tiny houses

Would you ever consider living in a tiny house? There's a whole tiny house movement happening in response to the trend of houses in the US getting bigger and more expensive (even though families are getting smaller). People live in tiny houses for a variety of reasons, but many people do it to reduce their environmental footprint, eliminating clutter, save money, live debt free, and re-connect with the world outside their front door. You can read about one family's reasons for going tiny here.

I've lived in some pretty small apartments, but I don't know if I'd actually be able to commit to a truly tiny house (we're talking 200 sq ft here). As you may know, I'm not so good with minimalism. I can certainly get behind the idea of scaling down though, especially with rent and housing prices in the Bay Area these days. Being able to build your own home for $30K and not having to worry about a rent or mortgage payment sounds pretty amazing!

Even if you're not ready for a tiny home, I think many houses could benefit from some of the creative storage solutions that people have come up with in their tiny homes. I wish more apartments had as much built-in storage as some of these. Check out those drawers built into the stairs!

This couple built a table with hydraulic legs, so it can be raised to use as a kitchen counter, or lowered for a dining table. Oh, and the sides have hidden drawers! Why doesn't IKEA sell this?

And don't forget the most fun use of lofted space: ceiling hammocks! 

Want to learn more? Watch the documentary Tiny: A Story about Living Small (its available on Netflix) and  check out more of my favorite tiny houses on my Pinterest page. Then buy your own tiny house from Tumbleweed!

[Photos from top to bottom: tiny cabin via Country Living, built-in bookcases via Jessica Helgerson, cabinet drawers via Kokopelia, adjustable table via Dwell, ceiling hammock via Tiny House Pins]