by Tonita Fernandez
When Slabtown Customs of Arkansas built my 8ft x 24ft $10,000 tiny house, I debated if I should go with a large (for a tiny house) covered front porch or use that space to extend the interior length and square footage. Since I am not a builder and have no intention of building my own covered deck in the future I decided to go with a covered front porch. I am happy with my choice. Have covered deck, will travel.
The interior size measures eight feet wide by eighteen feet long. The porch measures 6 feet long by 8 feet wide. A large tiny house porch gives me several options. I need to be able to change things up and move furniture around as my mood changes. Even in a tiny house I feel it is important to be able to change out furniture and décor. I could not imagine living day in and day out, year in and year out with the same stuff in the same place all the time. I would go stir crazy and be bored to death. Here is my little porch dressed and ready for the long warm days of summer. My prior post shows pictures of the porch in Feb. Yes, I change out my porch depending on the weather, holiday or my mood.
See more pictures of Tonita’s house at her blog: http://www.shabbychictinyretreat.blogspot.com/
I purchased lace panels from a thrift store for added privacy & a cozy feel
My porch will seat four people comfortably
I sat on my porch reading a book during a thunder storm last evening
Roses tied to an old wooden post welcome guests to my tiny retreat
Seating for two on one side of the front door
Comfortable seating for two more people on the other side of the porch
The sun and lace create beautiful wall patterns depending on the time of day
It is so comfy on my porch as a warm summer breeze blows through the lace
An antique French key adds mystery to my front door
A vintage lunch box works great outside to hold and protect food items
The wicker table was on the side of the road = free, a coat of white paint and she has a new life
Rusty vintage chicken feeders make wonderful planters & an old milk can provides storage and when topped with a tractor seat makes a great place to sit
My little wicker sofa was a Craig’s list find for $25.00
Adding shutters made a world of difference
A vintage ceiling tin piece sits above the top step to add interest to the porch area
Thanks for visiting my tiny front porch. It is such a fun and comfortable spot to relax, read, entertain, eat meals or just hang out with a girlfriend.
Remember, it is never too late to have a happy childhood.
Now…. go play.
OMG……I LOVE it!!! I’ll take it all, including the chickens!!! 😉
i love the house and the porch my wife will love to see this.
Your tiny home is the picture of serenity. I adore it completely.
WELL DONE!!! Without a doubt my favorite front porch on the entire internet. I can only imagine the interior of your tiny home.
Thanks so much for the sweet compliments. There are several interior pictures posted on my blog. They are not the greatest shots because I am so low tech and just used a cheap little camera but you will get the idea of what the inside looks like.
Tonita
Very inviting porch. I love the patterns created through the lace curtains.
Wow! This is beautiful! I would love to have something like this on my tiny home someday!
Best wishes from Ontario, Canada!
Ooooohhhh! The ultimate Room of Her Own. What a fabulous job Tonita has done. If only we could peek inside at the rest. This is the stuff sweet dreams are made of!
You can peek inside through my blog site. Just scroll down or click the “tiny house” tab or click on “older posts” at the bottom of the current post. Hope the inside inspires you to have fun with your tiny house.
Thanks,
Tonita
Done up very nice, But a little too girlie, girlie for my taste..
The porch is absolutely beautiful. You have a real touch for the decorations and I love the white drapes.
I love the curtains. Lots of privacy and sunlight. Lovely place.
Couldn’t find a link to your blog and I’d love to visit. This is adorable!
It’s down at the bottom with Tonita’s name. I’ll put one up above too.
Kent,
Thanks for your wonderful blog. It is because of you and the Tiny House Blog that I was able to find the builder of my tiny home. I will never forget reading the post about “Annemarie” (the original name of my tiny home by Slabtown Customs). I saw it and said “She is mine”. And, now I have her and am a happy tiny house owner.
Tonita
I love the lace… reminds me of the lyrics of and old song by Paul Simon…
It’s a still life water color,
Of a now late afternoon,
As the sun shines through the curtained lace
And shadows wash the room.
A little piece of heaven! May I come play, too? I’ll bring my best jacks, and my elbow-length gloves.
This is going to be my 2nd favorite blog. OMG your porch is adorable. I absolutely love the shabby chic style (I add bohemian colors)to my space but do enjoy white also. Good going. Kathy fr ILLinois 🙂
What’s your first-favorite blog?
Too, too gorgeous! A very inviting and serene home. I would love one like it. Is the property you have your home on your own? I always worry about whether I would be able to permanently park one in an RV park if I could buy a tiny home. Don’t have the funds for property and all the costs associated with that process.
Thank you for sharing your secret {garden} home.
Lizzy
I’m glad you went with the porch too – what a lovely warm/cool place. You must be a decorator. I’d love to see what you’ve done inside.
Thanks Robin,
Please visit the inside of my tiny house by clicking on the link to my blog. Lots of pictures there.
Tonita
Gorgeous. Every detail is perfect!
A perfect outdoor room. You definitely didn’t lose any living space by going with the porch!
That is SO SWEET! I havent built my porch yet…that one is an inspiration!
Love the porch and the idea that just because someone chooses to live small doesn’t mean they have to give up the decor that they love. Nicely done!
Thanks for your comment LC Jack. My tiny home is an example that you do NOT have to be minimalist in order to own or live in a tiny house. There are no tiny house living rules that you have to follow. Do what makes your heart sing. Rent a storage unit if you want to and fill it with things you love so that you can change out fabrics, art, or seasonal décor. You don’t have to get rid of all your clothes or your 17 pairs of cowboy boots if you don’t want to. Get creative and march to your own drummer. Contrary to many peoples belief, you don’t have to get rid of all your “stuff”. Keep what you want and surround yourself with things that have no other purpose in life for but to bring a smile to your face, yes – even in a tiny house. Ok, there is my two cents, now everyone can scream at me. lol.
