Clothes & Shoes and Living in a Tiny House

I don’t remember having to think so much about clothes and shoes before I moved into a tiny house. I did the annual closet purge when I ran out of hangers or shoes wouldn’t fit on the shelves. I used to think that I didn’t really shop much. I found my clothes shopping experiences were frustrating because I had to find clothes for my large size. I thought about things like: Is the top long enough to cover my stomach that I’m self-conscious about? Does it have a nice neckline? Does it cover my upper arms? Is it fitted without being too tight or baggy?

Now that I live in a tiny house, I have other things I have to think about. Can I wear it to work? Can I wear it to travel? Can I dress it up? Can I dress it down? Can I lounge in it? Does it match with anything I already have? How many different ways can I wear it? Where will I put it?

I used to have some sets of neutrals: brown, black, grey and blue jean. Last weekend I noticed that over the last year my brown neutrals are being phased out. Now you might be thinking, They’re neutral! I can wear them with anything! Technically that is true, but I don’t like wearing brown and black or brown and grey together. While it looks great on other people, I don’t think it looks good on me.

Art in Tiny Houses

When I was designing my space from my 500 sq. ft. - 12 ft. ceiling studio apartment to my 125 sq.ft. - 9 ft. ceiling cabin, I had to figure out what to do with all my art. There were several paintings that were not going to fit, one was as large as a door and the other about half the size of a door. Those large pieces of art were re-homed with the understanding that it was temporary. The others were nice size pieces about 18"x 24". However, there wasn't enough wall space to hang them ALL up at the same time.

I ended up designating three different wall spaces to artwork (paintings or photographs). The others I keep behind my couch. Then, every three months or whenever I feel the need for a change, I take the art off the wall and put up something different.

This actually turned out to be a great plan. With a tiny home, furniture and redesigning or restyling doesn't happen. Everything in the tiny house is so specific in its purpose and use, that you can't move the couch to a different spot because it will only fit in the spot it's in. However, now I'm able to use my art wall spaces to change up the mood of the place. In a small space, small changes make a big impact.

But what do you do if you forgot to incorporate wall space for artwork into you tiny house? 

I have a friend who did just that and the result is a house full of windows. While I'm sure she and her husband appreciate the constantly changing view of nature which is it's own art form, she expressed that there are times when she would like to have a painting or photograph on the wall.

Thank you eidetic memory! My friend is not the first person to have this problem and there are actually quite a few inventive solutions.

The Refrigerator & Cabinet Doors

A flat surface that people forget about because of it's utilitarian purpose is the refrigerator. Instead of kids/grandkid's artwork, grocery list or a dry erase board. Frame out the freezer portion and change out with paintings or photographs. You can also do this with kitchen or storage cabinetry. Consider using Li'l DaVinci Art Cabinets as cabinet doors instead.

The Windows

Do you really need the whole window to let in light? Insert some narrow glass shelves into the window frame and set up your art there. This is a great spot for small sculptures, clay pots, or leaning a canvas or photograph. If the windows are narrow, there are towel bars with glass shelves above that can be installed. This is a good option because the shelves provide a surface for sculptures and the pictures can be hung from the towel bar or used as a curtain rod.

The Curtain Rods

Why not just hang the art from the curtain rods and have them overlap the windows? A second sheer curtain can be draped behind to filter the light. A third curtain rod could hold the drapes which pull over the picture rod when all light needs to be blocked.

Interior Shutters & Doors

If you use interior shutters to block light or interior doors to separate rooms, consider them surfaces for hanging you art work as well. You can either leave the artwork loose as seen in the image, or frame it out and attach to the surface as suggested with the refrigerator and cabinetry.

Li'l DaVinci Art Cabinets

These art cabinets come in standard sizes and are easy to install. They make changing out images easy for Tiny House dwellers.

Li'l DaVinci Art Cabinets

Hope this helps!

Willy Wonka IKEA Tour

Cory Hagen, my IKEA soulmate!
Check out his designs at
TinyModernHomes.com

In response to a question I posted on the DFW Tiny House Enthusiasts Facebook page back back in July (see "IKEA & Tiny Houses"), Cory Hagen of TinyModernHomes.com, decided to lead a pied piper's tour through IKEA last Saturday.

Thirty-five of us bravely set out through the rain and high water to gather at IKEA. Despite our best efforts we continually blocked the aisle as we navigated the maze and amazing showrooms. Some Enthusiasts were lost to shopping wonder, so only 24 of us corralled in the cafeteria for lunch at the end.

Cory started off the tour by provided an informative introduction as well as a handout that people could download before the tour. (Click here for the handout Cory put together.)

Before we all went on our collective merry way, Cory insisted we each grab a map. Not only is it important to understand the layout of IKEA's stores, it's also essential to know where the 'shortcuts' are location.

