Planning your Dream Yurt | Yurt Design

Buy a Yurt: How to Choose the Right One for You

August 24, 2022

Are you wanting to buy a yurt but want to make sure you’re getting the perfect one? If so, you’re in the right place. We believe there should be careful consideration taken into the kind, type, size, and more before placing an order to buy a yurt. Think about what you will be using it for, the weather it has to withstand, and more. Ready to find out which yurt could be the right fit for you?

Fabric Yurts vs. Wooden Yurts

We know that trying to buy a yurt can be a daunting task and we’re here to help. When looking for a yurt for sale, there are some important factors to consider like whether to get fabric or wood. Both styles of yurts operate under the same engineering principles of tension and compression. So, what separates them from each other? The main differences are cost, insulation, portability, and assembly.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Fabric Yurt — Highly portable and easy to disassemble. More affordable but doesn’t provide the same insulation value of a wooden yurt.

Wooden Yurt — More permanent structure much like a standard stick-built home (but it’s round!). Can be insulated with standard insulation used in conventional home. Better for extreme temperature environments.

To learn more about the differences between wooden and fabric yurts, check out our blog Wooden vs. Fabric Yurts: What You Need to Know.

Custom yurts in the snow

Yurts for Summer vs. Yurts for Winter

Summer

Maintaining a cool and comfortable living area as well as keeping out moisture can present a bit of a challenge in variable climates. Keep in mind that yurts require more energy to heat and cool compared to normal homes most of us are used to.

Nonetheless, we have folks living in our yurts in a variety of climates around the world. For those that live in hot and humid areas, we recommend: 

  1. Select multiple operable thermal pane glass windows and an operable tinted dome to maximize circulation and ventilation in your yurt. Framed-in glass windows allow you to install a window-mounted AC unit and the tinted dome provides a significant shield from the hot summer sun.
  2. Utilize dehumidifiers.
  3. Install one or more multi-directional fans in your yurt to help draw out hot air and moisture from the yurt. We offer a fan mount that connects to your compression ring, or you can install fans directly onto your roof rafters.
  4. Additionally, we have seen folks install louver vents in the floor to draw up cool air from beneath the yurt.

Winter

With our Arctic Insulation and a well-insulated subfloor, it is completely possible to live comfortably in cold climates all around the world. For those living in such climates, we recommend:

  1. Consider a secondary heat source, like a thermostat-controlled heater to supplement a wood stove.
  2. Going with a slightly smaller yurt or yurts to maximize energy and heat efficiency.
  3. Purchase a heat source that is rated for double the square footage of the yurt.
Yurt interior

Yurts For Sale: Big Sky vs. Eco Yurt

With decades of experience in yurt design and building, we have narrowed our selection down to two options — The Big Sky Yurt and Eco Yurt.

Big Sky Yurt

The Big Sky Yurt provides everything that you might need in a circular structure. Ranging from 12’ to an epic 40’, this option provides a solution for anybody wanting to buy a yurt. The Big Sky includes many high-quality features and a variety of options for customization. This is our most popular model for a reason and what we recommend most of the time.

Best used as a permanent structure, the Big Sky model is suited for areas that experience heavy snowfall and extreme weather. 

Standard Features

  • Douglas Fir and Larch lumber for roof rafters and snow/wind legs
  • Customizable roof rafters suited to the environment where your custom yurt will be located
  • 3/8” heavy-duty tension cable made of galvanized steel
  • Insulated fiberglass doors
  • Door awning and rain diverters in entry
  • Starfire 5-year wall fabric and ProShield 8-year roof fabric
  • Removable vinyl windows with bug screens and storm flaps
  • Fixed clear dome on roof

Learn About Our Big Sky Yurt

Eco Yurt

On the other hand, our Eco Yurt provides an option for those who want to buy a yurt that’s affordable and solution-driven. A handcrafted masterpiece up to 30′, the Eco Yurt is a great choice for those who want an environmentally-friendly yurt for a temporary or permanent structure in the right place.

