The tiny house movement hasn’t exactly made its way to our corner of the world, but the scene at one local antique shop tells a different story. At Joseph Joseph & Joseph, customers enter to find a restored log cabin—in the middle of the store. Originally a 19th century tobacco barn, the structure needed to be removed from its Brookneal, Virginia, home. Frank Joseph disassembled it, drew up plans to split it into two smaller structures and brought both to the shop. One has already been sold, but shop owner Phyllis Joseph says the remaining cabin continues to get conversations going about Frank’s skills.
“He has reconfigured many, many buildings according to a clients’ wishes, like shrinking a larger building down to suit,” she says. In fact, Frank takes care of the whole process, from locating and disassembling to moving and reassembling 18th and 19th century buildings.
“Many times buildings that he finds need to be reconfigured because of damage, so he can redesign a building using the old wood and move it to someone’s location,” Phyllis says.
But what does one use a reconfigured log cabin for? Depending on its size, it could make a guest cabin, studio, playhouse or garden shed. And because it’s easily transportable, it only takes a day to stack up (that is, of course, depending on its foundation and without extra wiring). The reassembled tobacco barn currently at the shop is made from oak and measures 8’x10’x9.5′. Says Phyllis, “It’s just waiting to be delivered!”