// Tiny Houses

Ever since living in NYC, I've been sort of fascinated by "Tiny Houses." My first Summer in NYC I shared a "decent" sized apartment in the East Village with 4 other girls (2 tiny bathrooms, and no living room), and then the second year I lived in Midtown in my own private room. (And "room" is a stretch!) I don't remember what I paid the first Summer, but the second year I paid $1500 a month to live in a tiny box that was maybe 12' x 8'. It had a very very small bathroom (I'd constantly bang my head on the sink) and no kitchen. Just a dorm fridge. I shared a kitchen on the top floor with the entire building... 2 microwaves, 4 stove burners, and one sink. But that was the price you paid to live right at Madison Square Park in Manhattan. 

I had never lived in a space so small before. Growing up in Tennessee, the amount of space you get for your dollar is pretty good. Granted I went to college in Franklin, one of the wealthiest towns in the South, so my dollar didn't go quite as far as it does now, but still, overall it's an affordable place to live. At least in comparison to NYC. I didn't think I could do it honestly, but I did, and I actually grew to sort of enjoy it (minus the kitchen sharing thing.) We lost our house and everything we owned right before my second move to NYC, so when I finally came back to Tennessee I was no longer afraid of space restrictions. Mike and I even looked into several studio apartments before settling on a townhouse for my last semester (and then later moving into a studio loft.) Even though these spaces were small, they had nothing on the roughly 96 square feet of living space in the city.

Now you'll see projects and people every single day who are choosing to build homes out of very tiny structures. I used to fantasize about how cool it'd be to convert a shed (with a little front porch!) into a tiny studio apartment, but this was back in high school and I wanted "my own place." haha But folks are actually making real homes for multiple people out of sheds and/or building them on lawnmower/car trailers. My brain could have never come up with some of these amazing designs... the multi-levels, the genius use of space, the portability! Living in a camper like Honeybean is one thing... but to build a functioning house? What?
The Tiny Project on The Clueless Girl's Guide
The Tiny Project on The Clueless Girl's Guide
The Tiny Project on The Clueless Girl's Guide
I came across this very project, The Tiny Project, a couple of weeks ago and I've wanted to write about it ever since. It's just so inspiring to see someone make something out of nothing... and to really do it, ya know? I've seen a lot of really amazing tiny homes, but this one is just breathtakingly beautiful! (And it looks surprisingly roomy, though that could also be the wide-angle lens they probably used to photograph it haha) It's only about 160 square feet and it fits perfectly on a flatbed trailer. Alek shares on his website the restrictions that tiny homes face when they're built on trailers... such as size restrictions. They can be no wider than 8.5 feet and no taller than 13.5 feet. But length is unlimited so many people build on a 16' or 20' trailer. My favorite feature of this tiny house is the incredible natural light let in by the 10 windows!
The Tiny Project on The Clueless Girl's Guide
The Tiny Project on The Clueless Girl's Guide
The Tiny Project on The Clueless Girl's Guide
The Tiny Project on The Clueless Girl's Guide
The Tiny Project on The Clueless Girl's Guide
The Tiny Project on The Clueless Girl's Guide
The Tiny Project on The Clueless Girl's Guide
The Tiny Project on The Clueless Girl's Guide
The Tiny Project on The Clueless Girl's Guide
The Tiny Project on The Clueless Girl's Guide
The Tiny Project on The Clueless Girl's Guide
I mean, it's pretty gorgeous right? I've fallen down the "tiny house rabbit hole" and I'm totally loving it. One of my friends is actually in the process of converting an old bread truck into a tiny home of her own. I'm so inspired and will definitely have to share her progress as she gets the project off the ground! Maybe I'll compile a list of my favorite tiny homes to share, because I can't get enough of it haha! How about you?

