The Pursuit of Living Tiny

“There are two ways to be rich: One is by acquiring much, and the other is by desiring little.”

-Jackie French Koller

I don’t remember the moment vividly, nor do I remember the thought that sparked this big change in my life. But rather, I remember it being a long process of seeing the world in a new way. Seeing the world with less stuff; Less emotional baggage, less sadness, less clothes, less material things. It began when I graduated high school and continued to where I am at now- about to graduate college with a whole slew of new things i’ve learned along the way, and a burning desire to continue learning and growing. In the past four years, I have had incredible and monumental shifts in my life that have spurred many “crazy” (that’s what people call it) ideas. Ideas such as: deciding to begin my collegiate career by studying visual art (dumb idea), purchasing (many) last minute plane tickets, road-tripping across three states to visit someone spontaneously because I missed them, making a bucket list of all the “extreme” sports that I need to attempt (sorry, mom!), dropping classes so I could visit my bff in Asia, dating people who were, uh, not the best, choosing to pursue a career in the unstable world of art/photography, attempted (key word) to train for alpine climbs, quit my job to move to East Africa for two months, and now, I am embarking on the journey of building a tiny home and living smaller than I ever have before. This will be the most exciting, ambitious, artistic, and crazy thing I have ever done, and I am STOKED about all the possibilities it will bring!! I can confidently say I have never been this passionate and excited about anything, and with those feeling in my heart, I feel nearly unstoppable**.

** Except I get that life could get messy and this might become a really inconvenient and dumb idea.

Since talking with friends and family about my new idea of living tiny, but with a big purpose, they have had an onslaught of questions and concerns. Ultimately, all the questions continue to challenge my ideas, designs, and passion behind this big ‘ol project and I love them!! I get the same questions quite often, so I thought I would answer some of them in this post. Also, this is a way for me to be accountable in getting my ideas out there and making it happen! The more I talk about it, the more passionate and stoked I get about it. So, spare with me, as I ramble about my pursuit of living tiny.

1. “Wait, what do you mean that YOU are building it”?

Yep, thats right, folks! I am going to be the main person contributing to this construction project. And yes, I know my skills only include building birdhouses in 3rd grade, so don’t remind me. I believe that there is something beautiful and human about building your own living structure, whether it is pitching a tent or constructing a tiny home. Designing my own living space gets me giddy. I get to customize it and make it MINE and because of that, I am thrilled. I get to pick out flooring, am able to nerd out over wood type, consider paint colors, and bring in my artistic ~flare~ to the project. Think: rustic cabin meets modern apartment. Lots of white + dark wood, clean lines, and hella maps. While I have a lot of learning to do, I am also soliciting the help from my step-dad who has built many things in his day, as well as my dad who is a self-proclaimed expert at interior decorating/design. Although we will be doing the large chunk of the work, I will be hiring a plumber as well as an electrician to do the technical work. It is also imperative that I do most of the work, because I have to keep costs lowwwww. Another way to combat costs, I have decided to build my tiny home out of recycled and reclaimed material that I will be salvaging and collecting for over a year before production begins.

2. “What do you mean when you say your tiny home will be made out of recycled materials??”

Solid question. Essentially, I will be collecting salvaged material from places such as Earthwise Salvage in Tacoma & Seattle, Habitat for Humanity ReStore’s, Craigslist, and so on. I want to make it a point to use recycled material, because it will lessen my footprint on this earth, which is already huge!! If I have to seek out all new materials, I will be going against the principle of building a tiny off-the-grid home. However, some materials will have to be purchased new! So far, I plan to buy my framing lumber new, as well as the trailer that my tiny home will be built on. I have attempted to find used trailers, but since this will be the foundation of my tiny home, I want it to be extra reliable and safe. I have located an awesome business out of Portland, OR, who specializes in tiny home trailers which is excellent!! Makes sense, yeah? In regards to appliances (oven, stove, fridge, toilet, etc) I intend to search out products that are gently used. But, if I must buy new, I will look for products that are made out of recycled materials.

I will also be trying my hand at wodworking (something I have absolutely no experience in) and building shelving, storage containers, a couch, etc.

