Kristie Wolfe spent more than a year traveling around the U.S. with a huge potato to help promote Idaho’s potato industry. She also dreamed of turning the 28-foot-long potato into a small house. Seven years later, when the potato was no longer used, her dream came true.
Kristie changed the inside of the potato, which is made of concrete, plaster, and steel, into a bright and cozy place, even though it has no windows. She decorated it with fun things like a homemade antler chandelier over the bed and a small fridge for wine in the kitchen.
Kristie didn’t want to make the potato bigger for more room, so she used a big round grain storage bin as a bathroom. She made a large steel tub into a bathtub and set up a special sink and toilet that reuse water.
Kristie needed a permit to have guests stay at her property. The city told her she had to build a separate house and use the potato as an extra unit.
Since she already had guests booked, Kristie wanted to build the quickest and cheapest house she could. She bought plans for a simple “Walden” tiny home and built just enough to meet the city’s rules.
Kristie bought her land for $5,000. It’s a 20-minute drive to Boise and, in the winter, it’s surrounded by fields of dirt. To make things more interesting for her guests, she bought a cow named Dolly.
Dolly became more like a pet to her than her dog and became a big part of her life. Now, Kristie is making changes to her own tiny house on the property. She’s adding windows that open so Dolly can visit.
If you like the cozy feeling you get from Idaho potatoes, you’ll enjoy staying in a giant potato turned into a cozy place for two! Check it out on airbnb.com.
