Bainbridge tiny remembers earlier era

Little things in a tiny house make a big impact. Instead of building a rectangular box, this tiny has two wings that wrap a covered porch, effectively growing the living space and sheltering the outdoor living room from most winds.

The 346-square-foot bungalow was built in 1925, back when Bainbridge Island was better-known for logging and shipbuilding than as an exclusive bedroom community for Seattle. That means original wainscoting, wood paneling, thin slat ceilings and floors, and fixtures. The main room looks roomy, but it’s a studio layout, so the living room is also the bedroom.

In the kitchen, shelves and cabinetry look like they could be as old as the house. Curtains instead of cabinet doors are appreciated in a place where maneuvering can be tight. A cubby fits a microwave, and it would be interesting to know which came first.

A slate counter doubles as a blackboard. That’s a neat idea for laying out a recipe—draw it in chalk and wash it away later.

A nautical settee for a breakfast (and lunch and dinner) nook looks nautical nods to a shipbuilding history.

Check out the watery paradox: The house has no traditional bathroom and no water or sewer service, but it does have a shower, water heater, and kitchen sink. Somehow previous residents got by.

Another sign of its history is its heat source: wood. The wood stove is vertical, making a much more compact footprint, though also limiting the cooking surface.

Head outside and see a path to the woodshed on lined with more firewood.

The bonus to this historic tiny house is a three-quarters-of-an-acre lot, part of the $138,500 package. Use some of that land for a more modern home, or take on whatever small projects the tiny house provides and leave the gardens and natural growth as they are. A lot of options for very little money in this market.

• 9691 NE Lofgren Rd, Bainbridge Island [Mr Shutt]