| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Ninibini |
Posted - Mar 27 2014 : 12:38:11 PM
Hi girls -
Have you heard of the Tiny Home Movement? We find it simply fascinating! SO much so that our son has chosen it as the subject of his annual research paper for school! Although this is not something we would probably commit to for various personal reasons, there certainly is a lot of wisdom behind the lifestyle that everyone can draw from. The people we have read about are just so creative with every aspect of their small living spaces!
Do you or anyone you know live in a Tiny Home? Are you involved in the Tiny Home Movement? If you would like to share any thoughts or experiences on the subject, or if you can offer any good resources for our son to draw from, we would really appreciate your insights!
Thanks so much!
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| 22 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| TinkerBelle |
Posted - Jan 27 2015 : 08:07:45 AM
I'm obsessed with tiny homes! But I don't think I could live in one full-time--I want to be able to have houseguests, loads of them. I do live with my family of four in about 1000 sq. ft. It's plenty of room, but it's not configured as well as the homes that are designed to be tiny (ours seems to be a hunting cabin that grew a few times.) Anyway...I have lots of thoughts about them, and it's often a subject on my blog: http://tinkersrefuge.com/?s=tiny+house and pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/tinkersrefuge/ Cool to meet other tiny house enthusiasts! |
| Ninibini |
Posted - Jan 14 2015 : 12:54:30 PM
Sarah! That is so cool! I'm so excited for you! Please be sure to keep us posted on your progress! I can't wait to hear all about it!
Marly - I'm sorry... I missed your post back in May. I know what you mean... I have a LOT of downsizing to do before I'd be ready for a tiny home! LOL!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| houligan19 |
Posted - Jan 14 2015 : 07:45:29 AM
I love the tiny house idea. We are about to build our own tiny house on our piece of land in the spring. We have been doing a TON of getting rid of all our "stuff" that we have collected over the years. Very freeing!
http://nepermhome.wordpress.com/ |
| Bear5 |
Posted - May 20 2014 : 3:02:04 PM
Nini: I was at the hairdresser recently and saw a Tiny Home Movement book! Really tiny homes. All I could think of is where would I put my stuff!!!!! LOL
Some are just adorable.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
| Ninibini |
Posted - May 20 2014 : 06:13:29 AM
Sherone - that's kind of what I imagined. They remind me of teepees, and I know how warm they stay warm in the winter. I always wondered about the wind cutting through, though. Guess it's all in the design, huh? And I'm totally with you - not fond of a chilly tile floor at all. I bet wood would be beautiful!
Oh, Marlee! I'd love to see those shows!!! I did see a few clips on YouTube with my son, but not entire shows. I love how creative and thoughtful people are with these homes. I've learned a lot and have received some great ideas that I can definitely incorporate into our lifestyle in a "big" home as well. I'm just always amazed at how warm and cozy these places are - they never look too restrictive. My husband, on the other hand, refers to them as fancy prison cells. Eghads. That man of mine needs work! LOL!
I don't foresee us living in a super tiny home, but downsizing considerably is definitely important, especially for retirement. Our son, on the other hand, was thinking how cool it would be to have several friends rent a small lot and live in tiny homes while off at college. They'd be a big money saver, I bet, and afford them a bit more privacy and flexibility than dorm living. And I like the idea of them having a "tiny home community" where they can all help each other and have each other's backs.
What I would personally like to have is a gypsy wagon in our back yard (we could fit it into our tiny yard), and decorate it all sweet and pretty as my own private little escape. When I was a little girl, one of my girlfriend's parents had set up a small camper out in their back woods for us as a little playhouse. We spent hours and hours of dreaming, playing, creating and planning in that wonderful little camper. It was just such a magical place to be. I would love something like that for myself as a grown up - you know, kind of a back yard glamper hideaway. I would especially love to have it to share with all the other little girls at heart - young and old - in my life! :)
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| marlee |
Posted - May 19 2014 : 3:16:59 PM
I have seen shows that people are living in these Tiny Homes it is awesome!
Marlee
God is the painter, he paints the picture. And his son builds it, for he is the Master Carpenter!
