt.
Actually they saw two
The Swenson-Masters wanted their yurt to be a physical expression of their ideals of economy, ecology, and luxury.
Samantha says their love of reading guided their use of space in the yurt. Between the newlyweds’ two collections there were a lot of books. Samantha says, “We figured out all the possible places to put shelves and then added everything else.” Using the bookshelves as functional walls, they divided the big yurt into quarters: the kitchen, the living room, the bedroom, and the office/craft area and future nursery.
Luxury
Moving into a yurt was obviously a step into an “alternative” lifestyle but not as much as you might assume. In Samantha’s words,
"We are still interested in maintaining a relatively average lifestyle inside eccentric surroundings, finding balance between being eco-friendly and being your average active working individuals who love high-speed internet and crime drama TV shows..."
In addition to crime TV they love having people over. They left the front half of their yurt, the kitchen and living room open and inviting, while moving the clutter of everyday life to the back of the yurt.
Designing the Kitchen
For their kitchen they decided on IKEA’s Varde series, which appealed to them ascetically and because it’s freestanding. The counter space is movable and the table expands.
The smaller yurt houses a bathroom and utility area. Luxury found its home in the bathroom. It has a shower with bench, deep soaker jacuzzi tub (with a rubber ducky)...
... and a beautiful, handcrafted sink and vanity.
Another wonderful thing about this yurt is that it is handicap accessible.
Like all great homes, the Swenson-Master’s is a work in progress. They are currently adding a loft to the big yurt for Samantha’s craft projects. By the time their baby-to-be is school age they hope to add another yurt to the mix.
Some folks are more hands-off in their approach to designing their yurt than these guys, others do more. Regardless of where you fall on the DIY to Pre and Post-Fab continuum, the decision to live in a yurt is the decision to live in house that reflects you. The round space and flood of natural light provide an inspiring place to build a your unique home.
Get started designing your yurt with our "
Color Your Yurt" tool!