dwelling in... a new dwelling
enter: the circle house
Welcome to Dunham Dwells. Here we explore the awkward mid-twenties, books, art, and connection. I’m glad you’re here.
Hello, friend.
Today I am thrilled to announce that the idea of dwelling has been brought full spiral*. This fall, my partner and I have decided to build and live in a wood & canvas yurt on some family land just north of Richmond, Virginia.
I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell this story all last weekend and have decided the best way to do it for now is question-and-answer style. Here goes! Read on and be sure to hit reply with your own questions about our newest adventure.
Why are you living in a yurt?
A few reasons: To save money, to have an adventure, to make new friends, to live a little closer to earth. I hope to write about each of these in the coming weeks.
What the heck is a yurt?
A yurt is a tent-like circular house made of thin wooden poles and canvas. Our yurt will be 24 feet in diameter – that’s 450 square feet, plus a sleeping loft. This will give us plenty of space for cooking and eating, lounging, and desk work – perfect for my partner’s school work and for relaxing after work.
Are you building the yurt yourselves?
Yep! There are several companies that sell yurt kits and they are very nice but very pricey. Fortunately, my partner is a skilled woodworker and we are hoping to get our yurt put together in just a few weekends for less than $3000.
Will you have running water or electricity?
Our yurt has to be ready for living in about five weeks. Initially, we will have electricity – for light and heat and cooking – but no running water. (Mom, close your ears.) We plan to use a composting toilet, haul in water for drinking and washing, and shower at a local gym. Eventually, we will fix up a well nearby and have a better set up for washing and drinking water.
You’re moving in at the end of November. How will you stay warm?
We will build our yurt with a layer of housing insulation between an inner and outer canvas and use either space heaters or a woodstove to keep us nice and cozy.
What about Dunham Dwells + Yarn?
Oof, you got me. I will probably not be dyeing yarn in the yurt! I hope to find somewhere to dye soon, as I have some charming and fun new collection ideas, but in the meantime I will continue selling my One-of-a-Kind stock at dunhamdwells.com.
What other questions do you have about our yurt plans? I’ll share pictures and details as we continue to build and get ourselves situated. Until then,
Love,
Amy
(p.s. Have a friend who would be interested in reading about our yurt experiment? Hit the share button and let them know about it!)
* full spiral: like coming full circle, but with an acknowledgement that very rarely does anything come full circle, because we aren’t where we started, but many layers of growth above it.