Building the Yurt at Florence Farmstead Part 2 — Inside the Circle

Building the Yurt at Florence Farmstead

Part 2 — Inside the Circle

 

With the roof material in place and the exterior fully sealed, the final step before turning inward was installing the seven-foot dome. Once it was set, the yurt felt complete from the outside — and ready to be lived in from within. The woodstove pipe passing through the dome became both a practical necessity and a quiet threshold, marking the moment when the focus shifted almost entirely to the interior.

 

 

Framing the Interior

The bathroom was framed first, giving the open circle its initial sense of structure. Beams and posts were finished using a burnt wood technique, adding warmth and grounding the space visually. Around the same time, the stairs began to take shape. Built locally and full of history, they came from an old cabin in Lincolnville and were custom rebuilt in Belfast, Maine. Bringing reclaimed materials into the yurt felt important — not only for sustainability, but for the continuity and character they carry.

 

The Loft and Living Space

 

Once the loft was in place, flooring followed. Evenings were spent sanding and sealing the wood floors, preparing the interior for move-in. As the dust settled, we began bringing in furniture and sketching ideas for the kitchen layout. The transition from construction to inhabiting the space happened gradually, one small decision at a time.

Although the dome was installed at the end of the exterior build, it quickly became one of the defining interior features of the yurt. From the living space below, we can look up at the stars at night and watch the trees sway during the day — a constant reminder of the landscape surrounding us.

Systems That Made It Livable

 

As late summer turned toward fall, attention shifted to the systems that would make year-round living possible. With help from friends and family, the solar array was installed, bringing power online and moving us closer to full-time living. Heat followed with the installation of the woodstove — a turning point that transformed the yurt from a project into a home.

Supporting spaces came next: a mudroom, woodshed, electrical room, and well house, all built and insulated. The flat roof over the shipping containers was rubberized and sealed, with plans for barn doors to come later. By early winter, the essentials were in place — heat, hot water, propane, electricity, and snow removal — and locally milled siding was stacked and ready for installation.

Settling In

 

By the time the season began to change, the pace shifted again. After months of building, lifting, and problem-solving, we found ourselves settling into the space — learning its light, its warmth, and its quiet.

Florence Farmstead isn’t separate from our creative life. The way the light moves through the dome, the textures of wood and tools, the closeness of the forest — all of it shapes how we live and how we make art. This interior build was never about finishing quickly, but about creating a space that could hold both work and rest, attention and intention, through the seasons ahead.