Ever since I became aware of them around 2012 or 2013, my fascination with tiny houses has grown.
Something about being able to live in such a small, economical, practical, and energy-efficient abode attracted me, the same way I am attracted to small, economical, practical cars.
The show "Tiny House Nation" shown on FYI helped fan the flames of curiosity I have, to the point that my current dream house is now a tiny house.
I know it will be a big challenge to live in such a small place. The bedroom where my wife, my daughter, and I currently stay at is about the size of a (really) tiny house. For my dream house, I was thinking of a floor area of around 30 square meters, or around 322 square feet.
Based on what I have seen on television and the internet, that would be a pretty big tiny house. The difference with this dream house I want is that I don't want it to be mobile. If this dream was achieved in the Philippines I'd rather have it built on the ground with a solid foundation.
So what would my tiny dream house have?
- Two sleeping lofts. One for my wife and I, and another for my daughter and any future children. My biggest concern here is how to climb both. Do I go with one "full-size" staircase and a ladder? Or should there be two ladders? The problem with ladders is when my wife and I get older we could have problems going up to sleep.
- A sloped roof, where solar panels would be placed. This would provide additional power for the house, and maybe heat our water. Also, I never was a fan of the gabled roofs commonly seen in Tiny House Nation.
- The kitchen would have at least two burners or induction stoves, an oven, a good sink, a decent sized counter for prep, and a big refrigerator. Maica and I love to cook, and so we need a place where we can relax. The kitchen is that place.
- The bathroom would have a faucet-shower combo, a toilet (I don't think I can handle a composting toilet yet), and a slightly deep sink where we can wash clothes. It doesn't have to be big. I was imagining it to be around 2 meters long by 1.4 meters wide. Oh, and it should have a tabo, or dipper.
- A sofa bed. This would be in the common area, and the purpose is for guests or for Maica and I when we get older.
- A self-cleaning fish tank. The link at the previous sentence was a Kickstarter project I became aware of a few years ago, and I was impressed. We'd get a small herb garden, and we would be able to care for a pet fish as well. I wouldn't mind having a dog in the house but he/she might not fit.
These are some of the things I've thought about having for my tiny dream house. I admit I currently have no idea how to achieve this dream, but I will still keep this dream alive. And update it to whatever taste I have as of that moment.
Out.
I've long been fascinated with small and tiny houses. I don't even know what makes a house a small house and what makes a house a tiny house. What I do know is that I am fascinated by how they are designed and how people live in them. Let me explain.
I recently watched the first episode of Tiny House Nation and I was amazed at how they managed to fit a family of three into the relatively small house. It was inspiring to see how they managed to create a sleeping area for the couple's child and include a loft play area above it. It just showed me what you can do with a small amount of space and a lot of creativity.
I also like how efficient the designs are of small and tiny houses. Everything has a function in the house. One set of cubby holes here could also serve as a stepladder to get to higher cabinets. Or a wall mounted board of wood folds down and transforms into a table. Or the wicker stools you sit on double up as cylindrical storage baskets. There is no wasted space.
And these houses aren't just efficient in design, they are also energy efficient, requiring less amounts of energy for lighting, cooling, and heating purposes. You need less bulbs to fully light up the house, and you won't be taxing the air conditioning unit on a hot summer day since the rooms will cool down faster.
Another reason why I am fascinated with small houses is the lifestyle involved. I've noticed in the house we're living in there are three to four rooms currently being barely used. The living room / main dining room is usually empty. I use our main dining table as my laptop station and my daughter plays in the living room, but that's it. No one really uses the rooms for their purpose, and we rarely entertain guests. My old bedroom has become a temporary storage room until Martina is big enough to move in. So technically there is a huge amount of space we haven't maximized at home.
If you noticed what I wrote in the paragraph above, you'll realize we have tons of unused and unsorted stuff lying around the house, gathering dust. I'll admit I'm a hoarder, and a lot of those things are mine. In comes my theory that the bigger the house you have the more space you have to put junk in. Also, if I could have one week to sort through all my stuff and sell, donate, or throw away things I don't use I'm guessing this house will be a lot more spacious.
On a side note, the closest thing to a small or tiny house in the Philippines would be to purchase a condominium unit. Most middle class condos today average around 30 square meters for a one bedroom unit. That would be your typical tiny house, except more expensive.
Living in a small house is a big lifestyle change, and it won't work out if the person who will move is not open to change and not open to a simpler lifestyle. I honestly cannot say if I can survive in a small house, but I am willing to try if I could afford it. Perhaps that change in lifestyle and mentality will work wonders with my attitude.
Honestly I think a full kitchen, a work space for both Maica and I, a flatscreen TV with a Playstation 3 (or 4) and cable access, and internet access are the basics my family would need to live in a tiny house. I honestly wish Maica, Martina, and I could try this out. Who knows, it might even make us closer both physically and emotionally.
Out.