Think you could live in such a tiny space with your partner? I'd like to think that after living in such a small space in NYC (and sharing a lot of that time with Mike when he'd come visit every ~2 weeks) that I could totally do it, but I don't know! It'd obviously be harder than it first appears, but the biggest challenge would be paring our possessions down (and you know, having a kid and 4 pets haha!) Maybe it'd be more realistic for us pre-kid and pre-pets! I'm looking forward to The Tiny Project's blog post about how/where to park when they're towing it on the road. We have experience with RV and caravan parking overnight, but it seems like this might pose an interesting new set of obstacles. Feel free to follow along with their journey as they set up camp in their new home. They've already been living in their tiny home full-time for over 6 weeks! I'd love to learn more about their process and the funds it took to create! (And if you're looking to build your own tiny house, TTP will have building plans up on their website soon!) Happy Wednesday! xo

PS: Thanks for all of your wonderful comments on the past 2 posts this week! I'm working to return all of them today!

30 comments:

  1. I've been really into the tiny home thing for a few years now, but I don't think I could live in one full-time. However, I see them as the PERFECT opportunity for a "second home" in a vacation spot, someplace where you could park it and use it for a weekend retreat/getaway. Maybe someplace like the Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge, etc.? Heck, I could stick one in Asheville.

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  2. My husband and I actually lived in a 150 sqft little house we built while we were working on our main house. It was no where near as nice as these little guys (we used an outdoor shower and bathroom haha), but we absolutely loved it! I know it's not for everyone but I really feel it made our relationship so much stronger. AAnd just in case here's a link to a post I made about our little home. http://littleladylittlecity.blogspot.com/2012/03/why-hello-there-again.html

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  3. Even though I'm a mid century modern fanatic, I have always been interested in alternative living solutions. It all started a bit after high school when I helped build a strawbale house.
    http://www.strawbale.com/
    When I was living in larger cities and space was at a premium, I often daydreamed about those little houses. Have you checked these guys out? They have been around for awhile.
    http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/
    These days I'm not sure I could do the small house thing. But I admit that it is a very attractive zen concept to get rid of most of my stuff and live simply in a tiny house. :)

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  4. I love it! When I was little, I used to fantasize about Miss Honey's tiny house in the woods (I was obsessed with Roald Dahl's Matilda). That said, now that I have my own place (three floors and a backyard, just for me!) and my shoes happily live in their "own room", I'm not sure if I could leave all that behind...

    www.pennyforyourshoes.com

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  5. I don't think I could LIVE in one of these - but vacation in one, most definitely! I would love to own something like this, purchase a plot of land by a lake, river, or in a beach area and park it there. (I noticed it's on wheels). I love this - it's beautiful but definitely would have to inspire a very, very minimal mindset as far as possessions. That being said, maybe in retirement. I love it though. So beautiful.

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  6. I would love to live smaller! Maybe when our children are grown! You should check out tinyhouseswoon.com. Lots of absolutely beautiful and functional tiny homes!

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  7. I love the idea too. Have you read about the photographer who sold all her belongings and lived out of camper wher family for about a year? I ran the idea past the husband but he didn't like it! haha. My goal is to find a cozy home someday, I don't need all that space, but I do love to have land!

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  8. I've seen this before and it fascinates me too! I don't' know that I could ever do it, but I think it is so cool and applaud those that can!

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  9. I could totally live in this tiny house with me and my boyfriend, but not with our toddler. I am absolutely in love with this though!

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  10. About 2 months after my husband and I started dating, he moved into a camper on the lake. I basically lived with him during the year he lived there... and it was HARD.
    After a year, we both moved into the home we live in now (and got engaged, then married) and we figured out that our front porch is literally the size of that camper.
    As sweet as that time was in the camper (it started my collection of camper kitsch), I don't want to live in a tiny space again for a loooooong time. Especially with a child on the way!

    But, we do dream of the day we retire and buy a new camper and roam the states.

