Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with yurt

Pimp my yurt?

ajarbaday — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:18:50 -0800

How can I make my yurt time special? What should I do with my new yurt?

I just moved into a tiny yurt, about 10 feet by 10 feet big and 6 feet tall. It's made of wood and sits in the West Virginia mountains. The ceiling is slanted, so there is crouching to get in and out of it. It's the smallest place I've ever lived, and I'll be living it for another six months. Does anyone have ideas for making it both more functional and / or special? There are a few small quirks:

1) It's drafty. There are many gaps in the boards, since the boards are set together and it's only one layer thick. I've thought about covering the walls in old blankets, cloth, or just tarping it, but I might just try to tough it out until spring.

2) There is storage space underneath the yurt, but it's not waterproof.

What would you do to make a small space with low ceilings feel like home? I have almost no carpentry skills, but I'd be willing to try simple projects. Are there any other ways that people have made their small, non-traditional spaces fun to be in?
I can give more specs on my new pad if people would like. Also, I do not have electricity. There is a larger yurt that has a kitchen, library, etc., so my smaller yurt is mostly like my bedroom.

Any and all suggestions welcomed, from the weird to the practical.

Thanks.

Asheville NC - I'm looking for a unique place to live...

Glendale — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 06:11:04 -0800

Asheville NC - I'm looking for a unique place to live... When I say "unique" I mean cheap ;) I'm moving to the Asheville area with my fiance in mid January, and we'd like to live somewhere fun, but cheap. We'll only be in town for 8-10 months, so signing a year long lease isn't feasible. Are there any little "yurt-towns" near Asheville? Is there a town in the area with an abundance of cabins for rent? Running water would be nice to have, but we can do without electricity if we need to...

Basically, we're trying to live around Asheville temporarily (until we get hitched) because it sounds like such a great place to be, and we'd like to save a bit of money while we're down there. We also both really like the idea of cabins and yurts ;)

Living (full time) in a Yurt. Have you done it? Should we?

stuboo — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:17:00 -0800

How can I convince my wife that living in a Yurt would be fun while I'm in medical school? We're on the verge of selling a house and would clear enough to purchase a yurt. We'd still have to finance a piece of land to put it on, but that's entirely possible.

Other than spending a couple of nights in a yurt, what points are important to emphasize when trying to convince my wife that living in a yurt for a few years would be both adventuresome and cost effective?

She's a fantastic woman and, above all else, I want her to be happy with where we end up - but I know her well enough to know that not making a mortgage or rent payment every month would make her very, very happy.

We have no kids, 2 dogs, and will be moving to the Blacksburg, VA area.

Help me rediscover the simple life!

It ain't over yet — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 15:34:14 -0800

Help me rediscover the simple life! My editor wants me to write about what it's like to live a simpler life, with less clutter, less technology, etc. The first idea was to go live in an igloo for a week -- nice idea but there aren't any this time of year. And no one really lives in igloos anymore anyway. I'm trying to brainstorm other possibilities. The thing is, whatever and wherever the structure, it should be part of a community, so I have more to describe than just my bare walls. Ie, I'm not trying to re-do Walden, here. A Norwegian fishing village might work, but an important caveat is the people living in this theoretical community must live there by choice -- not simply because they can't afford to live elsewhere. Amish country is the ideal option, but that's been done. Anyone have any other suggestions?