Working on the tiny house this semester has exposed me to new materials, people, and ideas that have in some ways reinforced my personal philosophies about material culture in America, but in other ways I’ve learned to think more critically and be reflective of where my feelings are coming from before I pass judgement. … More Final thoughts

Though this film isn’t specifically about Tiny Homes, its content and the questions explored throughout the film are very relevant to the Micro-living movement. The documentary explores how the American Dream has shifted to become synonymous with compulsory material consumerism. A minimalist lifestyle is one of the many types of movements that people are using to … More Minimalism: A Documentary about the Important Things

Though it’s not a toy, this circular table saw is my favorite tool to use on the job site. I was definitely a little hesitant around it when we first started but now I feel just shy of pro. One of my goals for the course was to generally feel more comfortable using power tools … More It’s not a toy, but it’s my favorite tool!

When designing and constructing a tiny house, as one might imagine, it’s the little details that make a house feel like a home. From creative storage solutions to personalized decor, a smaller home forces its residents to make sure that every aspect of the design works for and reflects their values and lifestyle. For example, … More It’s the little things…

Last weekend was the annual Dogwood Festival in Atlanta. For those who didn’t know, each year the festival hosts an award-winning Green Festival Initiative in partnership with Live Thrive Atlanta. The village even includes a tiny house provided by Tiny House Atlanta for visitors to take a peek at what micro-living is all about! Click … More Eco-Village at Piedmont Park

Though some point out that tiny houses can cost more per square foot than the average home, one of the main tenants of the tiny house lifestyle is quality over quantity. Just as tiny home dwellers must decide what’s important enough to take up space in their tiny house, so too must they decide what kind … More Quality counts!

http://wfae.org/post/big-challenges-tiny-houses-north-carolina This is a link to a great podcast about Tiny Houses! It discusses the motivations behind the movement, examines the economics surrounding tiny houses, and interviews tiny house dwellers and skeptics alike. Some of the questions considered include: What percentage of tiny house owners are motivated by a desire for financial stability? How does this factor … More Big challenges, tiny houses podcast

  This is Part 1 of a series of videos that we watched for our Tiny House class. The video describes an ethno-archeological study published in 2012 of 32 dual-income households. Every object in every part of the house was documented. If the statistics weren’t surprising enough, the photos of the families’ homes were astounding. According … More Middle-class material culture