Standard Features

  • Lodgepole Pine roof rafters and snow/wind legs
  • Non-toxic food grade tung oil wood finish
  • Wall lattice with a finish height of 7′-2″
  • 3/8” Heavy Duty Tension cable of high-quality galvanized steel
  • Insulated fiberglass door with a thermal pane window
  • Door awning and rain diverter on entryways
  • StarFire 5-year wall fabric and ProShield 8-year roof fabric
  • Removable vinyl windows with bug screens and storm flaps
  • Fixed clear dome on roof

Learn About Our Eco Yurt

Found the perfect yurt for sale and looking for a place to put it? Check out our blog on Yurt Site Selection for the best information from the experts. If you’re still looking for your dream yurt, our yurt calculator will help you start budgeting!

Planning your Dream Yurt | Yurt Design

Planning your Dream Yurt | Yurt Design

Yurt Interior Design Ideas: Decorating Small Spaces

April 13, 2020

One of the best things about purchasing a Shelter Designs yurt is that you’re buying a blank canvas, open for designing your ideal space. Shelter Designs yurts are all custom designed (by you) with door and window locations around the outside so that the yurt fits in exactly with your interior layout and exterior factors (views, parking, access, decks, etc). Whether you are going to use the yurt as a residence, guest space, office, retail space or rental unit, you get to decide how to make the most of the space and truly make it your own. While liberating for some, it can be a daunting task for others. Never fear! We are here to help with some ideas about how to design your perfect yurt interior – whether that be modern, rustic or more traditional yurt living.

While the yurt itself is an ancient structure, many of our customers want their yurt to have all of the modern conveniences and amenities of today’s world. With a little bit of creative thought (think outside the box!) a modern-day yurt can have all of these conveniences. Frame walls to create interior rooms just like you would in any building. Before covering the walls up, run electric wire and plumbing inside of these walls so that you can have lighting and plumbing in desired locations. When this is finished, you’ll have a perfect blank slate to create the space of your dreams. Without further delay, here are the top 3 yurt interior design ideas.

  1. Traditional Yurt Design
  2. Modern Yurt Interiors
  3. Rustic Yurt Design

1. Traditional Yurt Design

Designing A YurtTraditional interior design is a comfortable design style that mixes eclectic styles from historical eras. Achieving this traditional style of design into your yurt is simple, and can be achieved using the following guidelines:
Keep it simple. Traditional interior design is calm and collected, using consistent styles and matching furniture pieces that have clean lines and softly blend in with each other to create a comfortable space.

Keep colors and fabrics simple and muted, avoiding jarring combinations or statement prints. Many traditionally designed spaces have light walls and darker furnishings.

Traditional designs are typically more formal; therefore, arrange furniture on a straight axis within the room, place pieces in pairs, and center them within the room.


2. Modern Yurt Interiors

Modern yurt interiors are characterized by a fuss-free approach to form and function. Started in the late 19th century, modern interiors arose from the need to create simpler spaces in rapidly growing spaces. Therefore, they embraced the large windows and industrial elements used in these new buildings to simplify forms.

  • Keep interior and exterior walls light and airy. Choosing tones of white and grey will create an open space that remains comfortable and cozy.
  • Furniture should have clean lines and plain fabric. Avoid loud prints that will disrupt the simplicity of the space.
  • Arrange spaces with an open floor plan. Keep the living room, dining space, and kitchen open to keep the flow of the space simple to navigate.

3. Rustic Yurt Design

Rustic interior design can be used to describe a variety of different styles.

Rustic Yurt DesignsAt its core, rustic yurt interior design is characterized by natural, rough, aged, and casual elements within a space. When integrated with other interior design styles, this style becoming increasingly flexible and can speak to a wide range of individuals.

  • Emphasize natural materials by using wood, stone, burlap, and canvas. Don’t be afraid to use these materials in their raw state, rather than introducing glossy finished materials.
  • Color palettes are traditionally neutral, using warm greens, browns, grays, and cream-tones. Keep these colors as the base of your design, but feel to throw a few vivid colors in there as long as they’re still within an earth-toned world.
  • Rustic yurt interiors are cozy and create an inviting atmosphere. Center your pieces around a fireplace to shape the center of your space and remember that spaces are built to bring groups together in this design.

See More Yurt Interior Design Ideas Below!

For more information on our yurts for sale, visit our yurt kits page to build your own online and start budgeting for your yurt cost.

Planning your Dream Yurt | Yurt Design