Silly Boys Trucks Are For Girls |
| sherone_13 |
Posted - May 12 2014 : 06:07:36 AM
Nini,
The wood stove works so well, it runs you out during the winter. :) We have to leave the door cracked. There is a propane heater on a thermostat in case the fire goes out. I have not lived in it for an extended time, so I don't know how much wood it would use. I would think not alot, though. It is made of a thick canvas with a weatherproof coating that stops any leakage. The only thing I would change is the flooring. It is floored with lovely tile. I would change it to hard wood. Tile is pretty cold in the mornings.
Sherone
Farmgirl Sister #1682
My Blog
www.annapearlsattic.blogspot.com
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www.etsy.com/shop/annapearlsattic
Women are angels. When someone breaks our wings, we just jump on our broomsticks and fly! We are flexible that way! |
| Ninibini |
Posted - May 09 2014 : 11:27:52 AM
Wow! I have been away too long! Thank you SO much for all the information!
Sherone! That is AWESOME!!!! Does it stay very warm in the winter? I remember when we first moved to PA we rented a small house that wasn't very well insulated. Winter was horribly cold and it was nearly impossible to keep the heat in. But I am looking at your picture of the yurt and thinking it might be very warm and cozy indeed! Do you know what the "secret" is to keeping it warm and dry in inclement weather?
I'm totally into Cobb homes now. They are wonderful, and you can do so much with them! I love that you use the earth on which you build and all natural and recycled materials to make your home! My hubby thinks I'm crazy, but I think that would be such a neat option for our retirement! :) Although, I think I love the Hobbit homes the best! There's just something about big round windows and doorways... Just happy, soft, welcoming places! Whatever we do, whatever we go, I just want to be sure there is plenty of room for family and grandkids to visit. And I want lots of character and neat little nooks and crannies where the kids can relax and discover treasure! :) The most important element of "home," after all, is your loved ones - your family!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| sherone_13 |
Posted - Apr 07 2014 : 06:17:42 AM
This is a photo of the yurt at the youth camp where my Hunky Hubbie works. Many folks are using yurts for off-grid tiny house living. This one is located at 8200 feet elevation and is heated with a wood stove. There is propane for back up heat, lights and cooking. There is a tank toilet located a short distance away. A outdoor kitchen can be used for summer use and hand made pine cabinets are located inside. The most upkeep for this yurt is shoveling the snow off the surrounding deck. In the winter, the only access is by snow mobile. This is about as off grid as you can get.
[URL=http://s219.photobucket.com/user/sherone_13/media/MISCPICS135.jpg.html] [/URL]
Sherone
Farmgirl Sister #1682
My Blog
www.annapearlsattic.blogspot.com
My Etsy
www.etsy.com/shop/annapearlsattic
Women are angels. When someone breaks our wings, we just jump on our broomsticks and fly! We are flexible that way! |
| jan49829 |
Posted - Apr 05 2014 : 5:25:49 PM
We are in the process of finding a small motorhome, approx. 24-27 feet. We plan on traveling to every state of the Untied States and do a lot of "boon docking", plus staying in campgrounds along the way, so we will be doing a lot of our cooking outdoors. Maybe after a year or two, we want to look for a small piece of land that we can park and live off grid with solar power. We plan on leaving here in October and going down south where it is warm, and go from there. Will have to get my blog up and running so friends and family can travel with us on our journey. We will need to downsize a lot, but I do plan on keeping as much craft stuff so we can sell at craft shows and flea markets on our stops.
Jan
Farmgirl Sister #3340
http://hardatworkcrafts.blogspot.com
http://Jan49829.etsy.com
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| knittingmom |
Posted - Apr 05 2014 : 3:58:05 PM
I love looking at all the tiny homes, that everything has a place.
I grew up in a tiny home (by today's standards) :). My parents own a 750 sq foot bungalow, two bedrooms, my sister and I shared a bedroom. It was a cozy perfect little home.
I think that many builders could really learn from the tiny home design. There is so much wasted space.
