Think Small! An Introduction to Tiny House Living

Dean Deschain

©2014 Dean Deschain

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 – Big Benefits of a Smaller House

Chapter 2 – Different Types of Tiny Houses

Chapter 3 – How to Eliminate Clutter

Chapter 4 – Design Tricks to Maximize Space 

Chapter 5 – Mini Gardening

Conclusion

Check Out My Other Books

Photo Credits

Copyright 2014 by Rach Helson LLC- All rights reserved. Copyright 2014 By Nom De Plume

Introduction

I want to thank you and congratulate you for downloading the book, “Think Small: An Introduction to Tiny House Living”.

This book contains proven steps and strategies on how to live a fun and satisfying life in a small house.

You will learn about the benefits of downsizing your dwelling place, how to remove clutter from your life, maximizing limited floor space, and some remarkable types of tiny homes that might spark your interest.

Think Small is an ideal reading material for people who want to move in tiny houses. However, those who have experienced living in such conditions are also welcome to read the pages of this book. You might encounter some useful ideas that you can use to make your environment better.

Thanks again for downloading this book, I hope you enjoy it!

-Dean 

Chapter 1 – Big Benefits of a Smaller House

What does your dream home look like?

For most people, their idea of a perfect home is that it has to be big and spacious. They usually dream of mansions filled with various amenities, and vast patches of land where they can build their swimming pool, basketball court, ranch, and garden.

Although it is not bad to dream big, these types of homes provide certain drawbacks.

First of all, large houses are not ideal if you are single, or your family is not that big. Maintaining it could also be a problem because you need to spend huge amounts of money for the energy bills and repairs. In addition, cleaning the rooms and tending your garden can be a very daunting task because you have a lot of ground to cover.

With a tiny house, you will not experience any of these problems. These miniature infrastructures offer the most ideal setup for small families who want to spend less on living costs. In addition, you will not have to waste a lot of time in cleaning and repairing your home.

And with the right amount of creativity and design techniques, you can maximize any small space to make your lives more comfortable.

If you are still feeling skeptical about moving to a tinier home, you better start reading this chapter and learn more about the big benefits of a smaller house.

1. Save a lot of money

Spending all your savings to buy a tiny house, instead of applying for a mortgage for a larger home, may seem a little bit counter intuitive. However, the advantage of this approach is that you will not have to spend a long time just to own a comfortable house. Do you really want to waste 25 years paying a huge mortgage fee for a large house? Or would you rather take a smaller and cheaper home that you can pay in just two to three years?

You can also save a lot of money in terms of energy consumption. Since you only have a tiny house, you only need to activate your vacuum cleaner for a few minutes. In addition, you only need to purchase smaller heating and cooling systems because the rooms are not that big.

2. Increased mobility

Most tiny homes are usually attached to trailer cars. This makes it easier for you and your family to move to other destinations. If there is an incoming storm, you can immediately transport to a safer location without leaving all your belongings behind. It will also be easier for the family to go on an outdoor adventure because you can save a lot of money on hotel fees.

3. You will have a simpler lifestyle

When you have a bigger house, you get easily tempted to fill it with a lot of useless junk. Most families tend to spend a lot of cash to create three fully-furnished living rooms. This can be a big waste of financial resources, especially if you do not have a lot of guests on a regular basis, or you only use one living room.

When you have a tiny home, you will not be too motivated to buy a lot of things. With a limited amount of living space, do you really want to fill it with more junk? This kind of lifestyle may not be extremely glamorous, but one can still find a sense of peace and happiness in simplicity. Living in a tiny home can be a liberating experience because you remove the clutters in your life, and just use the things that you really need.

4. You do not have to waste a lot of time in cleaning

With a tiny house, you will not feel too exhausted whenever you do a general cleaning. Since there are only a few items inside, very little dust will accumulate in your home. There is a very few ground to cover, so you only a few sweeps in order to clean your home. And now that you have a lot of free time on your hands, you can definitely do more worthwhile activities during the weekends.

5.  No Space will be wasted

One of the biggest fears that people have when moving to a smaller house is that there may not be enough storage space for their belongings. But with a little bit of creativity, you can easily fix this problem no matter how big or small your house is.

