My handsome Yankee and Max at the Tiny House Festival
Dear Sisters,
My hubby has been on a Tiny House kick lately and I’m not so sure how I feel about it!
Could YOU live in a Tiny House? Would you live in a Tiny House? Could you, would you?
Seriously, my handsome Yankee is really getting SERIOUS about this idea and I’m getting worried! I just don’t think I’m ready for that?! ( laughing out loud ) While it’s true that we already have a tiny house of sorts if you consider the fact that our beach cottage is under 400 square feet, it sits on a foundation, not a trailer with wheels. Furthermore, it’s a three season cottage built and set up for spring, summer and early fall living. Once the temperatures drop, the water is shut off and it’s closed down for winter. It’s perfect in every way for three seasons and it never has to move to another location.
The Seahorse
Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely LOVE the unlimited ways you can design a tiny house and I think it would be a super fun project. In fact, I think each of our young adult children should consider tiny house living as a home base while they navigate their 20’s getting established in careers and figure out where they want to settle down.
We’ve even tossed around the idea of having one at the back of our lot at the beach for over flow visitors. The ” kids ” are older now and with significant others potentially on the horizon, privacy and space will be an issue at some point. A self contained tiny house would be the perfect solution. We already have a name for it! It would be called The Horseshoe!
Last month the Tiny House Festival came to a town near us and after all the dreaming, reading, googling, you tubing and HGTV-ing about Tiny House Living the writing was on the wall. My mom and our daughter went too and I knew my farmgirl sisters would be up for a look see, too!
Not only were there Tiny Houses in all shapes, sizes and styles, but there were converted buses, yurts, and campers, too. Most were complete and you could go inside. Some were even actual living quarters that people had hauled to the festival to show how they really live day to day.
This Fire Station inspired Tiny House was so cleverly done but was for looking only.
This one came complete with a fire pole, a charming sleeping loft and twinkle lights.
I’m not sure if this one is functional or if it’s just used for educational purposes. No one was on hand when I walked by.
It was interesting talking to the different manufacturers of each Tiny House. They all shared a passion for tiny living and were full of info about the particulars such as where to find out about the legalities of parking a tiny home in your state, taxes on tiny homes, and most important, composting toilets. Being self contained is a luxury in a tiny house!
Some even come with porches!
My momma sitting on a milk can.
Small fixtures are key in most tiny homes. It was fun to see all the clever solutions designers had come up with.
This gypsy caravan reproduction was designed for an actress who works in historical theater.
She travels to different festivals which are held at various fairgrounds and needed a private place to change in and out of her costumes and rest in between shows. The inside is ornate and beautiful as you would expect a gypsy caravan to be!
I didn’t get a photo of the outside of this next one. It was made of metal and painted Aqua blue. The sleek modern theme was carried out on the inside as well. Nicolette thought this one felt like the inside of a grown up Barbie RV. I had to agree! Or a tricked out airplane.
These wall words say it all, don’t they?
Classic Tiny Home motto.
The interior of this one was sleek and modern with genius storage solutions. Someone was living in this one, too!
Pull out storage with washer and dryer combo!
A rain head shower and dispensers for hair and body products so you don’t have bottles cluttering up the space.
This reminds me of a bathroom on an airplane! It was slightly bigger, but not much!
Pretty towel storage and plenty of natural light streaming in.
This converted bus was one young couples first attempt at Tiny Living. They were selling it to build another one that has more head room. I guess they don’t like ducking.
Here are my thoughts about Tiny House living after attending the festival and giving it a good think.
I think I could do it, if I didn’t have to move it! I’m a farmgirl not a nomad. I need land to call my own to feed my soul and inspire my work. I would need out buildings for flower farming tools and a floral studio to teach workshops. ( I’m currently designing one for my backyard ). Ideally what I would love is about a 1200-1300 foot barn for living space that would accommodate our family gatherings as it expands with additional outbuildings, or even tiny houses! Could be a great Air BnB property for those who want to experience staying in a Tiny House.
I’m still not sold on a full time gig in a tiny house but just to prove I’m open minded and can see all the benefits let’s do the pros and cons.
Pros:
Zero mortgage ( or a very small payment if financed)
Less space to maintain
Lower costs to operate and maintain
Less material possessions to take care of
More mobility
More Freedom
Early retirement
Save money
Small carbon footprint
More time to travel or pursue a second career or hobby
Cons:
Finding a host ( if not a land owner )
Finding affordable, permanent land
Subject to monthly fees at RV parks or mobile home communities
Limited space for guests, family, pets, and hobbies.
Okay, well the pros seem to far outweigh the cons and for the right person and mindset I think it would be quite rewarding in many ways to simplify to this degree, but I’m still not sure I could do it full time! I hope you enjoyed the tour!
Could you, would you, or DO YOU, live in a tiny house?
I’d love to hear YOUR pros and cons in the comments below!
Check out these links for more Tiny House info and inspo!
Tiny House Hosting Facebook Group connects land owners with tiny house owners.
