TINY LIVING WHEN YOU ARE A PERSON OF SIZE

06 Dec TINY LIVING WHEN YOU ARE A PERSON OF SIZE

TINY LIVING WHEN YOU ARE A PERSON OF SIZE

Whether you are considering height or lack thereof, weight, pregnancy, or the growth of children into teenagers, all changes in size should be considered when downsizing your living space. Many people wonder, “How big is too big to live tiny in a large body?”

This is a perfectly reasonable question. Many experience with tiny house builders and inspectors such as NOAH, that this question’s answer comes down to five factors:

BEDROOMS

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If you are of a large stature of any variety, the bedroom can be tricky business, but it can be done. Those who are tall should consider that many tiny homes, unless built into a custom design, won’t host a king-sized bed or mattress. This leaves some of high stature with their feet dangling if it isn’t taken into consideration early on. Additionally, if a plus sized couple were to be in a full or queen bed, they may be less comfortable at night so keep that in might to allow more space during your build to walk around the bed or equip the room with a larger mattress. The height of a lofted ceiling is also something to consider for the bedroom.

DOORWAYS

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This concept follows along the lines of the ceiling heights. While many doorways are standard sized, some are shrunk for the purpose of space so front doors may have less width or a hallway might be narrower. This includes the addition of galley kitchens or bar eating areas as space savers.

We have found the addition of pocket and/or sliding doors allows the privacy desired without the need to a non-adjusting or smaller sized door or hallway.

CEILINGS

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Standard overall height for road capable THOWs (Tiny House on Wheels) is 13 feet. That is the maximum for being street legal (with up to an 8.5 ft width). This means you have to deduct the height of the roof, insulation, drywall and framework, etc. Inspectors like NOAH will help make sure your tiny house is roadworthy.

Additionally, many tiny homes have one or more loft spaces for bedrooms or living areas. This can lower the overall interior height in some spaces down to under five feet (although, traditionally they stay at 6 ft.). This is an easy solve for taller home buyers/builders with the addition of the adjustable loft. These spaces can be raised and lowered by a variety of means such as pulleys or even removing the loft entirely. Many parents opt for this type of loft so they can enjoy the headroom in an upper bedroom until their lower level kiddos are tall enough to require the height adjustment.

BATHROOMS

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No matter the height of the shower, the width of the bathtub, or the placement of the toilet, someone of size needs to consider the available space in a tiny house bathroom. Certain brands of toilets or types of toilets sit up higher off of the ground, whereas a homemade composting variety can be built to suit. On the other hand, with low ceilings in most tiny house bathrooms, the shower height will be lower than most traditional home builds and the bathrooms, at their largest, are usually the size of an RV tub. This leaves little room for a relaxing bath for a new mom or for multiple kiddos.

SEATING

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Many tiny homes use a bar style seating, foldable table or counter space, or stools for chairs. This can cause some struggle for short folks as well as those who are taller or weigh more than average. The simple solution is to adjust the height of seating or tables and to keep these in mind when building. Some people customize their own homes like removing a dining table, after finding it less than comfy to replace it with a custom-built table that folds from a bar to a dining set with ease. These types of designs provide comfort and plenty of space.

As with anything custom built, you can pretty much do whatever you want with your design. This is a great way for people of all ages and sizes to experience the freedom tiny living has to offer. Be sure call NOAH for a consultation about how your customizations will measure up in a tiny house inspection.