Tiny Texas Houses Built With Vintage Materials

2008 - Volume #32, Issue #1, Page #04

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Tiny Texas Houses combine vintage wood and small floor plans to create custom buildings which are used for everything from a house for cats to guest houses or even full-time homes.
  The business sold its first home in June 2007. It was a natural career development for Brad Kittel. He and his wife, Suzanne, worked for years as real estate brokers, specializing in selling and rehabbing old homes. They bought many homes, revitalizing them for resale, and salvaging vintage lumber, doors, windows and other accessories. With their stockpile, plus materials they buy from other remodelers, the Kittels started a new business, Discovery Architectural Antiques in Gonzales, Texas. They currently have 150,000 sq. ft. of inventory. Though some wood is more than 100 years old, Kittel says that it's harder and better than wood on the market today. Some of the doors and windows need to be refinished, but others were taken from expensive houses that were torn down to be replaced by even more expensive houses.
  Kittel says he "got bored" and decided to take the business a step further and make houses out of some of the material.
  "These buildings are one-of-a-kind works of art," he says. "The tiny house movement seems to be a growing movement."
  Keeping the buildings small means they can be built quickly and transported with less hassle than large buildings. Because of regulations, Tiny Texas Houses are only available to Texas customers, but Kittel hopes to brand Tiny Texas Houses and franchise in other states. There's also the option of sending the building materials to customers in other states.
  Customers for do-it-yourself construction pick one of five models and then select doors, windows and woods from the Discovery warehouse.
  "The fact that we don't do anything the same, makes it a lot of fun," Kittel notes about the uniqueness of each building. Uses are as varied as designs - art studios, offices, exercise rooms, garden house, horse tack rooms, pool houses and minimalist homes. For example, a recent customer had a 10 by 16-ft. gambrel roof cottage with a feed room and porch built for her nine cats. When the cats are gone, it will become a guesthouse for people.
  "They're really cute and small, yet functional," Kittel says. The buildings maximize space with efficient floor plans and lofts that can hold king-size beds.
  While the buildings are 95 percent recycled, they are built to code with new wiring, plumbing and insulation. They are also completely portable, so that the owner can also move the building at a later time if they choose.
  Tiny Texas Houses start at about $25,000 for 10 by 16-ft. buildings to $60,000 for 12 by 28-ft. buildings.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Brad Kittel, Tiny Texas Homes, 20501 East I 10, Luling, Texas 78648 (ph 830 875-2500; bwk @discoverys.net; www.tinytexas houses.com).

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Tiny Texas Houses Built With Vintage Materials BUILDINGS Houses 32-1-4 Tiny Texas Houses combine vintage wood and small floor plans to create custom buildings which are used for everything from a house for cats to guest houses or even full-time homes. The business sold its first home in June 2007. It was a natural career development for Brad Kittel. He and his wife, Suzanne, worked for years as real estate brokers, specializing in selling and rehabbing old homes. They bought many homes, revitalizing them for resale, and salvaging vintage lumber, doors, windows and other accessories. With their stockpile, plus materials they buy from other remodelers, the Kittels started a new business, Discovery Architectural Antiques in Gonzales, Texas. They currently have 150,000 sq. ft. of inventory. Though some wood is more than 100 years old, Kittel says that it's harder and better than wood on the market today. Some of the doors and windows need to be refinished, but others were taken from expensive houses that were torn down to be replaced by even more expensive houses. Kittel says he "got bored" and decided to take the business a step further and make houses out of some of the material. "These buildings are one-of-a-kind works of art," he says. "The tiny house movement seems to be a growing movement." Keeping the buildings small means they can be built quickly and transported with less hassle than large buildings. Because of regulations, Tiny Texas Houses are only available to Texas customers, but Kittel hopes to brand Tiny Texas Houses and franchise in other states. There's also the option of sending the building materials to customers in other states. Customers for do-it-yourself construction pick one of five models and then select doors, windows and woods from the Discovery warehouse. "The fact that we don't do anything the same, makes it a lot of fun," Kittel notes about the uniqueness of each building. Uses are as varied as designs - art studios, offices, exercise rooms, garden house, horse tack rooms, pool houses and minimalist homes. For example, a recent customer had a 10 by 16-ft. gambrel roof cottage with a feed room and porch built for her nine cats. When the cats are gone, it will become a guesthouse for people. "They're really cute and small, yet functional," Kittel says. The buildings maximize space with efficient floor plans and lofts that can hold king-size beds. While the buildings are 95 percent recycled, they are built to code with new wiring, plumbing and insulation. They are also completely portable, so that the owner can also move the building at a later time if they choose. Tiny Texas Houses start at about $25,000 for 10 by 16-ft. buildings to $60,000 for 12 by 28-ft. buildings. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Brad Kittel, Tiny Texas Homes, 20501 East I 10, Luling, Texas 78648 (ph 830 875-2500; bwk @discoverys.net; www.tinytexas houses.com).

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