Mobile Sauna Wood Fired with Changing Room. This sauna is intended for off-grid use. I wired it with solar power for lights and USB. The wood stove is Harvia 16CK. It has cedar doors, custom cedar benches, and curved cedar shelves with recessed low light LED lights. The paneling is sauna grade hemlock. Two custom hand-built, road-worthy windows with thick tempered bronzed glass. Approximate weight, including 6’ x 12’ trailer, is 3000lbs.
Solar powered low LED lights and a wood stove means the mobile sauna is designed for off-grid use and can be parked in remote locations.
The sauna stove heats 30-45 minutes in the winter before the sauna is hot and ready for löyly.
Changing Room Window, custom built window frames by Tony Wood, with tempered bronzed glass for road worthiness and privacy.
In Collaboration with Beckie Alexander, a sauna build from the ground up, designed by Beckie. This is an electric backyard sauna with Basswood paneling and benches, undermount lighting, Finleo Electric Stove. WiFi enabled so that it can be turned on remotely.
Beckie’s colleagues gifted her a big bundle of sauna accessories as a retirement gift, knowing that she planned to build a backyard sauna.
Framing Walls. It was a blast making Beckie’s sauna dreams come true.
In collaboration with Beckie Alexander, an outdoor shower to refresh before, during and after the sauna.
Katie and I worked together to convert this existing rustic outbuilding into a unique and functional wood burning sauna. It is located on 20 acres in White Salmon, Washington. This is a six sided building, with each angle different from the next.
This existing building was log framed, and uninsulated, rustically cedar paneled, with gaps between the boards. We removed all of the existing boards, labeled them, and reclaimed them in the sauna build after bringing in the walls to accommodate the log frame, and allow for proper sauna insulation and vapor wrap.
We reclaimed all the boards from the original building to panel the sauna. Uncertain origin of this existing wood stove, which heats the space well, and stays consistent to the character of the original building.
The sauna benches are designed to be structurally strong and secure, while complementing the existing non-standard angles and maximizing space to stretch out in multiple locations.
Katie and I worked together to convert this existing rustic outbuilding into a unique and functional sauna. It was a creative whirlwind, full of learning opportunities and on-the-spot problem solving. I love knowing that the Hytte Sauna is there for her to enjoy and to share with her friends and family. A special “Thank You” to Graham for facilitating the sauna build for me and Katie.
Secured the window in the existing door.
Mt. Hood can be seen from this sauna, towering in the distance, on a clear day.
Additional firebrick for safety. Raised cedar floor to match the threshold height, which makes sweeping out the Hytte Sauna a breeze.
Careful attention to detail in this otherwise rustic sauna creates a more modern, cleaner and calmer aesthetic.
Katie’s Hytte Sauna benches are entirely custom with no right angles. The existing building is slightly taller than most saunas so we raised the benches in order to accomoadate the extra height, while still maintaining sauna heat and steam.
Interior Progress work on Existing Sauna Building. Beckie and I were hired to install the waterproof tapered floor drainage system in the hot room and install insulation, cedar nickel gap paneling in the changing room. We also built and installed custom benches in both the changing room and the hot room.
Cumberland, WI
Teamwork with Poppy to build the custom benches on site in the Cedar Sauna Hot Room. Cumberland, WI.
Conversion of this existing sunroom into a flexible use Home Office and Maker Space for their family. Designed to provide ease of use, maximize the abundant natural light, and provide a year-round creative space.
Two hand-built 84” custom tables for the maker space. The tables are on casters to a maximize the dimensions and the utility of the room. They can be placed toghether in the center of the room, in an “L” shape against the walls, or opposite of each other. The tabletop is sapele butcher block and the sides are birch wood, with built in shelving.
We added some of my original artwork to evoke a calm quiet creative space.
Two hand-built 84” custom tables for the maker space, and a matching bench. The tables and bench are on casters to a maximize the dimensions and the utility of the room. They can be placed toghether in the center of the room, in an “L” shape against the walls, or opposite of each other. The tabletops and bench top are sapele butcher block and the table sides are birch wood, with built in shelving.
Outdoor Office Build. This is a build from the ground up. The office makes use of abundant natural light in a sunny corner of an urban backyard, with south facing windows and a skylight. It has an electric wall heater and ample dimmable recessed lighting.
Conversion of this living room corner into a Work From Home Office
This living room corner had an existing window to the porch, and an HVAC vent so there was plenty of light and ventilation to enclose this corner as an office.
Small Storage Closet with epoxied butcher block shelves.
8’ x 8’ Floating Dock. The canoe is Chesapeake Light Craft 12’ Sassafras Wooden Canoe that we built as a family in a the summer of 2020.
The goal for this dock built was to make it blend into the landscape, keep it out of sight lines, and make as minimal disruption to the habitat as possible. The dock is 8’ x 8’, large enough for us to enjoy a shady family picnic in the summer, to stargaze in the fall, or to lace on the skates in the winter. The walkway, which bridges to the land and also floats, is tied to the trees to keep the dock securely in place.
This is an Adaptation to the Ana White Outhouse Design. I built it in February 2021, with help from my teen daughter.
Custom Canoe Rack and Shelter for their Canoe and Kayak Fleet. Ely, Minnesota
Sun-Heated Lake Water feels so refreshing on a hot summer day.
