Two years after Sheree Rasmussen’s partner passed away, she decided to repurpose an artist studio he’d built into a tiny home to rent out on Airbnb.
The 70-year-old textile artist wanted to honor Clive Russell’s life and work by sharing the Red Tower with others, so she turned it into a rental property in 2018.
The couple purchased 30 acres of rural land in a small town called Castleton in Ontario, Canada, about 15 years ago, and Russell built the studio for them to work in.
“When Clive passed away I pondered over what to do with it because it is such a unique building,” Rasmussen told Insider. “I thought ‘why not rent it out?’ because it would be a beautiful way for me to share his work and land.”
Rasmussen said it mainly appeals to young people from Toronto, which is about two hours away, who want to spend a few nights seeing the stars, building a campfire, and enjoying nature.
Now she rents it out for about C$150 ($112) a night.
“The winters are very long and the landscape can be very bleak in Ontario, so the idea was to install a bright red sculpture to bring some color to it,” Sheree Rasmussen said.
The couple decided to make it 18 feet high and 100 square feet of floor space, as buildings less than 108 square feet in Ontario don’t require a permit.
There’s a sleeping area in the loft of the tower, which offers 360-degree views and room for a few chairs.
It took about a month for Russell and a friend to build the red tower. They first constructed a metal frame.
Rasmussen earns about C$3,000 ($2,250) a month renting it out and does the cleaning and maintenance herself.
In recent years Rasmussen added a large deck where guests can lounge, a screening room, an outdoor shower, and an outhouse.
There’s electricity, heat, and water. Rasmussen converted a hot tub into a plunge pool because it gets very warm in the summer, and also added a fire pit.
The building itself is quite minimalist with a red exterior made from metal sheets. The interior features cedar wood.
“During Covid, it was a godsend for people because there were so few places you could go and get away during lockdown and it’s isolated and in nature,” Rasmussen said.
The property is surrounded by woods and art installations, including a metal “forest.”
Rasmussen says couples mostly book the tiny home for one or two nights, with most coming between May and October.
The shower may be outdoors but has hot water.
“What I love about renting out the tiny home on Airbnb is having so many young couples enjoy it and I’ve seen some people get engaged here,” she said. “The property pays for me to be able to spend time with my daughter and granddaughter, who live in France.”
