Zyl Vardos

The Fortune Cookie was featured in Tiny Homes on the Move. Here are more examples of Abel Zimmerman’s wonderful work:

First: Wood creates its own pathways. I am only following as best I can.

Second: My work is about people. Every time I collaborate with somebody on a little house, some new “flowers” seem to bloom in the world. Despite the newness, I more often intend to build things that feel “magnetic” and familiar. If people appreciate it 50 years later, then I/we have done the right thing.

In less starry terms, I build tiny houses — usually on wheels, so they can be moved from place to place. I use a hybrid structural technique, combined with traditional woodworking, that allows me to make a house in almost any shape one can imagine. I make my own roofs, windows, doors, cabinetry, countertops — just about any part of a house. This gives me great flexibility in design, and allows a great deal of natural, reused, or just unique materials to become part of a functional house. I also specialize in systems design: electrical, plumbing, gas, and wood heating.

I have always been building something. My dad was always building: barn, house, woodshed, or model trains. I followed his lead, more or less. Then, a short time after leaving home, I went to work for a government office. Sitting there doing inane work just drove me nutty. Needless to say, I wasn’t the most “inspired” desk clerk. I eventually quit, worked at a café for 2 years, then returned to college. Upon leaving college, I had a 1 year old daughter and a pile of student loans. So, I built an enormous piece of furniture for a friend. Oh yeah, I joined the circus for a few years, which was a time I hold infinitely dear. And I have been building things ever since.

Now, I have four kids, and live on a small farm in Olympia, WA. I have a beautiful workshop, and build tiny homes fulltime for amazing people. And I am following the pathway that wood whispers to me…

–Abel Zimmerman Zyl
Owner of Zyl Vardos, Olympia, WA
www.ZylVardos.com