The Lowe's Katrina Cottage

Have a lot you'd like to build on? You have to see the Katrina Cottage from Lowe's. I stumbled across this while researching FEMA's emergency housing - the cottages were designed by Marianne Cusato as a (much cuter and more stylish) alternative to the travel trailer that housed many who were displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It's not surprising that the design was an instant hit, and Lowe's began to market the home as a kit.

You can buy the plans and all the materials and build it yourself or with help from a contractor. (Lowe's strongly cautions that this is not a beginner project - and that there is a lot involved with building a house that is not included in the plans such as permitting and a foundation and/or pilings.)

The homes range in size from 1 bedroom, 1 bath and 308 sq ft (great as a guest house or vacation cottage) to a 5 bedrooms and 1807 sq ft. Estimated cost ranges from $34K - $198K, but will vary widely based on the size of the cottage, the materials used, and the area the home is being built in (cost of materials, labor, and permitting can be very different from one part of the country to the next.)

The designs are charming and the brightly painted examples on the website add to the appeal. See them for yourself at www.lowes.com.

Learn more about the designer and see more examples of the cottages at www.cusatocottages.com.