When thinking about going tiny, it’s all about priorities. For us it’s about prioritizing living simple, financial freedom, and minimizing stuff. It’s also about prioritizing comfort so that living tiny is realistic for our lifestyle.

But beyond the philosophical priorities, are all the practical ones. What matters most to us in a home?

We want our tiny house to feel..

  • Modern, Rustic, and not too sterile
  • Open and airy
  • Bright
  • Comfortable
  • Welcoming
  • Livable

 

When it comes down to it though, how do you figure out competing priorities when your square footage is so small?

We want:

  • A real, sizable kitchen
  • An actual living room, comfy for watching tv or reading a book
  • Room to grow as a family (i.e. Kids down the line) – two separate sleeping spaces
  • A washer dryer
  • Some type of dining space to eat together, entertain guests, and sit as a family once we have kids
  • A bathroom with a bit of storage but no need for a tub
  • Storage for clothing and miscellaneous hobby items
  • Stairs for our dog and future kids (plus I’m a total clutz so it seems like a good idea!)
  • Outdoor deck space for lounging, entertaining, grilling
  • Off grid except for water (composting toilet, solar)

Some would say that this list is luxurious and defeats the purpose of going tiny. For us though, tiny is about adjusting our lifestyle and also being realistic about what would really work for us.

Trying to fit all that in has made us want to pull our hair out on several occasions! For now, enjoy this sketch up (pardon my terrible sketching skills, I did this for the first time on my ipad with a new app- use your imagination!) of what we’d like the outside to look like.

 

It includes: Cedar and metal siding, shed roof, 28 ft trailer, and lots of windows. Notice the solar, vegetable garden, deck, and our pup Harley sticking his head out the front door!

Tiny house masters, if you have any tips out there for squeezing everything in and how to work on possible layouts, please feel free to share in the comments!

Stay tuned for more layout plans and tiny house dreams!