I have been a fan of the Tiny House Movement that is sweeping the world for a couple of years now. I have, since childhood, a long history pouring over Mother Earth News issues and I strive to be more environmentally responsible. I also have a large distaste for the money and time we waste on housing and utilities when we could be using our meager resources more wisely and maybe even doing some modest travel instead of pumping all we have into keeping up even this small 1,500 square foot abode and the costs that go with. Hey, my dad and his siblings, along with my grandparents, lived in a converted bus for a while as they built their rural Washington mountain home. My grandpa never quite finished that beautiful A-frame house in the Nile Valley above Naches, Washington, but I loved that home. I always admired his inventiveness. It must be in my genes!
I have dreamed of building my own home since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I spent large chunks of free time as a child drawing houses. I took mechanical drafting in middle school and interior design courses in college. I even had my eye on an architecture degree for some time. I collected building plan magazines like crazy. That career just wasn't in the cards for various reasons. But, my dream to build lives on. I just have not been blessed with the resources it would take to do so.
Why do two people need what amounts to 750 square feet each to dwell? Huh? That isn't even counting our crap-filled garage. At this very moment we are working on our own projects in two rooms about 12 feet apart. The entire front living and kitchen portion of this house has the lights off and is not in use until morning, and that is just for a very short time. What a waste. Maybe we keep up with this place for the cats? (My sister-in-law would appreciate that! :-) )
I have started forming mental checklists in my head as I daydream about building our own efficient, beautiful TINY HOME. I gobble up the shows devoted to my Liliputian dreams. I have begun to cook solely on a nice induction burner, in the crock pot, on a griddle, and in a really efficient small convection oven. Next I will physically downsize kitchen tools, food storage, and equipment to fit in our current pantry. Will our trusty armoire work as the functional, yet beautiful, cabinetry to hold all of these goodies? Those of you that know us, know we bake a lot...and we own more than one big Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Those babies stay! ;-) It can work!
I have been tossing the idea out to D more frequently. I am pretty sure he thinks I'm joking. I was, maybe, for awhile....but I became serious very recently. This could be the answer to a reduced cost of living for our hopeful retirement in 14 years or so. This could also allow us more freedom to travel ....maybe..... and to invest in ourselves. We could have the finishes I admire in a home because the minuscule amounts of materials needed would be much more cost effective. Recycling and upcycling furniture and other household items would be rewarding and frugal. That gorgeous glass tile and harDwood floors I admire would be mine....ALL MINE!
The negative points of Tiny House dwelling weigh on my mind. I have a mental list compiled for those aspects as well. Ridiculously, at the top of that list is parting with some beloved furniture. An antique dresser, the armoire we purchased in year one of marriage, my grandparents' kitchen table and chairs, my family steamer trunk and antique Singer sewing machine. Some items could certainly live a new life in a tiny home...but some I am working on picturing in the aesthetic and layout I'm beginning to crave.
I don't feel like I have a ton of clothing...but, attempting to put it all away in one closet and one dresser has proven to be impossible. Time to pare that down as well....what to give away first??!!
I am pretty confident we could design and build such organized, ample storage that our art/craft/cooking hobbies could be accommodated. D wants to know if a Tiny House could have a big kitchen...I saw it could be nearly ALL kitchen!
I bought a fresh little sketch book this weekend and started sketching a rough exterior. That to me is not even the hard part! So much fun I have when I am sketching houses...even those on wheels! It feels like my dreams are alive again, like my brain is coming home to a place it has long since wandered from. It feels like HOPE and INSPIRATION mixed with creative juices and served up on-the-rocks.
The logical and creative arrangement of interior space is the challenge. My Pinterest board runneth over!
So...I may be posting my thoughts and findings regarding the details behind our choice....can we make it happen? Where could we park a beautiful Tiny Home? Oh....the POSSIBILITIES!!!
I have dreamed of building my own home since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I spent large chunks of free time as a child drawing houses. I took mechanical drafting in middle school and interior design courses in college. I even had my eye on an architecture degree for some time. I collected building plan magazines like crazy. That career just wasn't in the cards for various reasons. But, my dream to build lives on. I just have not been blessed with the resources it would take to do so.
Why do two people need what amounts to 750 square feet each to dwell? Huh? That isn't even counting our crap-filled garage. At this very moment we are working on our own projects in two rooms about 12 feet apart. The entire front living and kitchen portion of this house has the lights off and is not in use until morning, and that is just for a very short time. What a waste. Maybe we keep up with this place for the cats? (My sister-in-law would appreciate that! :-) )
I have started forming mental checklists in my head as I daydream about building our own efficient, beautiful TINY HOME. I gobble up the shows devoted to my Liliputian dreams. I have begun to cook solely on a nice induction burner, in the crock pot, on a griddle, and in a really efficient small convection oven. Next I will physically downsize kitchen tools, food storage, and equipment to fit in our current pantry. Will our trusty armoire work as the functional, yet beautiful, cabinetry to hold all of these goodies? Those of you that know us, know we bake a lot...and we own more than one big Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Those babies stay! ;-) It can work!
I have been tossing the idea out to D more frequently. I am pretty sure he thinks I'm joking. I was, maybe, for awhile....but I became serious very recently. This could be the answer to a reduced cost of living for our hopeful retirement in 14 years or so. This could also allow us more freedom to travel ....maybe..... and to invest in ourselves. We could have the finishes I admire in a home because the minuscule amounts of materials needed would be much more cost effective. Recycling and upcycling furniture and other household items would be rewarding and frugal. That gorgeous glass tile and harDwood floors I admire would be mine....ALL MINE!
The negative points of Tiny House dwelling weigh on my mind. I have a mental list compiled for those aspects as well. Ridiculously, at the top of that list is parting with some beloved furniture. An antique dresser, the armoire we purchased in year one of marriage, my grandparents' kitchen table and chairs, my family steamer trunk and antique Singer sewing machine. Some items could certainly live a new life in a tiny home...but some I am working on picturing in the aesthetic and layout I'm beginning to crave.
I don't feel like I have a ton of clothing...but, attempting to put it all away in one closet and one dresser has proven to be impossible. Time to pare that down as well....what to give away first??!!
I am pretty confident we could design and build such organized, ample storage that our art/craft/cooking hobbies could be accommodated. D wants to know if a Tiny House could have a big kitchen...I saw it could be nearly ALL kitchen!
I bought a fresh little sketch book this weekend and started sketching a rough exterior. That to me is not even the hard part! So much fun I have when I am sketching houses...even those on wheels! It feels like my dreams are alive again, like my brain is coming home to a place it has long since wandered from. It feels like HOPE and INSPIRATION mixed with creative juices and served up on-the-rocks.
The logical and creative arrangement of interior space is the challenge. My Pinterest board runneth over!
So...I may be posting my thoughts and findings regarding the details behind our choice....can we make it happen? Where could we park a beautiful Tiny Home? Oh....the POSSIBILITIES!!!
*** Photos from Tiny House Big Living, Tiny House Blog, and Pinterest
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