Done and done!

Though I failed to provide regular status updates on the dwelling, I thought I’d post pictures of our finished product, just in case anyone building their own MD100 happens upon this blog.

We treated the plans for the dwelling as opportunity. Treating the plans as a blank canvas allowed us to be really creative in terms of the structure’s capabilities and functions. While I envisioned a quiet reading space, it soon morphed into a very tiny theater. We have a 90-inch projector screen and wired for surround sound. We also have cable, a DVR, and wireless Internet in the dwelling, along with a very small air conditioner that we cut a special hole for in the back. Obviously, since our version of the dwelling uses quite a bit of electric, it even has its own breaker box (hidden behind the door behind the couch). 

 

In terms of the outer structure, we stayed true to the plans, but did add a little “porch” to the front, where our dogs enjoy sunbathing. We also obviously insulated the walls, and added bamboo flooring, a ceiling fan, and several pendant lights. 

 

It took Jason about 4 months (October-January) with a couple of snow-related delays, since apparently we thought it would be a good idea to build over winter. We also had to go through several electric inspections to get all of this done and Jason never had any building experience prior to jumping into this project, so it was a huge accomplishment! Costs are more difficult to estimate, since we went crazy with updates, but we imagine somewhere between $8,000-$10,000 – which would include everything from lumber to the projector, air conditioner, furniture, and landscaping. But it was well worth it.

Before

This is what our back yard looked like before the dwelling. We had a small deck with a gazebo.

Building (Also see our other posts for progress pictures)

Snow delays

Building the firepit

Finished – Exterior

Landscaping

Exterior

Nighttime

All lit up

Finished – Interior

Windows and door

Sofa-bed from Ikea

White ceiling

Interior

Projector screen & fireplace

Interior

Projector screen at night

We pile in with our three dogs almost every night to catch up on TV or to read and it has been an amazing addition to our home. We almost view it as going on a mini trip every night to our little vacation home in the back yard.

Windows and Doors

Although we considered the use of tempered glass as an upgrade to Blazona’s original plans (which call for plexi), we did end up going with PlexiGlass. Tempered would have been nice, but it really was all about the ease of installation at this point.

We did order an thicker grade of the PlexiGlass, and at least as of right now, you can’t tell it’s not real glass.

The Depot and Lowes didn’t carry the stuff in the sizes that we required, so we ordered from a local glass place, Frederick Glass. It was ready to pick up within a few days, and Jason fit all but the largest piece into our Element for the short ride home. We’re still trying to figure out how we’re going to transport the last massive piece to the house.

As for the door, it’s painted and ready to go! The paint color is Behr Japanese Fern, by the way.

Peacock Room

I put together a moodboard to capture what we’re planning for the interior of the dwelling.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Manstad corner sofa bed – $699
• Clybourn loft chair – $399
• Prints by Pool Pony – $210
• Gear C Table – $129
• 44″ 3-blade steel fan – $159

Paint colors

• Behr Peacock Tail
• Behr Japanese Fern

The gray rug and steel pendant lights have yet to be scouted.

Finish Work

Despite a serious case of the sniffles and a cold, windy week, Jason managed to get in some major work this week.

He started by finishing the roof.

Then he caulked everything.

Then he framed the windows.

Then he stained.

It’s looking pretty fantastic.

October Snow

Under normal circumstances, snow embodies everything happy for me. Hot cocoa, sledding, time off from work, mittens, holidays, etc… However, when the northeast received a surprise snowstorm just before Halloween over the weekend, I was not happy. For the dwelling, snow just resulted in delays. The plan was to devote both Saturday and Sunday to working on the dwelling, but Saturday was a mess. Snow was coming down in giant fat flakes for the majority of the morning and afternoon, making everything wet and uncomfortable.

By Sunday, the snow had subsided, but Jason’s construction site looked like muddy soup topped with wood shavings. Despite this and Jason’s emerging case of bronchitis, he was a champ and worked out there all day. Our friend Justin was even kind enough to lend a hand again, which was especially helpful for the work on the roof. Here’s Jason standing on said roof after much of the snow had melted.

