Simple Living and Tiny Homes

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Dawn Michelle in Decor, Minimalist Lifestyle

In a time where we are told that bigger is better and more is the way to go, there is a minimalist movement in motion believing otherwise.  I’ve been looking at tiny homes and especially modular housing for quite sometime. Tiny homes take simple living to the highest level and many look to having a smaller lifestyle for its financial bliss and stress free living.   These homes are quick to build, budget friendly, and seriously green.  Modular homes are built in a warehouse and have endless possibilities for custom designs.

My dream house is completely eco-friendly, no smaller than two bedrooms, with enough extra space for two to do yoga and of course room to dance.  I’ll never be interested in a home as small as 89 square feet although some minimalists have gone to that extreme.  A simple tiny home with modern style did catch my eye because of its minimalist design.  This home is called the Z-Glass by the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company and was designed by Jay Shafer.

The floor plan looks like this.

The Z-Glass Tumblweed is only 370 square feet, so a bit too small for my dream home with only one bedroom.  The original design is only one level, yet can also have two more rooms added in a loft style for another option.  The Z-Glass small home is an estimated $26,000 in building materials, yet would greatly increase in price with contractor assistance.  There is also a similar design to the Z-Glass in a mobile home called the Popomo which is a small 117 square feet.  Because the Popomo is a mobile home, the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company could build this home for you at about $45,000 with an added shipping rate for delivery.  The Tumbleweed Tiny House Company even offers classes and workshops on building tiny homes as well as sells construction plans for them.  In truth both of these homes would be extreme minimalist living, yet they still interests me.

Being completely free of debt by the end of this month is such a relief that I couldn’t imagine having a mortgage.  Traveling is extremely important to me, so I’d rather not have anything to weigh me down.  One of the major benefits of these tiny homes is the possibility to save up and purchase one practically mortgage free.

You would think that being mortgage free as well as the small carbon footprint of living in a modest space or using a small space for business would be of interest.  These simple homes range between 64-840 square feet.

Modular homes are a phenomenon to me that they are constructed in a warehouse and brought to the site where they are assembled if there is more than one modular structure involved.  Modular homes can be tiny homes or mixed and matched with different layouts to create a large living space.  Modular homes have unique versatility unlike any other home construction I’ve seen.

The Saturn weeHouse by Alchemy Architecture is a 12 foot wide modular studio home that was $65,000 in 2005.

The Johnson Creek weeHouse is not a tiny home yet this house gives a beautiful example of the versatility of modular homes.  This home is a three bedroom three bathroom retreat house.

Here is another view of the Johnson Creek weeHouse.

My husband was most impressed with the modular homes.  No doubt this minimalist journey is currently more of my own than something that we share.  I must say that he has greatly benefited from my anti-consumerism.  What I love most about these homes is the floor to ceiling windows and their sleek modern style with custom designs.

There are 23 small house builders listed on Small House Style.

Tumbleweed Tiny Homes

weeHouse

(Images: 1. D Sharon Pruitt, 2. & 3. Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, 4.  5. & 6. weeHouses)