Small Life Big Living
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“Minimal stuff minimal stress�
Dropping off a handful of clothing at Goodwill is not hard. Dropping off a full van load of unused possessions is not even that difficult. But pulling up to the Goodwill drop-off for the fourth time with a van load of completely unnecessary possessions initiates a lot of soul-searching. The journey toward minimalism runs through the heart and soul.
Correctly pursued, it forces us to ask some hard questions in deep places about our most intimate motivations in life. Why did I buy all these clothes? Why did I buy a house with rooms we never use? Why do I still flip through the ads every Sunday even though I own so much already? Why am I still envious of my neighbor’s stuff? These are hard questions to ask with no easy answers. But the darkest truth is that unfortunately, far too many people, will never even ask them.
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Simplicity in nature is often a lifestyle many explore but few pursue in fear of essentially letting everything they have known go.
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Necessary
Organization Use Vertical Space A basic way to maximize space in small spaces when you can’t expand out is to go up. If you want a bookshelf but can’t seem to find a place for it, build a shelf or a ledge higher up on the wall. If there are items that you are having difficulty finding storage for, like guitars or bags, consider hanging t hem on hooks. If you want your home to include fruit baskets or plants, there are ways to hang these from the wall or ceiling. If you are frustrated by the lack of cabinet space for your pans, consider a rack to hang them on. Even something as simple as a roll of paper towels can be hung up high and save you extra counter space. Additionally, having things up on the walls leads the eye to higher space and makes the.
Multi-Purpose Furniture A piece of furniture that can do more than the one thing is invaluable in a small home. Whether it be benches with extra storage inside, a drawer that pulls out into a cutting board, a table that can also be used as a desk and coffee table, or a sofa that can be converted into an extra bed, living in a small space means thinking long and hard about the furniture that you choose. If something looks like it can provide extra storage or a space solution, it should.
Try Open Shelves Open shelves are controversial in the kitchen because of the grease buildup and having lessaesthetically pleasing pieces out in the open, but consider it for other rooms in your house. You can add a shelf in your bathroom to hold some of your most used items, or in your kids’ room as a home to all the stuffed animals that roll around the room. Whether it be in the kitchen or any other room, having a few open shelves or an open pantry will give you ease of assess to what items you really love and use, and you can get rid of the rest. Plus, having your items out in the open instead of behind cabinet doors will encourage you to keep them organized.
Use All The Space You Have Take a look at the storage space you do have, and think of how you can better use that space. If you do have shelves in your kitchen, multiply the utility by adding hooks to hang towels, pot holders or bigger utensils. Use the inside of cabinet doors to hang up cleaning supplies or plastic gloves. If you have drawers in your kitchen, consider expandable racks or slide out entries that can offer more space than the usual drawer. Take stock of your closet and use every bit of vertical space; hang clothes on the rack and maximize the space at the top or bottom by using storage boxes for extra things.
Have a Designated Place for Everything One of the main lessons that I come away with from tiny houses is that it’s worth taking a moment to assess what you really need. After you do this, the next crucial step is to have a designated place for all of the items that you have deemed worthy to keep around. In a small space, you don’t have the luxury of clutter, which means each thing must have its place.
Use Unexpected Spaces One of the most commonly used spaces that I’ve seen tiny housers take advantage of is the space below the stairs. Almost all tiny houses have a loft situation where the bed is, and if there are stairs or a ladder with any bit of extra space underneath them, they are used to store books or clothes. If you have stairs in your home, start thinking about whether you can convert some of that space into storage. You know that bit of space below your kitchen cabinets? Those can be used as storage spaces, too, by creating an extra drawer for your miscellaneous items.
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Many tiny house models have Lofted sleeping spaces to get the most out of the floor on the main level. Small Life, Big Living // 9
Do It Yourself
Tumbleweed Tiny House Plans Tumbleweed plans include extensive building knowledge and the designers own experience make Tumbleweed Tiny House Plans the best in the industry. Focusing on showing you how to build your own tiny house whether you are a beginning builder or expert contractor. They are easy to follow with logic and beautiful design.
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Tumbleweed Model: Cypress
The alluring Cypress is the epitome of beauty and function. The sweeping bay windows, proportional corner porch, hipped roof and clever use of rhythm within the design offer an aesthetic that has led to overwhelming popularity of this Tumbleweed.The Cypress is a RVIA Certified Travel Trailer RV with standard RV hookups for water and electrical.
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Tumbleweed Model: Roanoke
The Roanoke is one of Tumbleweed’s newest models, designed for the Low-Wider trailer and featuring a shed style roof. Inside, the open floor plan combines kitchen and living under 10 foot ceilings giving the interior a spacious feel. The Roanoke is a RVIA Certified Travel Trailer RV.