Farmgirl Sister #3759
"There is no foot so small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world"
"The things that matter most are not really things after all" |
| prayin granny |
Posted - Mar 28 2014 : 8:57:32 PM
I downsized from about a 1200 sf and 5 acres rural home to a suburban 900sf apt in another state that I share with my daughter.
The apt has a balcony which I do container gardening in the spring/summer. My basil has sprouted now! :)
I do have some things still in storage but I got rid of a lot and downsized.
Yes, I do miss some of the freedom and privacy of a home. But health issues and maintenance/repairs became just too much in the house.
We have great maintenance here and I am so thankful that upkeep isn't my worry now.
As for company? My daughter has an annual Christmas party here and we have had as many as 20 here at a time. We add folding chairs etc. Friends seem to enjoy themselves and it always works out ok.
Every Sun evening friends are over for dinner and tv. Usually about 6-7 and we pot luck.
It's relaxed and nice every time.
I've always loved smaller homes/apts over bigger? Just my preference.
Wouldn't mind a cute one room cabin somewhere! :)
Will try and post some pics later
Blessings,
Linda
http://grannysbirds.blogspot.com/
Country at Heart
'For I know the plans I have for you......'
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| kymomma4 |
Posted - Mar 28 2014 : 1:09:36 PM
I think there was an article in Countryside or Backwoods Home magazine about living in a tiny house. It was a cute log home off grid. I would love to go smaller even with four children. My three boys already share a room. I've come to realize bigger home means more stuff (junk). Stuff you really don't need. I've been fascinated by cob homes too. I love everything about them. I love the idea though of smaller homes.
RoDonna
Farmgirl #2361
"Blessed is the farmgirl who helps make the world a better and healthy place" ~ Me
"For she is clothed with dignity and strength and without fear of the future"-Proverbs 31:25
www.marykay.com/rcarson4 |
| princesspatches |
Posted - Mar 28 2014 : 11:24:49 AM
You will find that once the kids move on, food is not a big issue. You eat less and cook less. In turn, store less.
I do my canning outside. We prep food and fill jars inside and use a large gas boiler outside to seal, then let them set on the table outside until they are ready to be stored.
We have downsized our clothing. Everyone gets one large Rubbermaid tote for seasonal clothes and we store that in the attic of the garage. We also store seasonal decorations there.
Since hubby and I both had entire household to combine, I am still purging things year by year.
You could also build a storage shed on your property. I put a lot in Rubbermaid, so it is mice-proof. It is amazing how much space you will have after purging/downsizing.
As far as entertaining, we do most of the summertime entertaining, so we can be outside. And everyone loves that because we grill food, bonfires, run in the woods. Winter entertaining usually happens at my sisters house which is slightly bigger. But the reality is, when people gather, it just works out. Everyone just enjoys the company and coziness.
Arttie |
| sherone_13 |
Posted - Mar 28 2014 : 10:52:44 AM
We downsized from a 2400 sf house to a 1200 sf log cabin. This was about the time that our youngest was graduating from high school. Thinking that he would move out soon, we thought it was the time to get our house payments down to 10 years. This would enable us to retire with no house payment.
Our son is still at home and he's 22. Nevertheless, we have never regreted our decision. I am still in the process of getting rid of the big house hoard. I just read a book called "You Can Buy Happiness and it's Cheap" by Tammy Strobel. She has a blog at www.rowdykittens.com. It has really helped me understand the minimalist point of view and to embrace some of it's concepts. I encourage you to read it, if you are interested in this lifestyle. However, don't go buy it. :) That would defeat the minimalist purpose.....go to the library.
Sherone
Farmgirl Sister #1682
My Blog
www.annapearlsattic.blogspot.com
My Etsy
www.etsy.com/shop/annapearlsattic
Women are angels. When someone breaks our wings, we just jump on our broomsticks and fly! We are flexible that way! |
| ShabinLife |
Posted - Mar 28 2014 : 10:13:18 AM
The question of how much we really need was a huge impetus for us in our quest to downsize. We noticed one long weekend when we went to a remote Forest Service cabin how comfortably we were able to get along with only a minimum of things. As I have progressively downsized over the years from a 2700 sf house to now living in a 900 sf house, I have come to love the freedom of not having as large a space to take care of.