Most people tend to use only twenty percent of the things that they own. The rest of these items just sit in a corner and accumulates a lot of dust. So as much as possible, discard or donate any item that you do not usually use. For your most important belongings, you can place them in small containers.

When you are living in a tiny home, the best way to organize your personal items is to utilize any vertical space in your area. You can place shelves on top of your washing machine, or place clothing rods in your closets. Beds should also be slightly elevated so that you can place various items underneath them. You will learn more about organizing your belongings in the next chapters.

6. You can spend more money on quality items

Now that you have saved tons of cash on rent or mortgage fees, you can now spend them on quality upgrades. In a larger home, refurbishing your counter tops, or upgrading to new appliances and furniture is very difficult to do because you need to buy so much. Oftentimes, you may have to sacrifice the quality of these items just to get what you need. But now that you have a smaller space, you have the liberty to splurge on top notch furnishings because you do not need to buy a lot anyway. 

Chapter 2 – Different Types of Tiny Houses

If you are used to living in large four bedroom apartments, it is probably hard to imagine what a tiny house looks like. You might think that these types of dwelling places only have a single bedroom, no bathroom, and very limited space in the living room. However, a lot of people have become very innovative with the design of their home.

The house may look small on the outside, but once you enter the establishment, you will be delighted to discover how spacious it is inside. In addition, these tiny homes do not look super cheap. Thanks to the combination of minimalist interior design and select home furnishings with top notch quality, your tiny house will look as splendid as a fancy mansion. 

To help out, here are some examples of downsized houses that you can draw inspiration from.

1. William’s Cabin

This architectural masterpiece was created by Architect Stephen Atkinson. The William’s Cabin has a very minimalist design that offers its dwellers a comfortable living experience. It has a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. What is amazing is that the William’s Cabin managed to have a living area with a wood stove.

Even though the space is small, Architect Atkinson used an open concept design with tall windows to make the living room look spacious, clean, and relaxing. In addition, this cabin also has a porch where you can hang out with your friends and family.

The Williams Minimalist Cabin

http://tinyhouseblog.com/stick-built/williams-cabin/

2. Holyoke Cabin

The Holyoke Cabin upcycled two large shipping containers and turned it into a cozy house that can fit a family of four. Even though the shipping containers may look a little bit rusty and old on the outside, its insides have a very modern vibe to it thanks to the amenities. The secret to making the cabin look gorgeous are the high windows and ceiling, stylish wooden furniture, and good use of limited indoor space.

A picture of the Holyoke Cabin can been seen here:

http://openarchitecturenetwork.org/projects/6633

3. Beach chalet

True to its name, the beach chalet is an ideal miniature rest house by the sea. With just 388 square feet of working space, the designer Nina Tolstrup was able to cram two gorgeous bedrooms, living room, dining hall, cooking area, and a bathroom.

The exterior of the chalet is made from cedar shingles while the interior walls are made from softwood. In order to protect the house during a flood, the designer placed stilts made from galvanized steel under it. The front side of the house features massive windows overlooking the sea. It has a small porch where you can sit and relax while watching the waves roll by. 

A picture of the beach chalet can be found here:

http://tinyhouseblog.com/stick-built/compact-beach-chalet/

4. Box Home

True to its name, the box home really looks like a huge and shiny metallic box on the outside. Even though it only has 205 square feet of living space, the tiny house is composed of two floors to accommodate the basic areas such as the kitchen, dining room, living room, and sleeping area.

The exterior looks very futuristic and cold because of its metal furnishings. However, the interior is lined with natural wood which gives the place a very warm and pleasant atmosphere. It has ample amount of windows to make the place look brighter.

5. Tree Houses

Before, tree houses are considered as a child’s playroom and are not fit for living. However, a lot of architects these days are experimenting with the concept of a fully functional tree house. With the right design and materials, you can create sturdy tree houses that contain all of the basic amenities that you need. You can clothe their exteriors in steel to make them more resistant to various changes in your environment. The sharp geometrical designs make these dwelling places look unique and amazing. 

