Andrew M. Odom 
Just a couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough to visit Disney World in central Florida with my family. It was a magical time (would you expect any less?) that was full of childhood memories and storybook worlds. My 5-year old daughter and I spent the first day making … Read more
#Vanlife has become incredibly popular lately. In fact, just last month The New Yorker magazine wrote an article about it. Of course TNY article focused more on #vanlife as a social media phenomenon it raised an interesting point as to why the new tiny lifestyle had become so popular. It … Read more
Each year I try to create a list of tips for minimalist packing. Little changes from year to year but technology and convenience does alter the market a bit causing the list to change every so slightly. That said, the tips below may help you travel more lightly and experience … Read more
Since the first week of October 2016 I spent nearly 60 hours a week putting together the 2017 TinyHouseNC Street Festival. Designed to be what I now call a “micro-fest” the idea behind the festival was to create something very specific in its target. I wanted to highlight the dwellers, … Read more
Joshua Engberg is one-half of the duo behind Tiny House Basics. Shelly Engberg is the other. I am fortunate enough to call them both friends. (keep in mind that doesn’t mean I automatically think they are good writers!) In the summer of 2014, Joshua and Shelley started to build their … Read more
I spend a minimum of one day a week working as a mentor and consultant for a local high school as they build a tiny house based on the Elm 20 blueprint. There are two lofts: a sleeping loft and a storage loft. As they started to take shape the … Read more
If I may, let me share with you my wealth of knowledge on the traditional Mongolian yurt. They are round. They are made of a canvas material. And done. Impressive, right? I have appreciated them aesthetically for years and have even tried to reserve a couple nights in a westernized … Read more
Several years ago I was talking with a friend of mine about some sort of co-op homestead. I didn’t have many details thought out but I knew I wanted it to be a working farm, so to speak, with boarding options for those willing to labor. She immediately started talking … Read more
It has been commonly accepted that a tiny house is somewhere around 250 sq.ft. While a number of people – myself included – argue this fact regularly, the news media and a number of tiny housers themselves hold this number as gospel. But what about 6 ft. 7 in. by 3 ft. 3 in. by … Read more
The real fight is at the local level. You have to go to your local politicians and petition them; petition their rules. That has been the unsung song for some time now when it comes to legalizing tiny houses in most municipalities. So why would it be any different when it … Read more
New York State’s Tenement House Act of 1867, the first attempt to reform tenement building conditions, required that tenement buildings have one outhouse for every 20 residents. But no one enforced these regulations. Often, rather than walking all the way downstairs to the backyard, residents dumped chamber pot waste out … Read more
Let it be known that building a tiny house is absolutely not for the weak of heart. It is not for pregnant women, men with heart trouble, people under 5 foot tall, or people who are taking antidepressants or other mood enhancement drugs. Okay, so that is a bit of … Read more