Why I Love My Tiny House
{Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Tammy Strobel. It was originally published in Blissful Reflection: A Little Book of Letters.}
A few people have asked me why I love my little house so much. I’m sure I’ll continue adding to this list, but for now, here’s a quick response. What follows is in no particular order.
I love our neighbors. They’re warm, funny, and welcoming. I’m enjoying getting to know them better.
I love how the kittens learned to climb the loft ladder in less than 24 hours and how Elaina looks like a little sumo wrestler as she goes up toward the loft, throwing one leg over at a time, with her belly swinging below. On the other hand, Christie is a little ninja. She’s light, quick, and silent as she slinks up and down the ladder steps.
I love watching the bike commuters ride by our house every morning. Logan and I sit in the window nook and watch them zip by, all bundled up and ready to face the day.
I love how the afternoon light spills through the French doors and how the sun casts a glow onto the orange leaves, making them sparkle.
I Can Really Cook in my Tiny Kitchenette
Guest Post by Heather Neilson
We are nearing the four month mark of using our basement kitchenette while we are remodeling the upstairs kitchen/dining/family room areas. At first down sizing to such a small area seemed like an impossible task for a family of six, with a mom who LOVES to cook.
It took a couple of years kicking around a few ideas and a trip to IKEA to get inspired.
Here is a video of the installation of the Kitchenette. The cabinets and wall system were purchased at IKEA and installed by us. *note that we planned ahead and put 2X4′s in the wall wherever we knew the wall system would attach. Our home was a basement home from 1939-1944 and we just put a kitchen back where there once was one. It is a walk-out basement and with the kitchenette/living area, two bedrooms, and a bathroom it will make a cozy 700 sq. ft. apartment someday.
Sure, it was cute to look at, but I have been most surprised at how much I can do in this little gem. We eat family dinner together nearly every night and for six people that is no small task. Three of these people are ravenous teenagers. Originally, we had purchased a much smaller fridge, but decided that with all of the milk consumed in this household, a bigger (but still small) one was necessary. The far wall where the “dining area is will revert back to a small living room and the dining table for two you can see part of on the right side of the photo (the flip up kind from IKEA) Continue Reading »
Ikea and Small Space Solutions
Ikea Malaysia is posting a video series featuring their interior designers who give tips on how to squeeze every thing you need into a small space. Featured in this post are a 430 square foot apartment; a 118 square foot combo bedroom/living room and a 29 square foot bathroom that also has laundry facilities and more.
These videos are short and they demonstrate very well what can be done in a small space. The ideas could be easily applied to a tiny or small home. You can view the Ikea Malaysia Channel here and see the complete series.
Lego Style Apartment Transforms
Kirsten Dirksen from faircompanies.com just sent me a new video she produced about a transformable tiny apartment in Barcelona.
When Christian Schallert isn’t cooking, dressing, sleeping or eating, his 258 square foot apartment is an empty cube. To use a piece of furniture, he has to build it.
If Christian wants to sleep, he rolls his bed out from under the balcony, his stairs then become bedside tables and he can even swing a TV out from the wall.
When he is ready to dine, he lowers a plank from the wall, turning his flower-stand into a table support and using his stairs as a bench.
When it is time to cook, he clicks a spot on his vast wall of click-able furniture, and a spring-loaded door swings up to reveal an instant kitchen: double-burner, dishwasher, sink, countertop and microwave oven. The full-sized refrigerator and freezer click open just alongside. You really have to know what is behind door number two.
The apartment is located in Barcelona’s hip Born district, the tiny apartment is a remodeled pigeon loft. Christian (a Barcelona-based photographer) says its design was inspired by the space-saving furniture aboard boats, as well as the clean lines of a small Japanese home.
There is definately more work involved in constructing and deconstructing your dining room/kitchen/bedroom every day or meal (one of his friends has dubbed it “G.I. Joe’s flat”), Christian claims it helps keep him in shape.
In the video, Christian shows his lego-style home and invites a few friends over to cook and lunch with him in his small space.
NYC MicroStudio
My email account was very busy yesterday with many of you letting me know about this article in the New York Post. I thought I better jump on it and share it with those of you who have not had a chance to read it yet.
Zaarath and Christopher Prokop bought this 175 square foot apartment in New York City for $150,000. Seems expensive to me but I know real estate is very high in NYC.
The couple lives a not so normal life at least to my way of thinking. They store most of their clothes off site at dry cleaners and at work. They also eat out, so no cooking is done in the apartment. They share their home with two cats. Here is what Zaarath has to say:
“I’m amazed we can fit two people and two cats in there,” Zaarath said. “But it’s harmonious at this point. I have friends who say they could never live with their husbands in a place this small. It’s a good thing we like each other enough to live there.”
Read the “Cozy-crazy couple makes tight all right in the city’s tiniest studio” at the New York Post.
Photo Credit Angel Chevrestt of the New York Post
