Wednesday, February 1, 2012

meeting christian kazimir – builder of tiny homes in ocean shores, washington

Back in June of 2011, my son Sam and I went to visit the properties of a builder in Ocean Shores, Washington.
Christian Kazimir is the builder of some amazing "tiny homes" on this lovely stretch of beach land and brush.

Ocean Shores, WA  Where the beach goes on forever and ever

Christian's vision of home building is to get the most spacious feeling in a small space with the least disturbance of the existing flora native to the building site. He clears only what he must for the foundation and walkways, then he makes sure the little house has all the comforts of home.

We arrived in the late morning for a tour of the current build at the time. A set of tiny Victorian style homes called Sea Bright Cottages. They were in the mid/beginning stages of building, the outer walls were completed as well as the inner framing and plumbing. The attention to details and comforts was apparent everywhere I looked.

 There were 4 homes on this plot, in various modes of construction. This is the one we toured.

 Looking thru the living area/bedroom wall into the bathroom/laundry room.

The ceiling has built in recessed lighting, saving the home owner having to use precious floor space for lighting. To the left of this photo is the top of the bathroom/laundry room wall. The space above will be left open for storage and or decorating. 

The Loft which wisely uses the space overhanging the front porch. Who doesn't love a front porch? I'd love to see this idea of the smart use of space in more builds like this, so smart!

The house next door, there were two in front, this is the rear, right side home. 

The window looking toward the beach, this is generally the bedroom/living space area, depending on how the home owner decides to layout the space. Christian offered an option to build bookshelves in the middle of the large floor space to separate bedroom/living room and add some storage. It's a cool way to separate the space and I saw it used in another development he built earlier - keep reading!

This is the view out of the window in what will become the kitchen. Coastal scrub and flowers, just natural and pretty and almost as far as the eye can see.

About the time we stopped by to visit, they were adding the special touches to the outside. The molding and special facing that gives a Victorian style home its character. Look at the special attention to the window frames. So pretty.

This is Christian Kazimir, the talented designer/builder of these beautiful little homes. Thanks again for your hospitality and the tour!

Want to see the finished homes? Visit the Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/SeaBrightCottages

After we got the thorough tour of the Sea Bright Cottages, Christian walked us over to the development he'd just finished and showed us a couple spaces where he plans to build two more in this same theme, with just a tad more floor space. 

This was the entrance to one of the Avalon Cottages built nearby. These were AMAZING and my son was in love almost instantly. They have a real "beach house" vibe without the huge space to maintain. Enough space for 4 to spend a week together or 2 to live comfortably with the occasional visit from no more than 2 other people. Of course, when the weather is nice, you could have more visitors come and stay. 

Another design feature I truly loved: Although the cottages sit fairly close to each other, each porch or patio is "screened off" in a way that fits the build. It adds privacy AND beauty to the little neighborhood.
These cottages were about 600 square feet, and in a while, there will be two more, slightly larger cottages in this neighborhood with the same theme. The two newer cottages will include an addition bedroom adding a couple hundred more square feet to the build. Still a small home but oh so welcoming, don't you think?

To see more detail of the Avalon Cottages, including shots of the interior, visit the Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/AvalonCottages


All in all, I hope Christian will continue to build his tiny homes, he has a wonderful vision and a great eye for the use of space. These are truly well built, cozy, comfortable living spaces for those who can appreciate a smaller footprint. Not to mention the ease of upkeep! You'll spend less time cleaning your space and a whole lot more time enjoying it. Who wouldn't love that?

The best part of the day for me was the drive back to my son's apartment in Seattle. My 23 year old couldn't stop raving about the Avalon Cottages and would love to own a tiny home one day. I think that's cool. 

To learn more about Christian Kazimir's designs and builds, you can find details at the following Facebook pages:
and you can watch his current project, Wildwood Crest Bungalows progress here: http://www.facebook.com/wildwoodcrestbungalows

Please come build some tiny homes in California Christian! Thank you so much for your hospitality. 




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