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  11. I've seen some pictures before of tiny homes but never so many detailed shots of the inside. Wow, I love how they use space, every part is holding something. I love it. I would totally be into living in one, but I guess only if I lived alone, or like with just a cat. Or a small pet. I'd love to just hang out in there... I mean I live in a small 2 bedroom apartment so I'm close..lol

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  12. Oh wow - that is absolutely adorable! I'm from Tokyo so I'm used to smaller spaces and would LOVE to live in that little thing! So cute!

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  13. these homes are so lovely! I go to school in NYC and I'm absolutely dreading when I have to move out of my dorm and into a teeny tiny apartment, but these photos make it seem not too awful!
    Rebecca @ tr[i]b[e]cca

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  14. I love these spaces! My husband and I would sometimes think of just selling everything and building our own space like that couple from the midwest (I think). But we start thinking of how big of a lifestyle change it would be and change our mind in an instant. I adore small, well-designed spaces though! They are all so functional!

    JanLoves

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  15. I've heard about this project before and it really is so interesting. But in reality, the things we actually need in life would fit into a small trailer; everything else is just what society tells us that we need. Sometimes, downsizing might not be such a bad thing. xx

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  16. My FI and I are in the process of moving into an apartment that it less than 400 square feet. It's definitely not the smallest I've ever seen, but I don't think I could live in anything smaller with another person.

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  17. Oh these always send me off into dreamland. A family friend lived in a converted library van as well as a whole load of lorries and things, and I just adored them. My dream would be to have a converted bus. To be fair though, it may have to be an option! In the UK housing is so expensive. Houses are so much smaller anyway, and we'd be lucky to find a little 2 up, 2 down (two rooms downstairs, two rooms upstairs) terraced house for under about £150,000.... Give me the tiny living, as long as it is all my own!
    xxx

    Chambray & Curls

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  18. Exactly. Living in NYC, you realize that you need so much less that what you might have been living with before. I will be venturing back to NY in the next year or so, so this is defintely on my mind!
    Thanks for posting this!

    www.styleinterplay.com

    ..

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  19. I've always wanted to live in a smaller home. I'm not a big fan of huge homes. I think there's just too much space and honestly Rob and I don't need too much space. Maybe we'll build our own home someday!

    PS. I've been voting for you to go back to Vegas!

    www.mariedarling.com

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  20. these houses are so cute! i don't know if i could do it. i really like the idea of a tiny, cosy space, but also need a bit of freedom and space around me.
    xo, cheyenne

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  21. This is something that I've really wanted to do for such a long time! The main attraction for me was the fact that I could pay for a house in the amount of time it might take to pay off a car loan....aaaand that my bills would be cheap enough that I could afford to work a part-time job and just live my life away :) My parents have a lot of land and were going to let me set it up there and everything! But then I met my boyfriend and realized that I wanted to have a family and that we wouldn't all fit in there comfortably. It's still something that I'd like to consider in the distant future...maybe a mini-home for vacations! They're so sweet! I love the photos you've found! Tiny-home decor is so inspiring!

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  22. If it's something cute like this- yes I could live in that tiny space. Boyfriend and I sleep on a twin bed for most nights. We have a full size bed in our master bedroom.

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  23. My boyfriend and I currently live in a 1400 square foot house and we've discussed buying some land and doing a tiny house instead. I love the idea of more sustainable and cozy living.
    xx Abby a geek tragedy

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  24. Part of me thinks "Yes, I could totally do this" and then the other part is like "are you effing crazy??" LOL. Our first apartment together was fairly small and the second had another bedroom but it still felt like we were constantly stepping on each other. Now we live in a duplex (do they just call them townhouses now? That's what everyone calls it and I'm like stop trying to class up the fact we have no Southern or Eastern facing windows, lol) and we have a good sized space now that we've made the unfinished basement more homey. Yeah now that I think about it... totally couldn't do it, haha. Though at one time I stood in an RV and said the words "you could totally raise kids in here, it's so big" and my husband looked at me like I was on drugs. XD It's definitely interesting to see how someone else does it, though! Thanks for sharing! :D

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  25. Gosh, your blog has been so. spot. ON LATELY!! Seriously, every time I read a post I'm like, "Wha...? YES!!"

