Need more space? Some put up a cottage in the backyard

By: Associated Press - Texarkana Gazette

• A prefabricated backyard studio under construction in Cabin Fever’s manufacturing plant. The cabin was disassembled and shipped to Alpine, Texas, where it was reassembled in the owner’s backyard.

• A prefabricated cabin is used as a backyard artist studio as shown in Pasadena, Calif. The Zip model by Cabin Fever in Miami comes flat-packed and can be assembled in just a few days.

Something small is afoot. Backyard cottages—from 800-square-foot bungalows to Lilliputian studio cabins—are springing up behind houses in many cities, some of which have changed zoning laws to accommodate them.

Often, the cottages are built for aging parents or grown child...

Published: 11/18/2012