August 15, 2019 1 Comment
Whilst I cope just fine without it, I do miss my wardrobe hanging space. I have plenty of space for my clothes but most of it is drawers for folded garments. My hanging space in the tiny house fits about 15 hangers. I would happily exchange a drawer of two for double the amount of hanging space.
I definitely miss the couch. Tim and I love movies, and there’s nothing like a big comfy couch to snuggle on and watch. Our couch does well with a few added pillows! Our custom couch and ottomans are super functional, whereas a big couch is a luxury.
Probably the two things I miss the most are having a mud room/entrance area and a couch. We live in the Pacific Northwest, which means that our winters are usually 5 months of straight rain. In our traditional foundation home we had a mudroom, and until our first winter in our tiny house I didn’t realize how much we relied on that mudroom to hang up our wet clothes, wipe down the wet dog, have a place to store muddy boots, etc.
We’ve had to work pretty hard to come up with innovative solutions to keep our house from getting soaking wet in the winter. Having a designated room was so much easier!
The only other thing I really miss is having a big comfy couch. We have a bench in our home, that definitely gets used, but really it’s only comfortable for one person. Our home does have a smaller loft with a twin bed, but it’s not as easy to access as our larger loft, and again, is really only comfortable for one person.
So, we end up spending a lot of time in our bed watching TV, reading, eating dinner, etc. because it’s the biggest surface to lay out on. A couch is probably one of the things I miss the most!
I’ve been sitting here for 5 minutes trying to think of an answer, but I just can’t. We have absolutely everything we need here in the tiny house that we used in any “normal sized” house. We have a couch we can relax and lay down on comfortably, a “bedroom” which is our loft, a kitchen with full-sized appliances and two pretty big sized desks where we get our work done. I think what’s key is to think about what you might miss while you are designing your tiny and then just make sure those are part of the plan :]
Nap times! I like to set up nap time with a sound machine, fan, and a completely blacked out room. Which means the “wall” between the living room and Maverick are two flat sheets. They make my blackout vibe possible but don’t soundproof a thing. So, my desire to solely be present and play with Maverick when he’s awake and do chores/clean the house when he’s sleeping is unrealistic in our home. As he’s gotten older, I try to include him in the cleaning. It definitely takes longer to complete one task, but he loves the new challenge and responsibility. In the end, when he sleeps, I get me time, which every mom needs.
Todd and I both thought about this question for several days, and we haven’t come up with an answer! We did the normal house thing—including the costs of DIY repairs, taxes, insurance, maintenance, even a pool (time and money suck!)—and we were happy to leave our big (ish) house behind for the simplicity of a tiny home that includes everything we want and need.
This small home has allowed us to be more mindful of our environmental impact, and because of the financial savings, we’re able to work less and travel more.
We are toasty warm with the woodstove in the winter, and we’re able to enjoy our outdoor space and fire-pit/lounge area all summer. With our pups, and this home that keeps us warm and dry, we have everything we need!
No regrets here!
September 13, 2019 45 Comments
My name is Alan—founder at Dream Big Live Tiny Co! A few years ago, I quit my consulting job to pursue a life full of adventure. After traveling around the world for a year, I sold most of my stuff and moved into an 160-sqft tiny house. Now I spend most of my time showcasing incredible people living with less in pursuit of more freedom, as well as incredible tiny houses around the world!
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