Tiny Living Doesn't Even Have to be Tiny

A lot of people have very strong reactions when we tell them we live in 120 square feet.

Some people wonder how exactly we can handle that together. Some people want to know about our kitchen or our bathroom. Others simply exclaim, "I would love to go tiny, but not that tiny."

I have learned that tiny living isn't necessary about the size of your home but about how you live in it.

Okay, it might be a little bit about the size of your home. If you have a 3000+ square foot house I don't think tiny living or even small living can apply to you.

But there are many ways that tiny living can happen and it doesn't just have to be in a less-than-200 square foot home.

Tiny Living is a Philosophy. 

When you read through the blogs of people who have done this for themselves you won't see a common thread in the designs of their homes. Some people will have luxury kitchens and others will have washers and dryers. Others still might be off the grid with fewer modern amenities.


The real thread you will see tying all of these people together is a desire to live deliberately. Each tiny house builder and dweller wants to engage with their lives in a way they had not done before. It might be about finances or about building community or it might just be about adventure.

Here are some of the things that I think are important to know about the tiny house movement.

• It is primarily DIY.
• It changes your life.
• There is no one right answer.
• It isn't for everyone.

When I say DIY what I mean is that most people who live in a tiny house want some control over the building process. Not everyone will chose to build themselves but they will work with a builder who can work with them, understand their needs, and translate it into a home. Those of us who do want to build our own house do it to have the experience. For us, the building was just as important as the living and it taught us a lot about our home and ourselves. Some people build tiny buildings just for the pure joy they get from creating something. They may never even live in them.

No matter how you chose to build your tiny house, it will change your life. It gave me the opportunity to quit my job and pursue something I've always dreamed of doing. For others it gives them freedom to travel. A tiny house isn't a magic bullet, but changing the way you think is.

The tiny house movement is not a dogmatic one. Each and every tiny house built is different from all the other tiny houses, even if they are built off the same design. One person might want have a full bathtub. Some builders might want to include a staircase or a first floor bedroom. A trailer might work better for some and a foundation for others. The possibilities are literally endless. As long as it can fit in the footprint of your small home it can be done. But no one can do it for you. 

It is easy to romanticize tiny living. I love it but it isn't always easy. Most of the tiny house blogs you read will also demonstrate love for the lifestyle. If you don't love it that doesn't mean something is wrong with you. It also doesn't mean that something is wrong with tiny living. 

This lifestyle is more about the mindset than it is about the trappings. You can live small in a 1000 square foot house if you're conscious about your resources, your space planning, and the way you use your home.Tiny living doesn't even have to be tiny.