My biggest project to date

how small steps add up to a big result

Kaliko Journal is a free newsletter about natural dyeing, textiles, art practice, and life by Ania Grzeszek. This publication is divided into two sections: ”Plant Dyeing” and “Studio Practice”. You can manage your subscription by clicking “Unsubscribe” at the bottom of the email and opting IN and OUT of the sections that interest you. This is also where you can pledge your financial support for this publication, which would help me continue to sustain it.

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I vanished from this space for a few weeks because frankly, everything overwhelmed me. I started a new job some 6 weeks ago (part-time to pay my bills, Kaliko is struggling to support me), I got some lovely help at Kaliko which also means initially more work for me to onboard them, AND we finally got a call that our tiny house is ready to be delivered so we had to go to Poland on a short notice.

I still need more time to process my new work-life routine before I can write about it, but I am going to share some more about the house today, hoping you find it interesting.

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My vision board from 2017 said “build a house within 10 years” but the idea seemed unattainable for my tiny budget. And then the pandemic happened and I thought it’s now or never. We started the process almost 3 years ago, looking for plots for sale. We initially thought about building a cabin in the area around Berlin, but, reality check, it turned out we can’t afford it. Instead, we looked into Polish mountains, as I speak the language and the beautiful landscapes make up for the distance. We found a breathtaking piece of land in a village in Owl Mountains and we finalised the sale some 2 years ago. Another year was spent struggling to get a permit and preparing the general project which changed around 5 times. Last April we finally signed the contract with the construction company, and started the preparations for the build.

And by preparations I mean:

• renewing plot boundaries with a surveyor

• doing geological research for the foundations

• building a well for water access

• installing a bio household sewage treatment plant

• routing the electricity connection to the plot

• laying the electricity structure for the house

• building an access road (as the municipality declined to do it)

• levelling the plot

• installing the foundation (we decided on massive steel screws, 2m in length)

• preparing the base for a huge crane to lift the house from a truck and place on the foundations

And by “us” I mean “I”. My partner doesn't speak Polish nor knows anything about architecture.

While doing all that, I was also busy communicating with the constructors, drawing endless plans for where to place the electricity sockets or how to lay tiles, and choosing all the products, from big important stuff like heating systems to tiny details like light switches. I don’t overstate when I say I spent hundreds of hours managing this project after work with no help whatsoever, while also having social anxiety and a burnout.

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Here’s our tiny house built on a gentle slope in the Lower Silesia. We chose a wooden structure with cellulose insulation and ecological materials. The house is 32 m2 (345 sq ft) including a mezzanine. Wooden floors and walls painted with clay paint and umber pigment on the inside, and pine boards of the facade. We went for wood+aluminium windows instead of plastic, which set us back a few months and a few thousands € on top of that. The house is fully insulated, heated and cooled with a heat pump. The main windows face south (the village) and north (the fields). There will be a living area with a fireplace, a dining area with a fully functioning kitchen, a generous bathroom with tiny pink tiles, and the upper level for sleeping and/or working, accessible by a ladder. The house was constructed in the north of Poland and delivered in 4 parts (two base part and two roof parts) on March 30th. The crew of four put it together within a few hours.

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What’s left now and will hopefully happen sometime this month is laying the roof sheets, finishing the inside walls and connecting the house to water, electricity and sewage access. We will then finally arrive at the only pleasurable step which is choosing the furniture and decorating, before the fireplace and the terrace will be installed later this year.

I am already dreaming about spending part of my summer there, reading a book on a terrace or painting on the mezzanine. About our dog getting to know local furry rascals and enjoying the vast fields with them. About sleeping directly under the roof, being held by the sound of summer rain. Soon, and the years of work will pay off.

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Looking back, knowing how much work (and money!) this project would cost me, I would just turn back and never do it. The beauty of being so oblivious is we do things we wouldn’t normally do, as the fear would paralyse us. So here I am, with my own house, and, truth to be told, I am over the moon. And also, I can't believe I did it all by myself. A self-imposed miracle.

All to say: small steps really add up and I guess that could be a lesson for all areas of life if I would still be into life lessons!

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Final note: I am open for workshop bookings for individuals, groups of friends, team events, brand launches, marketing events and whatever else comes to your mind. Let me teach you about the beauty that can be found in the natural world. Berlin but also anywhere else if your budget allows. Email: hello@kaliko.co