IKEA Layout Map
Image Source: IKEA pamphlet, IKEA, Frisco, TX (8/20/2016)

Here are the highlights from the IKEA Willy Wonka Tour:

1. The Tiny House couch is the FRIHETEN. 

It's just so versatile because it has more than one use. Multiple use furniture is very important in a tiny house and I use this couch in mine.

FRIHETEN couch looks like a normal L-shaped sofa.
It expand to a sleeping platform equivalent to a full or queen size bed.
There is additional storage under the chaise section. I store my bedding here.

The other nice aspect of this couch is that it comes in a flat pack. Living in a tiny house makes getting large pieces of furniture difficult to get into the house. With IKEA furniture, you can bring the pieces in as you are building the furniture inside the house. It still has some challenges, but a lot easier than trying to fit an 7' long couch into a house that only 8' wide.... just saying.

Many pieces of IKEA furniture are also "hack"-able. (For more information about IKEA hacks visit my previous post "IKEA & Tiny Houses")

2. Get ideas from the showrooms.

The show rooms at IKEA are very well designed. You will see the same piece of furniture or accent being used several different ways. This will help you explore your options when designing for your own tiny home. I especially like to examine their micro living quarters of 270 sq. ft.

3. The Tiny House table is the NORDEN.

This table closes up tight and
can expand to seat 6 people.

3. Don't be space specific. Re-imagine how furniture can be used. 

While in the kitchen section, I reminded people to think about the 'problems' of their tiny house. For example, I ran into issues of not having a closet or any way of hanging up my clothes. I ended up using IKEA kitchen rods to hand a few clothes flat against the wall in the bathroom.

4. Ask for design help.

The kitchen showroom area has computer stations and assistants that can help you design your space. IKEA cabinetry is easy to use because even though they may be standardized in sizes, the option within the standardization provides many different design options when combined in various ways.

5. The Tiny House kitchen sink is the NORRSJON with the VIMMERN faucet.

The sink is actually a HILLSJON because it has a second sink.
Without the second smaller sink it is like the NORRSJON.

6. The Tiny House bathroom sink is the LILLANGEN... 

LILLANGEN sink is compact,
easy to install and versatile -
notice the towels hanging beside it.

7. Think about how YOU use your space.

For instance... Do you really need a sink in the bathroom? What do you use it for? Brushing your teeth, washing your face, shaving, etc. Are these things you can do at the kitchen sink which is probably 3 steps away? If you do need a bathroom sink, think about putting it in the shower area rather than its own little area. This will save you room.

I personally love IKEA for many reasons. Another happens to be because they have a webpage dedicated to "Small Spaces." There you will find an excellently produced video which walks you through IKEA design concepts and how they re-imagine the purpose of a room and the furniture within.

***

DFW Tiny House Enthusiast at IKEA, Frisco, TX
#tinyhouseIKEAtribe

***

Those are the highlights from the  #tinyhouseIKEAtribe and now I'd like to invite you to the Tiny House IKEA Challenge. The person (or group) who turns in their Challenge sheet with the most points by November 1, 2016 at 4:00 pm will receive your choice of hand-crocheted scarf, handmade olive oil base soaps, a handmade basket (all made by me) or your choice of a 8x10 photo from my Studio page. By the way, if you use examples from this blog points will be deducted!

My hope is to put together a collection of ideas and designs inspired by fellow Enthusiasts for everyone to enjoy. Be inspired!

Geeking Out at the Tiny House Jamboree, 2016

Photo Credit: Carla Adkins
Photo Image: Bryan Adkins hugging Dee Williams of
"The Big Tiny: A Built-It-Myself Memior"

For this DFW Tiny House Enthusiast, the Jamboree was practice in remaining cool in the face of meeting and talking to those who inspired me. And I know I wasn't alone in this. I felt like I was holding it together well when I met, talked with and briefly hung out with Lina Menard of the Niche House. She gave me her freaking card! Unbeknownst to her, the Niche House graced my computer screen saver for several months. You can see why when you click on her website www.nichdesignbuild.com

Several friends were introduced to Jay Shafer by another longtime DFW Tiny House Enthusiast. I admit to feeling mild envy for missing that. (It's okay though because I ending up meeting him anyway. Strangely, we didn't talk about tiny houses but my ability to lip read and eavesdrop on converstations from across the tent.)

At one point I thought I saw Jay Shafer at the ticket tent and nudge my buddy, "Is that Jay Shafer?"
"Who's that?" Cue the bug eyes.
"You don't know Jay Shafer?... Founder of Tumbleweed tiny house company. Now runs Four Lights... One of the founders of the tiny house movement." All I got was a negative shoulder roll. I rolled my eyes. This is a geek out as described by the Urban Dictionary, "an intense excitement and knowledge of specialized nontraditional culture."

