Little House as an Office Addition

Updated 12-15-09

Here are photographs and the story of a large deck built over a ravine to support and connect to a new home office.


These photos came from CountryPlans and PlanHelp member Jeanne Howell

I got an email the other day:

"I finished my office, built using your somewhat modified Little House plans, in September. I built it atop a deck that was in some ways the harder of the two projects, extending as it does over a very steep ravine. The sheer drop, plus lots of  soft fill and hard to find bedrock, made locating and installing the footings in the cold rain last October - November dicey. I got the deck supports in by the time we got that big snow last winter."

foundation for little house office

Getting footings in place for the office and the deck extension. Main house and existing deck is on the right.

foundation beams for little house office

Getting in the posts and main support beams.

steep site

Can you see the steep drop-off?

wrap around porch

Working in the dark is fun!

Jan 2009

Platform for office and deck extension almost complete.

New railings on deck

New railings on the deck and the subfloor platform down for the office.

Side walls of office in place

Side walls of the 12' x 14' modified Little House are up. The roof will be a low-slope shed.

insulation ready

Lots of nice big winows let in the light. Insulated and ready for wall board.

Shed roof on finished office

Here you can see the finished project with the deep shed roof rafters supporting the plexiglass covering for the deck. 
That way you can get between the office and the house without getting wet!

from the entry door

Now we have a functioning office!

"It seems odd to some that I did all the building myself, even while chronically sick and hurting. I do many such odd things. 
In some ways, working like this against all odds has helped keep me alive and glad of it. 
Even five foot three inch, sixty year old ailing grandmas like myself can move mountains with enough feistiness!"

The tiny bathroom

My tiny bathroom.

"Now my attention needs to turn to using the new office for the business I built it for.
Which involves finding ways to use my career skills (licensed clinical counselor and Presbyterian minister) online somehow,
now that I'm homebound with severe chemical sensitivies, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia."

Comments from John Raabe: Thanks for sharing your fine project Jeanne. We all wish you the very best in your new office!


Click HERE to see the plans.
Contact Jeanne HERE
Click HERE to return to the CountryPlans Home Page
Click Owner Builder Gallery to see the stories of other projects.
Click HERE to ask questions about building cabins & small houses