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Tumbleweed Model: Elm
The iconic ElmÂŽ is modeled off of the very first Tumbleweed. Featuring a functional full porch, an emblematic lancet window and a supreme use of symmetry showcased in its eye-popping entry. This classic Tumbleweed has withstood the test of time. The Elm is a RVIA Certified Travel Trailer RV with standard RV hookups for water and electrical.
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Building your own could be the best option for you, following are some reasons why; Your Own Personal Touch, builders often take their time seeking out special sinks, doors, windows, light fixtures, and hardware solutions for their homes which can put a very personal touch into the home. More Easily Customizable, Once you’ve built your house you’ll know every nut, bolt, and nail and have the skills to acutally wrepair and change things. Controllable Costs, Since the owner builder often pays it all everything out-of-pocket as they go, costs are naturally controlled, albeit sometimes at the cost of compromise. Owner builders are in full control of the design of their home. They can choose from a variety of tiny house plans and even make their own customizations.
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Downsizing Tips
Must have Items that are most important and cannot be replaced. Think family photos, important documents, and things you require for your work. For example, in my case, my laptop and camera are must haves and cannot be replaced except to upgrade them. Replace Evaluate what items you own and could be sold and replaced with a smaller version. For example, your 50-inch television could be sold and downsized to a 25-inch television. Sell your oversized furniture for furniture that better fits the space. Choose furniture that is be multipurpose like a sofa with a pull-out bed or end tables and coffee table with hideaway storage. Also on this list, include the 20 mixed and match plates or glasses that could be sold and replace with a smaller number of new plates or glasses. Can live without These are things you can sell, donate or simply get rid of some way. Are these things you have to get rid of? Now, I tend to be a little overzealous and follow the philosophy “get rid of all of it� but, if space starts to get tight these are the first to go.
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This ties into a few of the above points, but is none the less a real barrier. When faced with the prospect of bucking the system, initiating a radical lifestyle change, and spending a good chunk of money to do it, it can be scary. I know from personal experience when you are close to the moment where you must make the decision, where you have to take the leap, many self-doubts come to the surface.
You are left trying to decide if these doubts are simply normal big decision jitters or if they are valid concerns your unconscious is avidly trying to bring attention to. The sorting of these thoughts and processing of them is taxing, a little emotional, and of course scary. Even those of us who deal with change well will struggle with this significantly, fear is a powerful emotion and we must face it to achieve our overall goals in life.
Fear of the Movement
Jeff’s Thoughts on the Minimalist Lifestyle Living a minimalist lifestyle means choosing quality over quantity, every time. Buying quality items means that you will need less, and will create a simple wardrobe. Minimalists don’t just value quality in physical items. Focusing your time and energy on creating quality work, nurturing quality friendships, and preparing high quality, healthful foods are all important parts of the minimalist lifestyle. Minimalists use their time wisely and intentionally, focusing on what brings the most joy and happiness. Before I discovered minimalism, I would spend weekends catching up on laundry and dreading the up coming week of work I had hanging over my head before I would go to sleep.
Minimalists prioritize values over things. This means that they may choose to spend their day working on something they love over a day spent mindlessly shopping or engaging in some kind of consumer-related event. A core value of minimalism is the ability to be free. This can mean something different to everyone, but to me it meant getting out of my dead end 9-5 job. Becoming minimalist helped me save enough money to quit my job and pursue my dreams of traveling. I now feel free, and I know that if I ever do have to work a typical job again, it is not going to be permenant. I no longer have to work to live, now live to work.
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“We go on multiplying our conveniences only to multiply our cares. We increase our possessions only to the enlargement of our anxieties.” — Anna C. Bracket
About the Designer
H
i I am Morgan, I’ve spent the past two years attending Academy of Art majoring in graphic design. I enjoy working on deliverables involving print and packaging. I am truly inspired every day when I step onto the sidewalks of San Francisco. This city brings so many fresh ideas to mind, I love grasping new concepts and integrating them into my designs. I pursued this tiny house book because my dream after I graduate is to live in one.
Typographic Grid Used through out this book
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Colophon Paper Epson Premium Matte 3 Star Binding Morgan Wirz Fonts Graphik Christian Schwartz Produkt Christian Schwartz Sources of Text www.becomingminimalist.com www.tinyhousehold.com www.tumbleweedhouses.com www.apartmenttherapy.com www.thetinylife.com www.tinyhousedesign.com Sources of Photography www.idesignarch.com www.tinyhousegiantjourney.com www.westminsterpres.us
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