On Developing a Tiny Home Obsession

For most of my life, we’ve lived in less-than-large homes. Point of fact, this is the third mobile home I’ve lived in. There was a lot of apartment dwelling, once a condo, and finally a “real” house about 8 years ago. Three years ago, my parents sold the house, they bought an RV to live in, and I moved out on my own for the first time. I’ve now moved back home, with my husband and child, for simplicity’s sake.

Since smallish living is sort of in my blood, it may explain why I have grown more and more enamored with the concept of “tiny living.”

When I think of living in a 1800+ sqf. house, it makes me very nervous. Yet when I think of living in a <1000 sqf. home, I feel a sense of ease and calm.

What is it that makes me so comfortable with the idea of a tiny home?

Mostly, I love the idea of having just a little space to keep track of. Less to clean, less to decorate, fewer places for the children to find mischief, and best of all, only the space you need to feel happy and none of the wasted space.

Just think of it; moving into your new home, with its reasonably sized living area/kitchen, two bedrooms, one bath, knowing exactly where everything should go because there are only so many places.

Contrast it with this situation: the headache over whether the upstairs guest room should match the third bathroom, if the powder room downstairs is the perfect shade of green to coordinate with the formal living room, having four bedrooms and furniture for seven.

My husband and I are in the “sprout” stages of planning a homestead here in Las Vegas. It probably won’t happen for at least 5 years, and it will entail moving to the northwest part of town, an area both of us are mostly unfamiliar with.

The whole idea started with “what would it be like to live in a minimalist home, under 1000 square feet”. It would take up a significantly smaller footprint on land than your traditional home, leaving plenty of room for a large garden and small livestock (such as goats and chickens).

We were rather ecstatic at the idea!

For the past two weeks, I’ve been “shopping” for house plans online and it’s been extremely inspiring. Some are traditionally built, others are prefab.

Here are some of my favorites:
From Alchemy Architects: The Wee House – Many options and many sizes, my favorite is the split 2x design. It’s the one that I can actually envision a life in.
From Davis Studio Architecture + Design: Solar Passage – Not as small as we would like, although the ascetics are very appealing. Also, design includes a green roof and solar covered porch.
From IdeaBox: Confluence Modern – This is nearly exactly what we want.
From Ross Chapin Architect: Coho Cottage – Much more a traditional look, but I especially like the loft upstairs that could easily be converted into an art studio/workshop.

I am often on a quest to find things that are different, a little left-of-center, and in an age where we’re often upsizing, it’s refreshing to find just-the-right-size.

Resources:
Why Have a Small House? (pdf)

In Praise of TIny Living

On a Budget, Compromise Affords Indulgence

Slow Home Principles

See Also

A Tiny Home Obsession – What Are My Options?

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