My Future Tiny Home

Houses run in all shapes and sizes, but most of the time, I always fantasize about a nice big house as being the dream. This morning, though, I was flipping through one of the TIME magazines Trav keeps in the bathroom, and flipping through, I stumbled on a very interesting article. It was about small houses, and believe me, when I say small, I mean tiny, tiny--many of them less than 100 sq. ft!

According to the article, Dee Williams, a woman living in Olympia Wash., lives in a tiny house no bigger than 84 sq. ft. That's smaller than my bedroom! The article in goes on to feature about six homes with designs varying from a small British-designed cube with indented dining area, to a rectangular, round-cornered German contraption featuring a rotating column of three rooms. My favorite, though, was still the tiny house Dee Williams built out of donated ceder. It cost lest than $10,000 dollars to build, and it looks something like a shrunken cabin with a small front porch. If the article's right, since it's on wheels, she doesn't even have to pay property tax on it. After all, it's smaller than many trailers.

I really got excited over this! I'm surprisingly attracted to the idea of living in a tiny, little house, cozy and simple. The space is put to good use, and well proportioned, and since they're so small, a lot more quality is packed into them than a traditional house normally would have, not to mention they're vastly less expensive than their normal-sized cousins.

The simplicity is probably what attracted me the most. I always wonder what in heaven's name I need all my unusable space for? Whenever I try to really see what I need and what just feeds my ego, I realize that, really, I, perhaps any of us, don't need all that much. Williams told TIME that her only regret was the limited space she had to host company or board visitors. Other than that, she says she loves her tiny home.

Sporadically since this morning, I've Googled around for some tiny-home sites and found some pretty interesting things. Click the name, and you'll be taken to a really neat catalog of tiny homes designed by a man named Jay Shafer. Most of them are pretty remarkable, but my favorite so far is the Epu (right).

The idea of living in a house smaller than most single car garages may seem border-line comical for a lot of people (just think about those tiny cars the clowns pop out of) but in reality, I think they are pretty interesting and in line with most of my philosophies. Just seeing how people live inside these houses helps me remember what all I actually need and don't need--what's important and just indulgent. I think these small houses pretty amazing, and don't pretend like you wouldn't come visit me if I had one. Most people, I think, would thing it's pretty awesome, too, and if nothing else, wouldn't it be an interesting conversation piece?

Lynch Home, House of Wonder

Last week was one of the greatest I've had in a long, long time. First, on Wednesday, my family and I spent a fun-filled day at Carowinds, where there was much fun and instant karma. It was very hot and sunny for most of the day, but is somehow came out of the entire experience without a single patch of sunburn. That night was spent in a wonderfully fluffy hotel. Ahh...

Thursday, me and The Fam headed down to Myrtle beach, where we stayed in a beautiful hotel with an ocean view, lazy river, and one of those 500 gallon buckets that dump every two minutes or so. I found out on this vacation how much I really love water playgrounds.

Then my favorite part of the whole trip happened! On our way back home on Friday, my parents offered to stop at Campbell to experience the glory of Lynch House, my residence house, for themselves, but up until this point, I myself had only basked in its outward excellence, which, though considerable, is only the tip of the diamond iceberg. On this occasion, Travis Hell-Storm was able to let my family and I into the House of Wonder to see for ourselves first-hand the sublimity it had to offer. For the first time in my life, I was privileged enough to cross the sacred threshold of the Lynch Home, House of Wonder, the most excellent residence building on the face of the globe. I was emotionally unprepared to withstand the majesty of the dark wooden walls and stove-endowed kitchens. I felt paralyzing jolts of electrical delight as I walked into each room projecting their individual dignities. On occasion, I was forced by my unworthy constitution to kneel and cry as I walked from room to room.

Then... Oh, then how my unhallowed feet burned! I unwittingly trespassed into the most resplendent room in the most glorious abode. The chamber glistened with the same dignity of a beaming sapphire center-set atop the principal spire of a queen's tiara. What I was to learn about this room would change my life forever...

My home! My sanctuary! My reposition away from all earthy woes! This hollowed ground was meant for me! So alight with noble renown is this chamber of heavenly sanctitude that no light from Heaven or Earth, King Sun or Prince Moon, dares assume its help is required. It is the last of the kind, peaceful ranch-grounds greened by the sunny smiles of those to inhabit it. "Welcome, child," it whispered to me. "Come spend your days in my arms, and I will guard you from suffering and sing to you melodies meant for the stars." My room! My house! My heavenly home, the House of Wonder!

I spent the next three nights in aerial bliss there within. During that time, I discovered my deepest soul and relocated the loin's share of my things to their rightful room. Trav and I set up my DVD player and Gamecube in the living room, and hopefully there is even more glory yet in store. Hellstrom, Steward of the House of Wonder, stays there now alone, enjoying a week of RA training. Soon, we will all join him and bask in the awesome glory of Lynch Home, House of Wonder. It is a place where you and I are welcomed to love our neighbors and improve our world. Here, there is only heart, and believe me: you're invited.