Reducing possessions is still a challenge. We have tried to minimize our wardrobes. I found some great information on that here:
http://www.missminimalist.com/2011/03/the-minimalist-wardrobe-aka-the-10-item-wardrobe/
I am not reduced to 10 items yet, but have all my clothes except for a few hanging shirts and two dresses in a 3x2 drawer. I've also tried to follow her concept of not buying anything that can't be used with several other items, focusing everything around one or two basic colors and adding accessories in other colors.
I bought a scanner and have been scanning tons of saved magazine articles, photos, correspondence, and all important documents, then shredding the originals except for a handful of documents that I need the originals of. This has been a huge space saver! I have kept a few of my favorite photos to have out on display.
I've minimized in the kitchen by purchasing cast iron cookware. It will never wear out (how many sets of teflon-coated pans have I gone through over the years??) and can double as baking dishes. I have replaced my plastic storage containers with Pyrex containers with lids. They can be used in freezer, microwave, oven, and refrigerator, or as regular bowls/dishes. They are definitely more expensive, but I have bought them one or two at a time when I get my groceries. I've tried to get rid of gadgets I rarely use, and those I have duplicates of. I've slowly been replacing electronic appliances with manual versions, and many times have been happily surprised with how much I like the manual versions.
As far as size of the "Shabin", my husband is 6'2". We made the front half with a vaulted ceiling (16 feet high). The rooms under the loft have standard 8' ceilings. We plan to try it out for a couple years and then decide if we want to build a larger house. We decided on two years to allow for the first years' "growing pains" which we anticipate will come with adjusting to such a small space.
Janelle |
| Ninibini |
Posted - Mar 28 2014 : 09:55:28 AM
Thank you, Nancy! I emailed you last night through MJF - did you receive it? I'm going to have to look for the PBS show online. We have been doing a lot of Google-ing, for sure! :) Hugs - Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| Nancy Gartenman |
Posted - Mar 28 2014 : 09:38:47 AM
If you Google tiny house movement lots of good stuff comes up. They even did a show on PBS about it. It really is an interesting concept. But you really have to give up a lot of stuff to reach that goal.
Nancy Jo
www.Nancy-Jo.blogspot.com |
| Ninibini |
Posted - Mar 28 2014 : 09:10:29 AM
This is awesome, girls! I'm very excited to hear more! If anyone would like to share pictures of your places, that'd be awesome!
We're planning to eventually size down considerably before retirement, and I'm taking solid note of the different things you're doing to apply them in our own lives when we downsize (which I'm hoping will be significant). We have a HUGE house, right now, and yes - Arttie, you're right - it's overwhelming and exhausting to keep up at times. I've been trying to convince my husband that it will be waaay too much for us to keep up as we get older, and stressing the importance of downsizing to something more manageable (preferably with more land so we can become much more self-sufficient!). I love my home and really want a special place for our son and his family (when he has one) to come home to, and for other family and friends to visit. I do need my space, though, and all the boys in our family (except for my husband) are well over six feet tall, so I just don't think a tiny home would work for us - a really small one, but not a shabin, like you're moving into, Janelle (I'm so excited for you, though!!!).
I hope you don't mind me asking a few questions as we go...
How do you entertain in such small spaces? I mean... I do understand there is always the outdoors in the warmer weather, but what about in winter or at the holidays? We seem to always have a house full... How do you work around that?
What about storage for seasonal clothing and other seasonal things? How do you manage that? Or is that a non-issue because you have chosen such a minimalist lifestyle? I don't require a lot of stuff, but there are things that would need to be switched out with the changes in weather.
Are any of your homes on wheels? Do you travel with your home? How often do you re-locate? I guess I'm wondering what your motivation was to have a home on wheels...
Do you own your own lot or do you rent?
I just love some of the homes we've seen online... SO diverse.
