At this point, I’m assuming I don’t need to educate any of you on what a tiny house is. We’ve all seen the TV shows and documentaries, and consequently wondered to ourselves if we could ever live in a tiny home… but if I’m being honest, I’ve never personally known someone who adopted a tiny lifestyle. That is, until our photographer friend Kelly Christine took the plunge.
Knowing that she’s the talented shutterbug responsible for so many of our favorite features on the blog, we knew what to expect from Kelly: something bright, well-designed, friendly. And that’s exactly what we got. Keep reading for all the thoughtful details that make up Kelly and Canaan’s 300 square foot home.
We’re loving the idea of simple living. Tell us about your tiny house.
We started building our home in mid-July of 2016 and moved in that October. Our home is 312 square feet and we currently have it parked on a beautiful piece of family property in the piney woods about 80 miles east of Dallas.
So why a tiny home, and how has it changed your lifestyle?
A few years ago we lived in a pretty big house with our roommate and had accumulated a lot of “stuff.” It made us feel a little weighed down. We started to feel that urge to downsize, not only our material possessions, but also our carbon footprint and the amount of money thrown away on rent and bills each month.
We started the downsizing process by selling a bunch of our things and moving into a 700 square foot apartment. This was a good way to test out tiny living before we went all in. We felt like we could definitely go smaller, so we did!
How would you describe your interior design style?
My husband Canaan and I are both strongly opinionated about interior design and our interior tastes have slowly evolved together. We both love bright, open, and clean spaces that still feel very cozy, warm, and eclectic. We got to design our house from the ground up and chose every little detail. It was so fun and such a learning experience.
Have you experienced any design challenges in this home?
We are still figuring out ways to make better use of our storage spaces. I’m actually really happy with our layout and the amount of cabinets and closets we have. Although, if an extra shoe cabinet magically appeared, I wouldn’t complain!
One thing that I used to do that’s impossible in a tiny home is rearrange furniture. I would get the urge to move everything around for a fresh perspective a few times a year, but now, nothing moves. Each thing is where it was designed to be. To combat these urges, I still move little things around like plants and art.
Is there anything you miss about “normal-sized” living?
Though the space is smaller than what most people are used to, you quickly adapt to living with less if you’re open to it. To us, living in a tiny house hasn’t taken away anything from our life. It has given us more freedom, less financial obligation, and a more environmentally conscious outlook.
How sustainable is your home? Do you have solar panels or a rainwater system?
No, but that would be awesome. Solar panels cost a lot and our electric bills do not. We couldn’t justify the cost right now but we would love to have them someday. We’d also love to have a rainwater system, but that can get tricky with dry Texas summers.
We can’t help but ask… how much did all of this cost?
I’m totally fine sharing this information because it’s the second most asked question I receive. Our budget was $65,000 and we stuck to it very well. We took what we had in our savings and added it to what we would spend in rent over the next 3 years and that was our magic number. Now we spend the same amount paying back our loan per month as we did paying rent. However, the house will be completely paid off within the next 3 years. Cue happy dance!
Has living in a tiny house affected your relationship?
Nothing has changed in that regard. If anything, I think my husband and I are even closer. We’ve always been best friends and very happy sharing a small space together. Both of our families and all of our friends love coming over to visit.
If you could describe this house in one word, what would it be?
Happy. That’s the first word that comes to mind. When someone new comes over they always say our home has a good energy. Our friends and their kids love coming over to hang out. We always have a good time here.
Can you share some of the sources you used when building and decorating your home?
Our house was custom built by American Tiny House. We got our couch, barstools, and media cabinet from IKEA. Our living room rug and outdoor swings are from Joss & Main. Almost everything else was thrifted or found at estate sales.
Your favorite thing about your house, go!
I really love our living room. We love watching movies together and it’s so cozy, especially at night if it’s storming. The sound of rain on our tin roof is amazing. The couch we chose has a section hidden underneath that we can pop out so we can put our feet up.
Shop Kelly’s Grand Canyon print here
And your least favorite thing?
There isn’t really anything that I don’t love about our home. It does make me a little sad to think about how we will outgrow it at some point. We won’t always live here, but I hope we will always have it nearby for guests.
Shop Kelly’s favorite candle here
What’s the next big change or addition you want to make to your home?
We’ve actually finished most of the home projects that were on our list. Since our home was custom built, then moved to this property, not much had to be done inside except decorate. Pretty much all of our projects had to do with the outside area and making it inviting. We love entertaining our friends and family so we wanted our outside space to be really fun.
Any tips or words of wisdom for someone interested in living in a tiny house?
I would advise not to jump straight in overnight. It’s easy to get caught up looking at all the cute homes online without actually picturing your daily life in a smaller space. Downsize slowly so you don’t regret your decision. We really took our time with it and I’m so glad we did. About a year and a half passed from the moment we first considered it to when we actually moved in.
Love it!
Love this!!
Your house is so beautiful, and you have a great courage to live in such a tiny home but as long as you are happy then it’s perfect for you !! For me I find my bedroom small and I have no space to bread ( wish is not ) so I couldn’t picture myself living in a tiny house, I like big spaces !! Thank you for sharing ?
https://ayeuh.wordpress.com/2017/05/03/a-day-for-caftans/
So adorable! Though I feel like my tiny one bedroom LA apartment is small enough – can’t imagine going any smaller, haha.
http://www.wonderlandsam.com
Break out the tiny teddies!
I personally do not want a small house but this is stunning!!
http://www.lifestylespiration.com
Wow, what a great post 🙂 I’ve always loved this idea, mostly I love being in cosy surroundings so, that’s why the ‘small house’ idea appealed to me – I’ve never given it too much thought though. This post has really motivated me to actually do this one day so, thank you!
Keep up the great work 🙂
Chloe @ https://girllgonerogue.blogspot.co.uk/
I loved this feature! Beautiful design!
I love everything about this! I’ve been wanting a tiny home for a while now, I just haven’t done the research to take the plunge. My 750sq ft place is too much for me and I know as a minimalist, I could do it!
I am in the middle of designing my own custom built tiny and yours has given me some great ideas to incorporate. Inspiring. Thank you.
I have lived tiny twice before, once in a 350 sq. ft coachhouse and the second time in a 200 sq. ft tiny greenhouse conversion on a foundation. Both were rentals, so when the properties sold I had to move. Since then I have lived in small one bed apartments, usually around 600 sq ft. But I don’t use a lot of the space and decided it is time to go tiny again. Now I just have to find the perfect piece of land for my vision.
Don’t have the courage for such a thing, but boy this sure is beautiful. Well done. Truly amazed at those who can not just live in a tiny house, but SHARE with someone. Wow!
Great looking house! We’re in a Tiny (240sf) on Foundation we built east of Dallas about an hour on 12 acres, by Lake Tawakoni. Would love to get a tour of your house one day. We’re designing one for our daughter that will be out of college soon. PM me on FB if you get a chance – Jay Merrett.
OMG so cute, I could totally see myself living in a tiny home! – Mimi
I love the couch! It would be a prefect solution to my son’s tiny house! May I ask what the brand is or how one might find it?
Did you build your home or used a builder? Super interested. Yours is the best use of space Ive seen. Thx for sharing!
Adorable home and people!
The only con, for me is the big TV as the couch is so close, and a small space in general.
PS.: Your cat is the best! xx
I have been looking at tiny home designs for quite a while now and this is by far the most well designed home I have seen. Due to the layout there is no wasted space and nothing feels cramped or squashed together. Well done!
I also love tiny house
How have I missed the refrigerator? Where is it?
Very good design.