Another friend related that she was having breakfast with her family when she saw Deek Diedrickson and Jay Shafer... and they "spoke to her." Now what they said, I don't know but when the people who started a movement you love speak to you, does it matter.

I hesitate to use words like "heroes" or "idols" because the terms are too worshipful and it removes their humaness. I look to these people because in so many ways they are ordinary people who where moved in a direction or commited to a goal that the average society finds counter traditional. Moreover because these are ordinary people, it instills in me a belief that I too can commit to an ideal not readily accepted by society. So instead of "heros" or "idols," I prefer to the term "movers"

Another DFW Tiny House Enthusiast, Bryan, got to meet the person who moved him, Dee Williams (see image above). I've listened to her Ted Talks and found her to be inspiring as well. She wrote a book, The Big Tiny: a Built-It-Myself Memior which highly recommend.

Seeing the tiny houses at the Jamboree was a great experience. All the different designs proved to be fertile ground for new ideas. For me, it doesn't make the Jamboree any more or less special than the Earthday Dallas Exhibit or Tast of Dallas expo; although, there were about 5 x more houses. The Jamboree is special because there is such a large collective gathering of like minded 'movers' mingling amongs us.

IKEA & Tiny Houses...

IKEA  FRIHETEN sleeper sofa
in my tiny house

In a pique of boredom last Thursday, I posted a random question on DFW Tiny House Enthusiasts: "Does anyone like to go to the IKEA showroom to wander and get ideas?" The comments exploded across Facebook like I'd popped open a can of robustly shaken soda.

Roaming the showroom of IKEA is one of my favorite solo adventures. I go to be inspired, test new ideas, and see practical applications at work. Much of the furniture in my tiny house is from IKEA. Even though I don't need anything else, I still like to peruse the showroom and I was gleeful to find that others shared a similar interests. Though, my eyes popped in shocked that there were people in the #tinyhousetribe who had never been there before.

That's all about to change because the reigning king of IKEA, Cory Hagen of TinyModernHomes.com, will lead the charge and introduce those untutored commoners (and fellow amateur aristocrats) to the wonders of IKEA products. This is, of course, after the Tiny House Jamboree if we all still have legs to charge forth.

But why IKEA? It was clear from the comments section that many of the #tinyhousetribe were enthusiastic with the idea. Every tiny houses I have personally toured has featured IKEA products or IKEA inspired products. The use of IKEA furniture and products in tiny houses is due to several factors:

1. It's versatile.Just because they advertise a product for the kitchen, doesn't mean it can't be used in the bedroom, bathroom or living room. Also, many of the styles are streamlined, so it provides cohesion of design when compiling similar products that perform a variety of different room functions (i.e. bedroom, kitchen, bathroom) in a studio like space.
2. It's relatively affordable, depending on what your budget is. I also find it to be a good quality product for its pricing.
3. It's malleable, a.k.a. you can 'hack' it. IKEA hacks are quite popular because the products are relatively easy to modify and repurpose for your own personal needs, designs and styles. 

My favorite site for IKEA hacks is IKEAHackers.net. There's a lot available on the site and when I first found it, I scrolled through the gallery of ideas. However, if you searching for a specific solution for your tiny house... like hanging clothes without using a closet. I typed in "clothes" for the search and got several results. My favorites were using the EKBY ROBERT bracket and the SKUGGIG curtain rod to create space for hanging clothes. 

EKBY ROBERT bracket
from IKEAHackers.net 

SKUGGIG curtain rod
from IKEAHackers.net

The ideas seem endless and somewhat overwhelming if this is a first time exploration. To ease into the idea of IKEA products and their versatility in small spaces, I suggest the site  About Small Spaces which consistently utilizes IKEA products, ideas and hacks for small space design and storage. Below are a list of their 5 most popular IKEA ideas articles with great accompanying pictures and links to tutorials should you decide to tackle the project.

• 5 Ingenious IKEA Furniture Hacks that Save Major Space
• 23 Ingenious IKEA Billy Bookcase Hacks (see slide 16 for cat jungle gym and slide 18 for a Murphy bed that rocks!)
• 9 Tidy and Stylish Storage Hacks Using IKEA Shoe Cabinets (I like slide 5.)
• IKEA Storage Hacks and Ideas for Small Bedrooms
• 13 Easy IKEA Hacks You Can DIY in a Weekend (or Less)

These are just the top suggestions that come up. For a complete listing of About Small Spaces' IKEA articles, I stole Jet Regan's search method. (All credit goes to her!) Go to the Google search bar and type the below in exactly.

site:smallspaces.about.com "ikea"

Voila!

I'll be curious to see what my fellow Enthusiasts come up with as we follow our reigning king through the IKEA showrooms. For more ideas about IKEA product ideas and hacks, Pinterest and YouTube are two other places worth checking out.