    I've talked about wanting to someday live in a tiny house for YEARS, and I think I'm slowly but surely convincing my boyfriend that it could be awesome! And not just because they're cute and quaint and functional and simple and... you get the point. But also the financial freedoms that can accompany them is pretty amazing, too.

    Thanks again for a perfect post!!

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  26. These tiny houses are so adorable. They make use of every inch of space. Hubby and I once lived for 3 months in our RV while building a house. It was an adventure, and really not difficult at all. Now, 25 years later, we are bogged down with STUFF, and trying to downsize to move into a smaller place. Probably not ready for a tiny house yet, but it certainly has it's appeal.

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  27. I live in a small duplex and have a lot of room considering there are 4 of us here. I love the idea of living in an RV though and being able to travel to places where the boys can just go right out to a field to play in or whatever. Where we are there is a small yard and so many houses all around (behind us and next to us) that it isn't private enough. We are grateful we are here though. I honestly don't understand the idea of having a large house unless it is to help house people in need. So yes, tiny home fascinate me.
    Wow the rent in NYC is so pricey. I thought my rent was a lot here in NJ because I know people down south who have 400 bucks less to pay for more space than we have, but $1500 a month - wow.
    +Victoria+

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  28. Jessie of Creating Happy (a fellow blogger of which I am excited about meeting soon!) is actually planning on building her tiny house with her husband once she moves from where she is at. She's currently in the process of getting rid of things she does not need and is asking fellow readers to purchase her collections off her (I am purchasing Care Bears, Smurfs, Powderpuff Girls, etc off her and will be meeting up for a girly day in the process). Jessie even has posted her floor plan for her house on her blog, just don't know which post it was about. I'm really excited for her!

    As for myself, its actually a dream of mine to move from Grand Junction, CO to Colorado Springs, CO so we can be near the city and also near Denver so we can go to more concerts/shopping/etc. Better jobs and more interaction as a city as a whole! I'd love to actually have a small house (2 bedrooms) with a decent sized fenced in back-yard so we can put a two story shed in the back. Reason for a shed? Well I dated this guy named Curry (yes, a spice and no not after it) who lived with his grandmother and dad but only in his own two story shed with the top floor as his bedroom with the downstairs as the dining area with functional practice room. I'd love to live in the shed with David with the upstairs as our bedroom with a huge wardrobe of ours on the wall, and downstairs as the fully functional practice/sound studio (my man's a musician - http://www.reverbnation.com/bundizzy - listen to My Sweet Elana if you have the chance!) with my own office and bake area for making cupcakes with lots of cat furniture for my cats Gabrielle Bonheur & Voorhees.

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  29. Here in Vancouver (Canada), or prices are pretty comparable to NY, from what I've heard. lol. But size-wise we have a bit more space...lol. Barely? My husband and I shared a one-room, 450 square foot studio apartment for years and it was always enough space for us. We managed to buy a place, but we could only afford an open-concept 650 sq foot one bedroom - and it's more than enough space for us. I actually can't even imagine being in a bigger place and not seeing him all the time...lol! But yeah, the hardest part - especially for two creative people - was to pare down our stuff to make the open-concept/open-storage thing work. It actually felt so good to donate all the junk that just sits around. :) Love small spaces!

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  30. As you pointed out, living in one of these tiny houses is no more confining than living in a NYC apartment and the advantage is you don't have a $1500 a month rent and you share your kitchen only with whoever lives with you. There is more than a few cases where I've seen families of 4 people 2 adults 2 children living in around 240 square feet of tiny house space. About 10 stories now that I've seen and in two of those cases their children were 14 and 16 so yea it's not just doable but you can thrive as well.

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HEY! Thanks for dropping by. xo KB