6. Skinny Houses

If you do not have a lot of ground to work with, you can utilize your vertical space and create a towering home. Some skinny houses can stack up to four rooms on top of each other. This makes them fully functional even though the floor area is just 2.4 meters wide. You can also use tall windows to make the tiny house stand out more. You can also use high ceilings to make up for the lack of floor space. This tiny house is ideal for single professionals or young couples who do not have any children yet.

7. Single’s house

True to its name, this dwelling place is well-designed for single people. The design is quite similar to vast billboards that are seen near highways and buildings. The design is slim and slightly elevated which makes it easier for the house to be built in unconventional areas such as lake sides. Steel and concrete reinforcements ensure that the tiny house will not easily fall off. A touch of soft wood on the exterior will make the house look cozy and comfortable to live in. It is highly recommended that you apply a minimalist design on the inside to maximize space.

8. Movable Home

Unlike trailer houses, this is a type of tiny house that can be attached to a car. It is made of wood and other light materials to make it easier for you transport it from one place to another. It has a small living area, kitchen, and dining area, and bathroom, and other vital amenities. Glass and windows will make your tiny home look cozy, comfortable and very warm. You can add small indoor plants to complement the natural wooden design of the home. 

Chapter 3 – How to Eliminate Clutter

If you want to move to a tiny house, you have to remember that you will be living in a smaller area. This means that clutter should never be tolerated. When bits and pieces of junk accumulate in one of your rooms, it will be harder to move around the house. You cannot hide all these trash in a dark corner because there is no extra space to place them.

When your living environment is too disorganized, there is a big chance that your life will become cluttered and messy as well. If you came home from a hard day of work and the first things that you will see are empty pizza boxes or disorganized pieces of dirty clothes, you will get more stressed. How can you possibly relax if every inch of your tiny home is filled with junk, right?

That is why you need to learn how to remove the clutter in your house. Living in a tiny home can only be fun if you know how to organize your things, and let go of personal belongings that are not too important. Check out these useful pieces of advice on cleaning and organizing your humble abode.

1. Keep the things that are useful

Most people find it so easy to be attached to their personal belongings. It is either because you had these things for an extremely long period of time, or because you put a lot of hard work in order to buy them. These feelings are part of human nature. But if you are aiming to downsize your belongings to make them easier to organize, you need to detach yourself from these strong feelings first.

When choosing the items to keep or discard, you need ask yourself these questions:

·       What are the most unique functions of this item? Determine the functionality of the item that you are holding. Is it an extremely rare item in your stash? Can it do multiple items? Or is it specially designed for a single purpose only?

·       Do I have any other item that can work more effectively than this one? This is the part wherein you decide between the potato peeler and the other potato peeler that has an additional cheese grater on the side. Always choose the items that can improve your life in more ways than one.

·       Does this item hold any precious memories? The first two questions are specifically designed for common appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators, and tools. But if you are holding a scrapbook full of photos, it is a different ball game. When it comes to these types of items, you need to question its sentimental value rather than its functionality.  

Ask all these questions on every piece of personal belonging that you have. Make sure that you do not rush the evaluation.

2. Take small baby steps whenever your organize

Even if you are just living in a tiny house, it will still take a couple of hours before you manage to remove any clutter in your room. Instead of doing a major cleaning marathon, try to focus on specific areas of your home every day. Create a cleaning plan and learn to stick to it.

For instance, you can schedule a cleaning time in your living room for 20 minutes every Sunday. If you still have the spare time, you can also allot 20 minutes to remove the clutter in your bedroom. Make sure that you take a break before moving on to another area.

With this technique, cleaning will not be a very daunting task. If you manage your time wisely, you will be able to enjoy your day.

3. Find alternative methods to store some of your personal belongings

These days, movies, music, photos, and other documents can easily be converted into digital files. You can scan these items and store them in cloud services, external hard drives, or a USB. You can even buy a digital photo album that displays all your saved photos.

Once you have converted all of these files, you can donate some of them to your family and friends. If you want to earn some extra cash, sell them online. A lot of rich people might be willing to pay a hefty sum of money for your collection of VHS movies.  However, feel free to keep some of the collections that you really love.

4. Throw away any expired item

Various types of food or medicine can expire if they are not consumed for a long period of time. Vitamins might lose their effectiveness, and milk might have an unpleasant taste if they linger in your containers even though they are past their due dates. In addition, they might also pose some negative effects to your health if you consume them. Make sure that you inspect these items on a regular basis. 