3. “Why do you want to do this? What inspired you?”

I am not sure where to even begin with this question. Because I like to challenge myself? I want a mobile cabin? I want to live in a ski town but couldn't afford a normal apartment? I want to have less financial responsibilities? I want to live with less? There are SO many reasons why I am pursuing living tiny. I suppose the most important reason is this: I have so much shit and desperately need to downsize. After returning from multiple trips abroad, I am always overwhelmed and depressed by how much useless stuff I have. During my most recent trip to East Africa, I challenged myself to live with 7 shirts, 7 skirts, like 10 pairs of underwear, and 2 pairs of shoes for two months. In reality, this is WAY more than many people around the world live with. I also tried to shower less (once or twice a week) and be more conscious about water usage. Living tiny will encourage me to get rid of most of that non-sense baggage and hold the most important things close to me. Hopefully, those will be/come: the outdoors, my family, my friends, and a simple life fueled by lots of love.

I have been inspired by friends who have gone tiny, as well as many other people I have never met. What inspires me the most is that I will be doing good for the environment and for myself. I will be leaving a smaller footprint on the planet and also be leaving a bigger place in my life to explore a trillion new places, due to less financial burdens and a sense of impermanence! My time overseas continues to inspire me to reduce, reuse, and recycle and realize that I can make do with a little amount. Since returning from Kenya, I have been on the track to “buy nothing new” and use what I have. I purchased a sewing machine to fix my torn clothes instead of going and buying new ones, made a set of guidelines to abide by, and started perusing Goodwill more often than not. Patagonia has been one of my favorite companies for years, and their Worn Wear campaign gives me the extra push to make my stuff last longer, in an effort to leave the planet a wee bit healthier.

4. “But like, how big will it actually be?”

The tiny home on wheels will be 8’.5” x 20’. It will be 170 square feet with an added 105 square feet in the loft space(s).

5. “Do you really think you can live in something that small?”

Well, I sure as hell hope so!! I am up for the challenge.

6. “How many people (or pets) are you planning on sharing your space with?”

While I am planning on being the only one occupying tiny home for awhile, I am building it as if I will eventually get married and have children someday. However, that is most likely quite far off! And if that is never my fate, then I will have extra room for all the squirrels I plan to adopt. As I was designing it, I asked myself questions such as “ Could I potentially wash a baby in this single basin sink?” and muttered “My husband better not be over 6 foot 5...”. Designing this home for me is a thrill, but considering the needs of other people has been an obstacle, thats for dang sure. It will be able to sleep 2 comfortably, 3-4 reasonably, and 5 tightly. I will *hopefully* have two lofts; one for a queen bed, one for a full size bed, and a couch that can turn into a comfy place to lay your head. As mentioned above, home to me involved the people I love. So therefore, I want my home to have the capacity to house the people I love! I love having guests and I am so stoked to open my tiny home to my pals.

7. “Where are you going to park it? What are the laws and regulations around tiny homes?”

Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is the dream as of right now. I would be happy parkin’ it in any ski town or coastal paradise. Before my granny suddenly passed away this summer, I was exploring the options of moving to Ojai, California, working at the first Patagonia store in Ventura, learning how to surf, and living a life similar to my mama when she was in her early twenties. Wherever there is snow or sun, I am sure I will be thrilled. Regulations around where I can technically park my lil’ home vary place by place. Since it is on wheels, it is considered a Recreational Vehicle and can be parked wherever an RV can be parked. I am crossing my fingers that some kind souls will let me park my home on their property, or I will park it in an RV park.

8. What will it look like?

Tiny home is in the first stage of production! I am currently in communication with a wonderful and talented friend who is an interior designer and offered to create 3D models of tiny home, so I can get a good visual. I am SO lucky to have that connection!! I have been drawing up tons of plans, measuring everything, and figuring out how to work different software to make models. After the plans are finalized, I will be seeking out assistance in retrieving blue prints. Here are some pics, yo!

Some photos / designs that I used for inspiration:

(images via Pinterest)

Do you have any further questions? If you do, ask away! I accept them all. You can even tell me im an idiot for embarking on this project! No harsh feelings.