By Hayden Seder
Silver Creek High School senior Sierra Stern has spent the better part of her senior year on a senior project, building a tiny house. When The Weekly Sun interviewed the student in January, Stern said she hoped to have the house finished by the end of the school year, a deadline that is fast approaching. Named “Kintsugi” after the Japanese art of fixing broken pottery with gold lacquer, the house is an amalgamation of Stern’s newfound knowledge of architecture and design and help from the community.
Over the winter, Stern worked on Kintsugi with contractor Levi Sali of L.W. Builders LLC at his workshop in the industrial sector of Woodside. The project is close to being finished although, like any project, there have been a few snags here and there.
“It wouldn’t truly be an accomplishment if there wasn’t any struggle put into the project,” Stern said. “As of right now, the walls are fully built and we are priming/painting and waiting for a few of our other components, like roofing, to come through.”
The project relies on donations, which Stern has been securing through a gofundme website. Donations received thus far have gone into some of the most important elements, like lumber and the woodstove. But to finish the project, Stern estimates she needs about $1,000 more.
“With all the support we’ve received so far, I really hope it continues, even to the end of this project,” Stern said. “Every little bit helps, whether we’re buying a couple of screws or a central heating system, and each donation has its place in the house.”
At the end of the project, Stern plans to reward all the donors with an open house event.
In addition to monetary support, the community has donated other forms of support to Stern’s cause, like mentoring, media support, and general advice.
“I’ve received an amazing amount of support from the community, from people stopping me to talk about my project to the Valley’s news outlets being happy to talk about my project and publish stories, as well,” Stern said. “It amazes me how kind and enthusiastic everyone is about my project when I talk to them about it.”
In addition to Sali, who is the contractor on the project, Jolyon Sawrey of Vital ink Environmental Architecture has also been mentoring Stern.
That support has been instrumental in the project, particularly when Stern was faced with some of the obvious challenges of learning a new skill.
“I think it’s natural for humans to have worries that things won’t work out, but the line between success and failure is whether or not you give in to those feelings,” Stern said. “I’m working harder than I need, and although doing the bare minimum is appealing, my life won’t improve unless I put my heart and soul into some hard work to improve as much as I can. So I’ve kept going, even in anxiety-inducing periods of this project, because I promised myself I would finish this house. I’m going to keep that promise, no matter how exhausting it proves to be.”
With all the work that has gone into the project, a big question on people’s minds: Will she live in it?
“I sure am!” Stern said, enthusiastically.
While she’s not sure where the house will be put yet, the 18-year-old is ecstatic to become a homeowner at such a young age, especially of a home that she helped build.
Once the school year ends and Stern has wrapped up the chaos of her project, she will take a summer job and then, come fall, pack up to attend BSU and pursue a degree in film and television.
“I’m not sure what the future holds, but I’ll still be putting my best foot forward in hopes that I’ll make my lifelong dream of writing and directing films a reality,” Stern said. “After a project like this, what can’t I do?”
For updates on Stern’s project, follow her on instagram @kintsugitinyhouse.
To donate, visit gofundme.com/building-kintsugi-tiny-home.