Chapter 4 – Design Tricks to Maximize Space 

As mentioned in the previous chapters, you can fully utilize every nook and cranny of your tiny house as long as you are crafty. With the right choice of furniture, decoration, or color, you can make a room more spacious than its original size. And if you use your vertical spaces properly, it will be easier for you to organize your personal belongings.

Utilizing the spaces of your tiny home can be easily achieved if you remove any clutter and sorted out all your items. If you manage to organize your house, you will never feel too cramped whenever you are indoors.

To get you started, here are some useful design tips that you can use to make tiny house a comfortable place to live in. 

1. Establish zones

When you look at a space in your home, think about the things that you can do there. Once you have determined the purpose of that space, establish some zones. Slight demarcations are beneficial in making a small area look larger. You can establish these zones using a curtained bed, window seats, or a well-placed table.

2. Purchase multi-purpose furniture

If you are living in a pocket-sized house, you cannot store a lot of furniture inside. That is why you need to be innovative and choose the items have multiple functions. Poufs, for instance, are little tools that can be converted into a table and a foot rest. Instead of placing a bulky coffee table in your living room, you can just use two small circular tables. They are more effective at easing the traffic in that area, and they are easy to shove around when you need to clean them.

 Since they are small, you can easily tuck them away when they are not needed. This can also be done when you purchase collapsible chairs and flipping tables.

In addition, you can purchase a sofa that has a built-in storage underneath, or a work desk that can be converted into a dining table.

3. Use Larger, but fewer pieces of furniture

This method may seem a little bit counterproductive, but fitting large items in a smaller space will actually make the area look grander. However, make sure that you do not stuff every nook and cranny with furniture. Allow some breathing space for you to move around.

4. Visual continuity builds a strong sense of serenity

Relaxing and even-toned areas can trick your eyes into believing that they are wider than they really are. 

5. Feel free to customize your household items

You can install built-in storages, nooks, or other types of accessories for your furniture. This will add more functionality to these pieces, and it is also beneficial in saving a lot of space.

6. Utilize vertical spaces to your advantage

 Place bookshelves or cabinets on the higher areas of your wall. If you want to maximize the top portion of your bed, customize it by adding a headboard where you can place books and other personal items.

7. Do not forget to fix your front yard and outdoor space

Make sure that your front yard is as welcoming and clutter-free as the interior of your tiny home. Trim your lawn on a regular basis, remove any weeds, keep the flowerbeds healthy, and remove any junk that are scattered outside.

8. Use a single color palette for each area

Using a single color palette can help unify the items in a small room and make the entire area look more spacious. You can pair a major color and its accent hue with each other. To add more depth, you can fill the extra spaces with neutral colors. For instance, you can apply navy blue in your bedroom, and then complement it using yellow accents.

9. Place some mirrors around the area

This will help create more depth in limited spaces because it can reflect light and perception. They are like additional windows that make the room more expansive than usual. You can place a mirror near the entryway, on top of the mantel, or a place where it reflects an image of a beautiful scenery. 

Chapter 5 – Mini Gardening

Just because you live in a tiny home does not mean that you cannot do some indoor gardening.

Having a little bit of greenery can do a lot of wonders to your humble abode. Small plants are beneficial in keeping your air clean because they can filter out the harmful gases in your area. They can also raise the humidity levels to make it a little bit cooler. In addition, you can also get a hefty supply of vegetables or herbs all year round. This means that you can eat fresher and healthier meals every day.

That’s right. Even though you only have a limited working space, it is possible to grow edible plants inside your home. Here are some useful pieces of advice on doing that.

Best plants that you can grow indoors

·       Lemons – If you want to harvest lemons quickly, you can purchase young dwarf trees in your local plant nursery. They are packed with Vitamin C as well as tons of antioxidants that can protect your family from harmful diseases. Water these plants regularly, but make sure that the soil is just moist and not extremely damp.

·       Oranges – This tangy fruit is replete in fiber, magnesium, and antioxidants. If you are planting them indoors, make sure that you buy the dwarf mandarins so that they can thrive in small spaces. Make sure that you place them near sunny areas so that they can absorb more nutrients.

