Couple Spent 7 Years In A Drafty Old Trailer So They Could Build This Dreamy Home

Ron and Sue Corl have a motto – “live small to have it all” and they seem to truly understand all the joys that come with living in a tiny house. Technically the couple has been living tiny for years, with the largest house they occupied topping just 900-square-feet. They bought 38 acres of land in 1998, but had no money to build on it, so they spent the next seven years living in a 1968 trailer. Over that course of time they slowly built this 500-square-foot home by hand, and it was completed in 2007.

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They kept costs low by scavenging for materials, and ended up spending just around $18,000 on building supplies. That doesn’t take into account the hundreds of hours of labor however.

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Sue certainly has an eclectic decoration style, as you can see from the bright colors. She even hand-painted each fern in the yellow diamonds.

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We love the antique coke sign repurposed as a kitchen cabinet.

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Sue points out that they could have saved a bit of space with a ladder to the loft, but as they grow older, having stairs makes much more sense.

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One area they didn’t want to skimp on space was the bathroom. It measures 9′ x 9′ and includes a spacious shower and a homemade composting toilet.

 

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“We are not young, idealistic dreamers, fresh out of college, thinking we can change the world. We are old, idealistic dreamers, fresh out of youth, hoping we can change the world…”

If you’re interested in learning more about their home, check out their website Shiny Tiny Maison, where they share all sorts of information and insight into the tiny lifestyle.

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