Today, Jason will be working on sanding and caulking.

Color

Now that the dwelling is starting to resemble an actual structure, I’m starting to think about a color palette for the interior. My inspiration is this fantastic green velvet chair from Target, so all palettes will involve this olive green. This chair will reside in one of the back corners of the dwelling.

Clybourn Loft Chair - Target

Palette #1

Palette #2

Palette #3

Bones

For someone who has never put anything together on this kind of scale before, Jason made crazy progress this weekend. I was shocked when I walked outside on Saturday afternoon and saw four completely assembled walls. Our friend Justin came over for a few hours to lend a helping hand, which didn’t hurt.

By Sunday afternoon, we had four attached walls.

And by Sunday evening, the paneling was starting to go up.

Now we’re beginning to have the inevitable “disagreements” over some of the aesthetic details. Jason wants to wire for surround sound (which I reluctantly signed off on) and wants to drywall the interior ceiling (which I probably will not be signing off on – just look how awesome it looks after being painted white!)

James & Cathy's MD100, from http://modulardwellings.com/MD100blog/

3 Hours at Lowe’s

After a gruelling for me/fantasy for Jason 3-hour $1,800 trip to Lowes, we have within our posession most of the materials that will serve as the structure for the dwelling, including all of the wood, roofing, nails, screws, a door, and a lock. We will still need to pick up the glass and corrugated metal for the siding, but that’s for another day.

Because we wore out our welcome and Lowes was closing as we were checking out, we had to pay for our 4 carts’ worth of stuff and Jason went the next day to pick it all up in a rented Lowe’s truck. As a former employee of both Lowes and Home Depot, Jason was very proud that his truck loading skills are still up to par.

Construction commences tomorrow!

Law Abiding Citizens

Although we totally considered entirely forgoing the permit process (due to budget and potential timing setbacks), the better part of our consciences and good sense got to us. And it’s a good thing. The Frederick permit process is actually very efficient and streamlined and the whole process was pretty painless, aside from the $123 it cost us. We got together a few copies of the plans for the MD100, along with copies of the plat for our little rectangle of land and took them to the municipal office. Because the structure is so small, we didn’t require a building permit, just a zoning permit.

In terms of location, we were told that we’re good to go as long as the structure is not within three feet of our property line. We also needed a permit for electric, since we’re obviously giving this thing power – enough for a TV and a tiny air conditioner, and lighting.

The Beginning Stages Of…

Hello, World! Ashley and Jason Henley here.

This blog will be chronicling the ups and inevitable downs of two people who have absolutely no knowledge of building, attempting to put together a “modular dwelling” in our back yard.

Image from http://www.prefabs.com

The dwelling, dubbed the MD100, was designed by Edgar Blazona several years ago for my beloved ReadyMade magazine. Attempting to create a 10×10 structure that could be assembled with $1,000 of standard materials from Home Depot, he fell just short of the cost cap and ended up designing a structure that can be built $1,500 (still incredibly affordable). I tore out the article (a digital version of which can be accessed here) and have been thinking about it ever since.

We live in a rowhouse in downtown Frederick, MD, which is about 45 minutes outside of Washington, D.C. Our yard is long and narrow. Since this picture was taken, we’ve put up a 6′ cedar privacy fence.

At the back end of the yard is a 10’x10′ deck that Jason built two years ago.

It used to house a gazebo, which was destroyed by a blizzard a few months after its inception. (And yes, that is a giant windmill in our backyard. It came with the house and Jason refuses to let it go.)

Since then, the deck has just sort of sat there, serving as a really fun crawl space for our dog Eddie to harass bugs and groundhogs, and as a bleak reminder of a project we didn’t really finish.

Conveniently enough, the MD100 plans call for a 10×10 base for the structure, so the deck will finally live out its destined-to-be fate as the floor of a pretty awesome modular dwelling.