·       Salad greens – This includes red leaf, arugula, and iceberg lettuce. They contain a lot of Vitamin A and iron. They are sold as starter plants and seedlings. Place them in planter boxes that have a built-in drainage hole below.

·       Basil – It is a very flavorful herb that contains anti-inflammatory elements. To get you started, buy a starter plant in your local nurseries. Place the basil in a pot that is 5 inches in width and contains a decent drainage hole. These plants thrive in warm areas where they can get six hours of sunlight on a daily basis.  Water them twice a day.

·       Scallions – Scallions and garlic both came from the allium family. These types of vegetables are well known for preventing cancer and defend the body against harmful free radicals. You do not need to buy seeds in order to grow them. Just get a bunch of these plants and wrap them tightly using a rubber band, Afterwards, place them in a glass container filled with one inch water. Once the roots have grown in length, transfer them to a slightly bigger pot. Make sure that they get adequate amounts of water and sunlight daily. 

·       Cilantro – This herb is replete in Vitamin A and carotenoids. You can purchase them in seed form or as starter plants. Choose a sturdy container that is 9 inches deep. It should also have good drainage underneath.

General Guidelines for Indoor Gardening

1. If you have pets at home, make sure that you place your plants in elevated areas. This is to ensure that they will not touch and destroy the plants.

2. Indoor plants need a good drainage system so that their roots will not get too soaked in water. Purchase pots that have holes in its sides. Or, you can also place some stones in the bottom portion of the container. These rocks can absorb the excess water on the soil.

3. If you cannot place these plants in sunny areas, one of the best alternatives that you can use are grow lights. These items can ensure that your greenery will absorb the adequate amounts of light that they need in order to stay healthy.

4. Do not rip off their fruits using your bare hands. The plant tissues that connect the stem and the fruit of the plant are very delicate. If you are not careful, you might destroy these tissues. In order to harvest the fruits and leaves, snip them off using a pair of garden shears.

Conclusion

Thank you again for downloading this book! 

I hope this book was able to help you to discover the wonders that are hidden in tiny homes. 

The next step is to enjoy the rest of your stay and make the most out of the experience.

Finally, if you enjoyed this book, please take the time to share your thoughts and post a review on Amazon.  It’d be greatly appreciated!

Thank you and good luck!

-Dean  

Check Out My Other Books

Below you’ll find some of my other popular books that are very popular on Amazon and Kindle as well.  Simply click on the links below to check them out.  Alternatively, you can visit my author page on Amazon to see other work done by me.

Off The Grid 101 – An Introduction to Living a Self-Sustaining Lifestyle

The Homesteading Guidebook – A Beginners Guide to Self Sufficient Living

An Introduction to Aquaponic Gardening

If the links do not work, for whatever reason, you can simply search for these titles on the Amazon website to find them.

Photo Credits

“Tiny House in a windstorm” by Tammy Strobel. (No changes were made to this photograph)

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rowdykittens/8367839709/

“Tiny Cottage” by Susanne Nilsson. (No changes were made to this photograph)

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

https://www.flickr.com/photos/infomastern/13573773374/

Movable Home “IMG_6224” by Tomas Quinones (No changes were made to this photograph)

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tomascosauce/7440329382/

“Another Skinny House” by Michael Coghlan (No changes were made to this photograph)

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecogh/2564628198/in/photostream/

“Little Piece Of Quiet” by David Bergin (No changes were made to this photograph)

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

https://www.flickr.com/photos/friend0o/8536812921/

“Tree House on Cypress, Redlands 3-2012” by Don Graham

(No changes were made to this photograph)

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

https://www.flickr.com/photos/23155134@N06/7024431865/

“Box” by Jan Tik (No changes were made to this photograph)

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jantik/6961222/

“4season lime” by pinkytoky (No changes were made to this photograph)

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

https://www.flickr.com/photos/56872312@N02/5549423547/

Inside Space “IMG_2404” by Tomas Quinones

(No changes were made to this photograph)

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tomascosauce/8125160214/

Copyright 2014 by Rach Helson LLC- All rights reserved. Copyright 2014 By Nom De Plume

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