Find a Tiny House Festival near you!
To see more of these amazing Tiny Houses, here’s a video link for you!
Until our next shoreline visit~ Love where you are and the ones your with! That’s all that really matters.
Beach Blessings and much love!
Deb #1199
I thought I could, until I met my family in Branson & stayed a week in a studio unit…it felt claustrophobic after a couple of days…I live in the country & enjoy lots of windows…plus I have a hobby that I enjoy having space to use–quilting, card making, & scrap booking!
I hear that, Barb!
Have watched “Tiny House” shows on TV and although their designs are amazingly inventive I honestly could not see myself living in such a small space. I have waaaaaay too many crafts, supplies and books. I’d have to have two more pull behinds just for my “stuff”….lol… and a second tiny home for hubby. To me the biggest pros are that of reduced cost and low maintenance (both dollars and time). The biggest cons are the necessity for a completely different mindset and not near enough storage. As a getaway or vacation spot or guest accommodations I think tiny homes are great. As a year round, stumble over each other, space I simply don’t find myself leaving my 2100 sq old money pit any time soon. My congrats and best wishes to those who are adventurous enough to give it a whirl. Love to hear how it works out!
Barbara
I agree… I think what my hubby likes about them is all the clever storage solutions, because he’s somewhat of a pack rat himself! He just loves any kind of hidden storage idea. I married a funny man! As a getaway or vacation spot I think a tiny house would be a fun and charming experience, as long as the toilet is working properly. lol!
Thanks for the note, Barbara!
Adorable houses but I am not sure I could live in one.
I’m with ya, sister!
They are interesting and if it was just me, maybe. But like you I would want it in a permanent scenic spot. After living in a tiny camper for a year while building our house, I love the space in our 2,000 sq. ft. log home with big windows and high ceilings! Having a tiny house for quests, etc. would be ideal!
No
We were lucky enough to find a vintage camper in March…and for the rest of the year it was such fun for my daughter and I to “camp out” … even if we didn’t leave the backyard! I kept thinking she (we named her Maizy) is so small, at 13 feet, but so cozy and easy to keep tidy. Fun for playing in, but I don’t think I could do a tiny home permanently. While she’d be perfect for extra guests, I just think even in a tiny house I’d need a little more room to roam (and what would happen with my “packrat” tendencies?!)
I think part of what makes glamping so fun is that it’s not a full time thing. It’s something whimsical and as you say, more for play not full time living. Although, more and more people are jumping on the tiny house bandwagon so there’s something to be said for that, too.
Great post, Deb! When we first got Gidget, I wasn’t sure I could SLEEP in our little vintage camper, and then when we went camping, it was perfect! I love it. I spend a lot of time in it, and love how cozy it is. However, I am not sure I could live full time in it. I love to entertain, having friends and kids and parties to liven the house, I like things tidy (and kids need their own space). I love crafting and decorating for holidays. I love having my pets and being able to exercise indoors when the weather is not nice outside. So, my answer is…it would depend on a lot of factors. This post certainly makes you think. Fun to see what one can do with a tiny space! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole (Suburban Farmgirl)
Hi Nicole!
I’m so glad you are enjoying Gidget so much! She’s adorable and your personal touches make her feel just like home, but in a different way. Sometimes I think back to how simple our lives were in the beginning when we were renting our first apartment. We were never home on the weekends and it was so easy to just lock the door and leave the few belongings we had behind. Our lives were smaller then and it was perfect. But we’ve grown in people and belongings over 30 plus years! Not sure how we could shrink our life down to tiny house proportions. But, I do love them just not as a forever home…I better be careful… Never say never, right?
Happy Fall, Nicole!
Deb
Only if I was alone. I love tiny homes. I’m leaning toward a renovated Airstream in my retirement.
Hi Julia!
I love them too. In many ways they are like little play houses that you can design any way you please! I think that’s my favorite part about them. An Airstream would be a dream to renovate as well!
Hi Deb! Not sure how I missed your blog this month. But I sure loved reading it today! What a fun way to view some tiny houses!
So… my thoughts! We lived in a travel trailer for 2 years while building our house. And yes… it was a travel trailer without all the fun charm of a tiny house. I did, however, redo a whole lot of it trying to bring in some charm since I knew we’d be living in awhile. My thoughts are that I could NEVER live in a tiny house unless I was alone. When my husband was on a consulting job out West and I have the travel trailer to myself for a month it was perfectly lovely. I actually really enjoyed it. But for two of us it was so confining.
But with that said, I’m with you. IF I had to go that route, I’d need it to be on land where I had a studio for my space. A “She-Shed” maybe! 🙂
I will say that I love the idea of a Tiny House… just not for me at this stage in my life!
Loved your post!
Dori
Hi Dori!
That’s right.. You have lived “tiny” already while building your beautiful farmhouse on the hilltop. I love the ” idea” of it as well, but the reality is another story!
I’ll keep you posted!
Love,
Deb