The Tiny House

The tiny house movement is an architectural and social movement advocating for simple living. It began around 2002 when the cost of living had completely skyrocketed making people drown in debt trying to pay off mortgage loans. This had led people to live hand to mouth and work for up to 20 years paying 1/3 to 1/2 of their salary inorder to pay out debt. Previously, the idea of the bigger the house, the wealthier you seemed was highly celebrated. This was part of consumerism that encouraged aquisition of more to be more economically desirable.

Does the idea of having a bigger space warrant happiness and comfort? I dont think so.

The bigger the house, the more expensive the cost of purchase or the more expensive the cost of rent.  This leads to the need to have more things in order to fill up the space. This further leads to a higher maitanance cost and so on. 

How can we counter this? by simple living.


a) A simple lounge area

Simple to some degree can mean minimal. The essential elements in a lounge area are a seat/couch, a table/ stool and a source of entertainment e.g a T.V, sound system, book cabinet, Tablet/notebook/laptop etc. Decor pieces only improve the the look and feel of a space but are really not functional. Carefully measure the size of your space and purchase furniture that fits. Modern light form furniture may be a good option as it makes the house feel light. Having less reduces clutter and hence providing more space. An addition of an element like a house plant brings life into the lounge area. In a tiny house, options such as an inbuilt counter on the couch can reduce the need for a table.  

b) A simple bedroom

 The essentials of a bedroom are purely the bed, a bedside table, a dresser and a wardrobe. The size of bed should be dependent on the size of space. Closed cabinet furniture are always advisable in the bedroom. The reason for this is because most of the time, we do not get time to clean up after especially in the morning when we are on our way out. Closed cabinets are forgiving as one can throw everything in and quickly keep the bedroom neat. In a tiny house, storage drawers can be provided under the bed reducing the need for a wardrobe. A bedside table can also double up as storage for oils and perfure reducing the need for a dresser. 

c) A simple bathroom  

A functional bathroom requires a wash hand basin, a W.C and a shower element i.e head,arm or both all with running water. A separate spout is usefull in the bathroom as sometimes acts as the main water source when cleaning especially in a house without a laundry area. The bathroom needs to be kept simple to make it easy to clean and walk around in a tiny house.

As i was reading more about the tiny house, i came across Ana whites video on open concept modern tiny house and i thought it was brilliant. Watch the video below.

Tips learnt from Ana white :

1. Make use of vertical space.

2. Make items that can be folded away or tucked away when not in use.
3. Use furniture that is multi-use.