Exploring the Tiny House Tour

Recently, I attended a Tiny House Tour that was hosted by Tiny House Across America. The Expo type show was held outside Washington DC in Manassas, Virginia. I have been curious about the tiny house movement for awhile now, so I enjoy going to these shows when they are in my area. I’d like to share some pictures and my thoughts on what I saw at the show.

The whole show was outside and we were lucky to have beautiful weather. We attended on Friday, before what we thought would be a crowded weekend. Both the weather and the less-crowded-ness were big factors in enjoying the show. We (my sister-in-law and I) were able to enjoy the walk between and around the tiny homes, with no lines to get into them and also were able to see everything once we were inside a home and linger and ask questions of the home owners and/or builders. This made for a much more enjoyable and educational experience.

Here is one of the (tiny) Tiny Homes.

tiny houseThis is the Orange Door House (that’s what we called it). So small, it doesn’t take much to move this home. It felt very cozy and totally unique. Definitely, very detail made specifically for the home owner.

Once inside, this was just too small for me, but I liked all the unique features. Check out the wallpaper on this wall and the unique, space saving stairs to the loft. You have to put the stairs down on the floor to access the loft, but when you are not using it they are tucked away. The piece could also be used as a side table when needed.

For a small space the kitchen was quite roomy, with lots of counter top space (loved them) and a lot of light. The sitting area also seemed spacious for the home’s size. Check out the storage above the entry. With lots of personal touches, like the coat racks behind the door, the homeowner made this space all her own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a couple more of the tiny-er Tiny Houses. Check out the sign on the door of the orange one – Built by a 14 year old! That means it’s doable for anyone (maybe with the help of someone who knows a little about construction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you don’t think you’d even build your own tiny home, then this one is for you! Check out this vintage trailer. I love the theme going on here and really it did seem quite roomy. The owner does not live full-time in this camper, but wanted to show her creativity on this project. I would LOVE to own something like this.

 

 

 

 

 

It would be great for weekend get-aways, but I couldn’t live in this either. I am trying to “live with less” but there is just not enough space for me for full-time living. Some people do it though.

 

We saw some great features in these tiny houses.

What do you think about this vaulted ceiling? Amazing, right? When living small you can consider that having high-end finishes is possible because you are doing it for a large space.

 

How about this tiny deck?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or this large shower!? This bathroom is larger than some in my standard home.

 

Want to pamper yourself in a bath tub? It’s possible as well. Check it out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course there are Tiny Houses with more space and those were the ones we liked the best. They seemed the most-livable to me. Still small, but they have everything. This was our favorite.  Built by a company called Craft & Sprout. This is their model that they take to shows, so it has all the bells & whistles. I love it.

I hope you enjoyed the tour. We enjoyed the experience. I believe Tiny Homes have a lot to offer to a segment of the population. Have you ever spent time in a tiny house? What did you think? If you had to live in one (full-time) do you think you could downsize enough? Could you live that simply?

 

 

 

 

 

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Janet Schiesl

Janet Schiesl

Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.

She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.

Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.

Janet Schiesl

Janet Schiesl

Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.

She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.

Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.

10 Comments

  1. Janet Barclay on August 9, 2018 at 11:31 am

    I’ve never seen a tiny house in real life, so I really appreciate that you posted so many photos. It’s quite amazing what people can do with a little creativity!

    • Janet Schiesl on August 9, 2018 at 11:48 am

      Yes. I am amazed at the creativity in such a small space. Everything needs to be functional first, but then people make it creative as well.

  2. Seana Turner on August 10, 2020 at 9:13 am

    What fun! I would have loved getting to see this. Such neat storage solutions.. like those hanging towels in the nooks. The tiny house movement is just so fascinating. I don’t think I could take it – especially during COVID- but it is an interesting option. The biggest challenge from my perspective is where to put your tiny house. The cost of the home itself doesn’t include land to place it on, electricity, plumbing, etc. Still, I would have loved that show. Are they “on tour?”

    • Janet Schiesl on August 10, 2020 at 2:52 pm

      Seana –
      I look for tours to come to my area all the time. I would love a tiny house, but my husband is not board. Yes, I think the finding land to place a tiny house on is difficult.

  3. Sabrina Quairoli on August 10, 2020 at 12:13 pm

    That looks like fun! I am a fan of tiny houses but have never seen it live as well. Thanks for sharing these photos. I’m going to check the website out. Maybe they will be in my area. =)

    • Janet Schiesl on August 10, 2020 at 3:04 pm

      I follow several tiny house youtube channels and facebook pages. I love how creative and personal each one is. I’d love to own a tiny house.

  4. Melanie on August 10, 2020 at 12:53 pm

    Thanks for sharing! I’ve always found great inspiration in the clever storage solutions people come up with in these modular-type spaces. We can all learn from how tiny homes maximize every inch! Think of how much room you’d create in a standard home by implementing some of these storage ideas.

    • Janet Schiesl on August 10, 2020 at 3:06 pm

      Yes, I agree. Storage is essential in a small space and maybe not focused on in larger spaces. People think they have so much room, but you still have to find somewhere to put your things.

  5. Amy on August 13, 2020 at 1:26 pm

    So jealous I missed this show. I have stayed in a tiny home for a wedding in Texas. It wasn’t an official tiny home but had all the same qualities. I did not like the loft bed and having to come down a ladder in the middle of the night, but that was my main complaint. The rest was pretty awesome.

    • Janet Schiesl on August 13, 2020 at 6:13 pm

      Thanks Amy.
      I love to go to these shows. Maybe we can attend one together. I’d love to retire in a tiny house, so I’d be looking for something with no ladder.

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