Sun-Heated Lake Water. Ely, Minnesota
16’ x 16’ level and dry surface for pitching a tent, picnicking, etc.
Build to custom specifications to store three canoes, a kayak, a paddle board, a 6’ x 12’ raft, and paddles.
“BeaGa” A-Frame, a multi-generational Family Collaboration including Mom, Aunt, Grandma and Daughters, plus some back-up from Dad and Grandpa. I led this as a two-day project.
A play space for L + A. Designed with a queen bed up top, which doubles as a guest bed for this open door family.
Fenna’s Double Twin XL Bunk Room. This long bunk creates a large kid zone underneath the bunks, and cozy lounging, reading or sleeping space for kid sleepovers and grown-up guests alike. Equipped with party lights underneath the bunks, for jazzing up the grey Pacific Northwest days. A space for Fenna to grow into a big kid, a teen and a young adult.
Warming Hut Playhouse, built under existing deck and around the stairs, which double as a sledding ramp in the winter time.
The Warming Hut Playhouse was built to complent the backyard ice ink, providing a place to warm up, drink cocoa, and hang out with friends.
Built from scrap wood, with plywood fabricated doors and windows.
Together with the wood stove, the Workhorse of off-grid living in a cold climate.
This is a 7’ woodshed, holds about one cord of wood. With storage on the sides and back.
Small and Mighty at keeping wood with dry and on-hand for wood stoves. At counter height, doubles as a catch-all entry table.
This wood storage is designed to fit between the step and the trailer wheel of the mobile sauna. It has a dry top shelf for gear, and hold plenty of wood and kindling to keep the sauna hot for the long weekend.
Keeps two extra “Country Cords” which are much bigger than city cords, on hand for the winter. In the summer, this is used for bike and gear storage.
A gift from a sauna client. We use two different types of wood splitter that make it easy to split wood for any of us.
This storage shed is designed to store large seasonal gear and tools, while blending into the side of the house, without impeding access to the backyard, or blocking light to the existing garage window. Apple Valley, Minnesota.
Designed for the occasional use of a generator for this off-grid cabin. This utility box keeps the generator warmer, up off the wet and snowy ground, and helps minimizes the sound when the generator is running. A handbuilt cedar door since this is in direct sight line.
Dry Gear Storage and Fuel Storage for Generator
A simple and efficient storage system for the garage, with sliding bins and to maximize height and easy of accessing gear. White Salmon, Washington
8’ x 8’ enclosed storage shed with additional 4’ wash station for washing dishes and drying gear.
Simple shelving to turn a large storage closet into an efficient storage space for their linens. White Salmon, Washington.
Custom built, with a curve, for a “just right fit” in a small urban backyard
White Salmon, Washington
Ely, Minnesota
These Outdoor Benches are a design by Rogue Engineer. I teach how to build these benches in a beginner friendly one-on-one format, more information about classes can be found here.
These are Adirondack Chairs designed by Rogue Engineer . I teach how to build these chairs in a beginner-friendly one-on-one format. More information on classes can be found here.
White Salmon, Washington
Small Wood Storage
Awning , Bench and Wood Storage for Cabin Entry.
Handmade Doors for existing backyard storage shed. Minneapolis, MN
Two ways to cozy up the space: Color and Warmth. Original Artwork provides color, whimsy and softness. Birch bark and kindling, always on hand to get the wood stoves started and stoked.
A scaled down fire pit for small outdoor campfires.
Two big nails were found on this parcel of land. One became the TP holder and the other holds a lantern. The window is a screened awning window so it can stay open all the time. Who says you can’t put artwork in an outhouse?
Handbuilt cedar shed door detail, interior.
These are two Chesapeake Light Craft 12’ Wooden Canoes that we built from kits as a family in the summer of 2020. They are light weight canoes that track well and are easy to portage.
Gunwales detail. We built two Chesapeake Light Craft 12’ wooden canoes as a family in the summer of 2020.
The bunkhouse handbuilt table rolls easily on casters and provides a dry and warm spot for games and projects in the winter time.
This original painting gives a finishing touch to this Sunroom Maker Space.
The combination of tight clean lines of the finishing work, and the rustic nature of the sauna, makes Katie’s Hytte feel both modern and natural.
There’s ample extra storage in this tiny bunkhouse, accessible via the trap door between the lower level beds.
Mukluks keep my feet warm working outside in very cold temperatures, and they are so comfortable. Steger Mukluks is a Made in Ely, MN company.
Changing Room detail. Handcut curves on the cedar shelves help soften the hard edges of the trailer.
Cedar Sauna, Cumberland, WI
My teen daughter and I built the Solar Shower together in July 2021. It is in a remote location, so one side is simply open to the woods.
Sisters Kari and Krista each built woodsheds with me as MAKER classes. In one long day, we built each woodshed start to finish, about a month apart, at each of their family cabins. A long day followed by good food and a sleepover at the cabin.
Poppy and I built the outhouse. It is an adaptation on the Ana White Outhouse design.
Nell and I built a 12’ x 12’ camping platform. It serves as a dry and level place to pitch a tent, and have a picnic.
Teen sisters N + A came to help build the floating dock on a hot summer weekend.
Building, sheet rocking and trimming the walls of the home office.
Painted in“Simply White” by Sherwin Williams
This is my teen daughter who helped build this office during the pandemic.
