
Simple Living. We always enjoy the Home Design features in New York Magazine. This week's issue was no exception with the weekend home of Scott Newkirk, a fashion stylist and interior designer. In Unplugged, we are inspired by Newkirk's 300-square-foot house where he lives off the grid on weekends. Designed with local and salvaged materials, the retreat is a stunning example of simple beauty...














If there are no windows or shutters over the screens in the guest room, what happens to the Nelson bench during a windy rain?
view brittanykate's profile
With a dense canopy of trees, you'd be surprised how little rain gets in during the summer, but ticks will. Very cool place.
view Kurt's profile
I'd assume that the guest room is empty except on occupied weekends.
I want to build one of these myself in the Ozarks someplace.
view Jon_B's profile
Scott Newkirk is living my fantasy life... What a great getaway place.
view Enrique's profile
It seems a little silly to put a composting toilet in an outhouse, as an outhouse is essentially a composting toilet already - it's a large whole in the ground with a seat and shed built over it. Keep the lid down when not in use, and add a few handfuls of wood-ash after each use...mother nature does the composting for you...But maybe there are zoning/septic rules, or maybe there are issues with high ground water...
view Rosie's profile
it so nice to see an amazing off the grid example on the east coast - it is on the east coast right? I have been renovating my off the grid log cabin in the catskills (jody's fish camp) and its great to see somebody utilize all the ideas I've been dreaming up! good times!
view kung fu grip's profile
What is that staircase for? Decoration? It certainly is not functional. Maybe its a stool or for leaning.
view SeanG's profile
The ladder/staircase is supposed to be functional - there's a second floor - unless there's another way to get up there.
You'd better be skinny to use it, there's maybe 24 inches in front of the tread to squeeze yourself through.
view Jon_B's profile
This is my dream.
view Swan's profile
Jon_B
I think that ladder is for short supermodels with excellent balance and small feet.
view SeanG's profile
swan - isn't it though?
view elizabeth in AL's profile
This is very much like my grandparents old house in Maine. No electricity, no plumbing. Water for drinking, cooking, and showering came from a hand operated pump. The shower was an old "black bag" solar shower that you lay out in the sun to heat up, and then hung on a nail pounded into a pine tree about 20' back from the house (if you've never showered in the woods you should try it). The refrigerator was an old propane-powered one, and cooking was done on a wood fired stove.
It can definitely be fun, but I'm glad we only went for a few weeks at a time. I don't think I could convince my wife to do this though.
view Max's profile
Exceptional! Mr. Newkirk is obviously a brilliant designer with an acute creative vision. Not to mention, he's obviously a really good son.
view right angle's profile
i find this kinda funny. i grew up poor & in west virginia. we did most of this but it was b/c we couldn't afford plumbing. haha who knew hillbilly poor was trendy green? hahaha
view mariegael's profile