As much as I savor the idea of simplifying my life and making it smaller, there are some who have taken the concept to a whole new level by living in 100 square foot homes. I'm not actually sure if they're my heroes or if I think they're a bit insane. Regardless of what I think, you've got to give someone credit for proving that it CAN be done.
It all started in California when a young man decided he wanted to live in a micro-home. He later went on to start the Tumbleweed House Company which specializes in manufacturing tiny, portable homes. I believe there's a sub-100 square foot model and the largest is around 175 square feet, about the size of the average walk-in closet in a suburban home. To put that into perspective, the average American home contains somewhere around 2,000 square feet of space. That's about 15 times more space than you'd find in an average Tumbleweed home.
As a minimalist, I have spent a good 7 years in homes with 800-850 square feet of space. Most people think my home is VERY small, but I have a hard time wrapping my mind around living in 120 square feet. In a home the size of a smallish bedroom, one must have a kitchen, bath, living space, bed and storage. I don't care how creative you are, that's a mighty tight squeeze. It would require paring belongings down to practically what you could carry on your back or in the boot of a Smart Car. I know its very possible because I've traveled for chunks of time with only a small backpack, but in many ways traveling with practically nothing is different from LIVING with practically nothing.
The little homes are well built but far from inexpensive on a square footage basis. A 120 square foot model will run you about 40 grand. That's a higher price per foot than in all but some of the most expensive cities. Granted the little dwellings make ingenious use of space. Tables fold, benches swing out, the bed is up in a loft and the bathroom design enables you to shower, brush your teeth, and take care of nature's call pretty much all at the same time. Additionally, the homes are on wheels, less because they are easy to move, but rather due to the fact that most municipalities won't permit a stick built home of such a size. It's so small, it violates many ordinances regarding minimum space standards. Most towns and cities won't let you live in a fancy garden shed. It isn't ironic that in a society that preaches excess, you're breaking the law if you decide to live in a very small home. The solution is to make it mobile since home ordinances don't apply homes that move.
There's no doubt that in some very expensive cities, people get very creative with small spaces. Just peruse the "Small, Cool" contests on Apartment Therapy and you'll see some fantastic tiny places. When a micro studio runs $2,000 a month in your city, you do whatever is necessary to live small because anything else is simply unaffordable. But living that small in Anytown USA is a whole different animal. It's not a choice out of necessity but rather a lifestyle choice. There's a big difference.
I currently live in the downtown historic district of a coastal southern city. Housing here isn't nearly as expensive as where I came from. Not even close. As a result, you don't often see many REALLY small spaces here, but they do exist. I looked at one such space which was just over 300 SF. It was gorgeous. There were high ceilings with crown mouldings, a top of the line kitchen in miniature, premium appliances, solid mahogany doors, marble floors and super modern fixtures...everything you'd expect in a luxury home. It was well located....BUT, it was basically a really pretty closet-sized space. I labored in my mind as to where my bike would go and what I would do with some of my beloved belongings. My adolescent daughter, who occasionally spends time with me would have to sleep on the couch and have no space of her own. The truth is, some of the very few things I'm attached to would have to go. I'd have hard choices to make. I'll admit, it was very tempting but even as a minimalist, I found myself feeling a bit anxious about having to cram my entire life into such a tiny box. In the end, I settled on an 850 square foot flat available in a similar location that was less money and had some luxurious features of its own. When it came down to it, I just couldn't comfortably make the jump into such extreme minimalism. Minimalism shouldn't be about being uncomfortable.
I suppose minimalism, like religion, has it's degrees. Some are content to simply call themselves Christians or Jews or Muslims and others take their faith and beliefs to a whole new level. I'm not saying that minimalist extremism is bad. No extremism has to be bad so long as it doesn't harm or infringe upon the rights of others. It's a personal choice. Sure, this whole blog thing is about promoting a simpler life. It is very possible to be extremely happy with far less than most people in our society have, but personally, I don't think trying to cram myself into a tiny home the size of a closet would make me happy in the long term. For me, that's excessive. I like to cook, so I need just a bit of space to prep ingredients and more than one burner. I have a daughter who likes to have a little bit of space of her own. A tiny bath is fine, but I don't want to have a throne in the shower. I'd also like to live in a home that's attached to the ground. All those personal wants CAN be addressed in the context of a rather small space. I can still live simply, and in some ways luxuriously in a fairly small home. I can't personally justify being an extreme minimalist...but I wouldn't mind renting one of those little tiny houses just to try it out. Who knows....I might just like it.
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| Its intriguing, but I just don't know if I could do it....could you? |
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