Tonita
VERY CUTE. I’m not a huge fan of lace but really really like the look on your tiny home. I’m a bit jealous!! Actually, I’m a LOT jealous!
Love the porch… but how on earth do you keep all that white clean??!!
Well, The lace panels have been hanging there for about 3 months now and they are still white. I had a talk with the chickens and 3 roosters and asked them to please not jump on my little wicker love seat. They seemed to understand and all is chicken poo free, including the porch itself.
Tonita
It just goes to show you that you don’t need a lot of space nor money to make something outstandingly special!!!
Hi Deborah,
I agree. I am a self proclaimed dumpster diva. I love to find what others would throw away and up-cycle and repurpose items. I also like to use things for different purposes other than what they were intended for. I tear apart vintage items and re make them into something else. Much of the interior is filled with free curbside stuff or garage sale items, that I added a little touch to. I love to see how creative tiny home dwellers are, and many tiny homes have inspired me over the years. Keeping what makes you smile or feel inspired is what should fill your tiny home, in my humble opinion and you don’t need a lot of money always make that happen. “Trash to treasure” is my motto.
Just went to the link at the bottom and saw the inside and now I am REALLY in love! What a fabulous place and the photography is outstanding. Kent, thank you so much for putting this on your site. It made my day!
ADORABLE!
Thanks for the post and beautiful photos. now i know where to get a tiny outbuilding for my Ozarks cabin
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful porch with us. I absolutely love it. I think those beautiful curtains would be a great way to hide mosquito netting ( I live in FL). Just such a beautiful porch. I love, love, love it.
Hi Kadee,
Thanks. I also use a lace panel as a screen door because my door swings outwards towards the porch. So the lace panel works great as a fancy screen door. You can also use lace as a window screen. I paid $3.00 for each panel and $2.00 for the valance at a thrift store. They also make a nice privacy divider in a tiny house between rooms.
Tonita
It is Adorable.
And I loved your sign off–very meaningful for me.
I love your tiny house with the pretty porch! It looks very inviting. Can I come visit sometime? I pay well with others too. I’ll even bring a goodie to eat!
Sorry that should have said PLAY not pay! lol
I love this!
sorry but yuck!!!
Thank you so very much for sharing your little house and how wonderfully decorated you did all of it.
I want one so bad but being a single retired woman I wouldn’t begin to know how to build such a sweet home….or the cost, I am sure is much to much for me.
I wish I had someone to make me one.
Best wishes.
I just noticed that you stated someone built yours for $10,000. Are they still making them for that price?
You can search this site under Slabtown Customs or use the search and look for “Annemarie tiny house” by Slabtown Customs to see the original price of actually under 10K. I think they are in the neighborhood of 18K now but you need to contact them to find out. The builder lost money when he made mine but he stuck to his original price. It was a steal for that price.
Tonita
A post that’s made a lot of people as happy with your porch as you are, Tonita! Well done!
Thanks for all the compliments on my tiny porch and house. I knew when Kent ran this post that many people here would feel it was just way too Fru Fru and feminine. This little frilly space on earth is my She-She shack, my girl cave.. no regrets.
It tickles me that so many people are able to imagine themselves sitting on my porch, reading a good book or sipping a cup of tea. I want that inviting, cozy, romantic & peaceful type of vibe going on inside my tiny house as well as the porch. I hope it inspires people to imagine, dream and create possibilities for themselves, be it in a large or tiny home. For me, a tiny house is a cozy safe haven and a place to reinvent my childhood. Living in a tiny house is like being wrapped in a hug. It is nice to know that some of the readers imagination let them hang out on my tiny porch today.
Life is precious and short. Follow your hearts desire and live where your heart can sing out loud. It is never to late to have a happy childhood.
Tonita
I went to your blog and I read on and on and on…! Now I want to be your friend and be invited over for tea!
I love how you arranged and decorated your place. It looks bright and light and happy.
Thanks for sharing!
Your post, the blog and the pictures of your tiny house totally made my day yesterday when I first saw it. I love the romantic feel of the place, as well as the fact that it really showcases your individuality. Tonita, you seem very content with life and it shows in your writing and in your home. Thank you for inspiring me, and also for showing that it doesn’t cost a lot to have your dream place. $10,000 for a slice of heaven is not bad at all!
It is a wonderful front porch! I do have one question that I just can’t get out of my mind. You said “old milk can provides storage”… What do you store in the old milk can?
Oh wow- Super Cute!Thanks for uploading so many pictures for us to enjoy- it’s really beautiful, you’ve done a great job.
Love it <3
Lovely but impractical….! White lace will keep them busy using water resources beyond eco standards to keep them white…! Hopefully they will rethink this one….!
This is simply stunning! It must be what heaven looks like. Love it!
Tonita, I’m here via my friend’s blog, Kris from Junkchiccottage. WOW! Very impressive and absolute coziness! Well done! Anita
I had been wondering how your are doing in North Carolina and thinking about you so thought I would write.
Snowy here as well in Ellensburg, WA. Your posts sound wonderful and I am very glad you are well and thriving!
I started a nonprofit to help hospice patients keep their pets and, if desired, place their pets for them so they can die with peace of mind for their pets. Ken and I had a pack to care for one anothers pets and I had Tess, as you know. It meant a great deal to me and everyone should have options to care for their pets after they are gone Best Friends Again is the name and I am trying to get the webpage going. I did get the nonprofit licensing in place.
Keep in touch and drop me a message when you get a chance. Take care my friend. Cris