What about food storage? Do you grow most of your own food? Do you find yourself heading to the market regularly? I had seen one tiny home where the guy had mostly dehydrated veggies and grains in big quart jars lining tiny shelves along the wall. I loved how it looked, and it was such an efficient use of space! I love to dehydrate, but I love to can, too. I wonder what that would be like in a tiny home... Steamy, for sure! But I am sure I could minimize a lot of food storage this way... Interesting!
One of the things that this whole movement has had me thinking about is just how much we really "need" and "use" regularly in our home. For us, it's not nearly as much as one would think. Our biggest use of space is for entertaining. Depending upon the time of year, we're either always have a house full indoors, or our backyard is humming with company. People are always coming and going - and we love that! For us, a much smaller home would definitely be do-able, just maybe not a tiny one! :)
I think you're simply amazing for choosing this lifestyle, and would love to learn more! Thank you for your posts! This is great! Please do continue to share!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| ShabinLife |
Posted - Mar 28 2014 : 04:45:06 AM
My husband and I are planning to start living in our 'tiny house' this summer. We have been working on building it for the past year, but progress has been slow due to the fact that we've had only the two of us for most of the work, we had major flooding in our little town in Colorado, very wet weather (much needed, but mud and snow make it difficult to work safely), and between our two work schedules it is hard to find blocks of time off.
Our "Shabin" (hybrid between a shed and a cabin) is 12 x 14 ft. with a half loft, giving us a total of 168 square feet, not including the loft. You cannot stand in the loft, but can sit up in bed without hitting your head. It is large enough for a king size bed.
We have no electricity, running water, or plumbing. We will be using composting toilets, and initially harvesting rainwater and hauling in our water, plus using solar power with generator backup for the few electrical appliances we have decided to keep. We are keeping our computers (both of our jobs require computer access)and will use our mobile hotspot for internet. I am keeping my Kitchen Aid mixer and my flat iron. We are going to get a tiny 4 cubic foot refrigerator. We will use solar lamps along with kerosene or oil lamps and lights (Lehmans' Catalog has a great selection of attractive ones that can be mounted on ceiling or walls).
A lot of this is going to be learning as we go. We have never done this before, but our goal is to be completely self-sufficient, growing our own food, providing our own power through solar, and eliminating as many of our utility bills as possible. We have lived in small houses (900 sf) since 2004, starting with four children and now down to one full-time child and two who are away at school and home vacations and summers.
Janelle |
| princesspatches |
Posted - Mar 28 2014 : 03:40:26 AM
We have a family of 5 living in 1500 square foot house. No basement. When hubby and I were buying house together, we looked at larger houses with more space (then we had all 5 kids living at home). But we decided to go smaller and more efficient. And it is the perfect size. Nobody in the family feels like we are a slave to housecleaning or maintenaince. We have time, energy and money to do fun things.
With my first husband, we had a huge house, and it was exhausting. I love have a smaller home. Sometimes it is a little tight, but our kids are teens and will be leaving the nest in a few years and this house is perfect for just hubby and I. We also have 5 acres in the middle of the country, with no neighbors.
Arttie |
| prariehawk |
Posted - Mar 27 2014 : 11:52:42 PM
I once lived in a teensy tiny apartment--with three birds and a guinea pig. I had a loveseat that converted to a bed. My tiny TV was in the kitchen and I had a bookcase in the bathroom. I had an over the door hanger for coats and a small closet. My stereo sat on top of the file cabinet. It was cozy. And cheap. I had a galley kitchen with apartment sized refrigerator and stove. I put the microwave on top of the fridge. There was just enough counter space for one person to eat. I stored my dishes in a plastic tub. It was about the size of a medium RV. I liked it, until something bad happened to me and then I wanted to move. It wasn't the apartment--it was just the memory. The Japanese are great at designing efficient living spaces--they store things under the floors of their homes. I like cozy homes.
Cindy
"Vast floods can't quench love, no matter what love did/ Rivers can't drown love, no matter where love's hid"--Sinead O'Connor
"In many ways, you don't just live in the country, it lives inside you"--Ellen Eilers
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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