When it came to remodeling and modernizing a tiny houseboat, Julie and Dennis Carlson raised the roof, literally.
The couple took the 1989 home, which had been built on a barge that measured just 12 feet by 46 feet, and raised the roof over the main floor to include windows on all four sides. The result has allowed light to flood into the home.
The Carlson houseboat is one of 12 featured on the upcoming Floating Homes Tour sponsored by the Floating Homes Association, a non-profit group. The tour serves not only as a major fund raiser for the organization and other charitable groups, but also spotlight the floating home community and lifestyle.
The Carlsons use their floating home as a weekend getaway for the family, which includes two sons. By raising the roof over the kitchen, dining and living rooms, the couple were able to increase the living space while accentuating the views of Strawberry Point and Belvedere Peninsula off the deck.
The lower level has a master bedroom on the water side, and a second bedroom for their sons on the dock side. In between the rooms is a single bath and a utility closet with a washer and dryer. The walls of the bathroom wouldn’t accommodate shelves, towel racks or hooks, so Julie Carlson used pipes from the ceiling.
When entering the home, check out the metal sculpture mounted on the wall next to the front door. It belonged to Julie Carlson’s mother, but the couple never had the right place to display it — until now.
Cool Change
Address: 66 Liberty
Owners: Julie & Dennis Carlson
Square footage: 986
Number of stories: 2
Tickets: Prepaid registration is $50 per person; $55 on tour day
Time: 11 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Sept. 14
Location: Tour events are anchored at the Kappas Marina Green, 100 Gate Six Road, Sausalito, where there will be live entertainment, food and refreshments for sale, and artists and authors from the community offering their creations for sale.
Other homes
Check out the other homes featured on the tour:
- Floating on a dream
- “White Elephant” houseboat focuses on whimsy, eclectic art
- Houseboat is a salute to modern Danish art and Hawaiian wood
- 4-story ‘Dragon Boat’ houseboat will be open to visitors
- Tiny houseboat makes a big statement
- Romance is only part of this houseboat’s attraction
- Floating museum celebrates Denmark, old San Francisco and Jimmy Carter
- Landlubber transforms houseboat and himself
- Summer always in season on this Sausalito houseboat
- Colorful floating home suits a ‘pair of docs’
- Contractor takes his floating home ‘by storm’ to build his dream
