ISSN 2631-326X
NOVEMBER 2020
The Big Picture of Going Tiny!
Some of the world’s most exciting adventurers read Tiny Living Magazine!
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NOVEMBER 2020
Contents Send Us Your Photos!! Are you living in a tiny house, a narrowboat, a studio or other small space? Your story can help inspire others to follow their dreams!
Email us at: info@tinylivingmagazine.co.uk
Small Isn’t Small - At All … Page
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Saving Money - and the Planet … Page
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Doves – A Living Sign of Peace … Page
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On the cover:
Scandinavian tiny house by Andrey Demkin
Published by: Tiny Living Productions Ltd Editor: Pamela Palongue Design by: Gilmour Graphics Email: info@tinylivingmagazine.co.uk
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Small Isn’t Small - At All
By Pamela Palongue
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Photography by Sam Kelly Grace, like many people saw people of all ages and backgrounds living in tiny houses on social media. It appealed to her as a way that she could own her own home, but also, as a way she could live simpler and more sustainably.
at this point…‘I know nothing about building, and could never take on the construction of my home!’ -But, you don’t really have to. There are plenty of people around who do know about building. You just need to enlist their help.
“I liked the idea of a minimal life, and this seemed like a no brainer.”
“I had no background in building, but I know a few people in the trade. I also relied on family help!... I bought the trailer with the shell and the first fittings, and then did the rest with the help of a carpenter.”
Besides just watching videos and dreaming however, she did her research, working out how to realistically make it happen. The very first day she met her partner, she told him of her plans to live tiny, and he was on board from the first moment. Together they went and stayed in a tiny house to have the actual experience of being in the space to see if it was really the way they wanted to live. This was a turning point, which led to them designing their own layout and committing to build their own home. Now, I know what you’re probably saying to yourself
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There were lots of YouTube tutorials, and Grace did lots of the surface work, such as sanding, painting, putting together the hand rails and various other projects. She wanted to be as involved as possible in the building of her own home. Part of her design contributions involved sliding doors, or what’s sometimes called ‘pocket doors.’ This allows privacy and area separations without doors that swing wide into the room invading the space.
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Her plan for making her micro house feel larger included having plenty of head height, as more vertical space can make a room feel larger and less closed in. She used mirrors on the wardrobe in the bathroom, which tricks the eye into making it appear larger, and also makes use of reflected light for a brighter, cheerier space. Another smart choice was using the lovely dark green for the walls and in the loft space. Not everyone would have been bold enough to have chosen this shade. But the darker colour makes the walls feel as if they have a bit more depth than just plain white. Grace explains, “I love rich colour…The dark colour is great to help with sleeping, and it keep the loft space feeling so cosy!” For increased storage, Grace made sure the stairs to the loft functioned as large, oversize storage containers too. From Grace’s perspective, the design part was the most fun and definitely her favourite part! If you’re wondering how Grace was able to find land for her new tiny home, it was smooth sailing there as well. “I didn’t have any problems fortunately, as I have been able to park on my parents’ farm land, where they had permission for a mobile home.” (In many areas in the UK, you are able to park a tiny house on wheels on a property that already has
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a conventional home. Check with your local planning commission to find out the laws in your area) Though Grace received the shell for her tiny house in September 2019, she didn’t really begin work on the home until March 2020. So the home took about five to six months to complete, but to be fair, it was more of a weekend project. Would she have done anything differently? “The only thing I would have done differently, is to focus a little more on the tiny details, making things fit into the gaps better.” She also would have done a bit more research into her choice of hot water heater. After Storm Denis, they experienced a few leaks, but they have been able to properly seal them and all is good. “I am much happier now…I have my own little routines. I feel as if there is a lot less clutter around me, and it doesn’t feel like I am living small at all! My partner and I love having a space that is completely ours, down to the nails in the walls.” Go find your own window to the world. Follow Grace on Instagram @tinyhouse_uk See more of Sam’s photos at samkellyphoto.co.uk
A Tiny Living Promotion
Portable, Portatile, Mozgékony, Kινητό, Mobile -No matter how you say it, it makes sense to have a home that moves with you. Live well.
Tiny Eco Homes UK
www.tinyecohomesuk.com 10
Saving Money -and the Planet
Photograph by Greg & Lois Nunes
If you want to build your own home, you’re going to need some money. And there are two great ways to achieve this objective: saving it, and with a home mortgage. You can do both with a building society, which generally offers savings accounts and mortgages for its members.
home financing on non-traditional buildings such as timber frame houses, straw bale and cob houses, and Earth-sheltered homes. They also finance renovations and conversion projects. Although they do not offer mortgages on narrowboats or canal boats, they will lend money on the moorings for them.
One in particular is called Ecology Building Society. A savings account can be opened at this society with as little as ÂŁ25, and they use your savings for development and projects that make a positive impact on the environment.
Many lending institutions will not even consider mortgages on non-traditional structures, so this is a great place to start when building your non-traditional house. It always helps to have at least 10% of the cost of building your home in savings when applying for the mortgage.
They specialise in mortgages on self-build homes that meet certain energy level requirements, and that promote environmental sustainability. And most importantly, they recognise the need for
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The best way to see if your home plans would qualify for a mortgage, is to contact Ecology Building Society directly at ecology.co.uk
MAY 2019
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JUNE 2019
JULY 2019
Tiny Beach Chalets! Summer Awaits!
A Poet’s Tiny House On Wheels!
JANUARY 2019
FEBRUARY 2019
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MARCH 2019
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Live Small Dream Big!
Plankbridge Shepherd’s Huts
Life on a Boat
DECEMBER 2018
Van Decor Venture!
Spend Less, Live More!
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AUGUST 2019
SEPTEMBER 2019
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Fairytale Tiny Houses Come to Life
Tiny Houses for Joyful Living
APRIL 2019
OCTOBER 2019
Living Tiny on the Water
A Life That Moves!
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NOVEMBER 2019
JANUARY 2020
DECEMBER 2019
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FEBRUARY 2020
Cosy Tiny Houses
In Love with Tiny Houses!
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When Less is More
Anything But Ordinary
CARAVAN ROMANCE
MARCH 2020
APRIL 2020
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MAY 2020
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JULY 2020
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JUNE 2020
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Living Spend some timeTiny in our world Magazine where less is more.Online Available here
Spring is On Its Way!
MAY EDITION 2018
The Freedom of Living Simply
The Freedom of Living Simply
AUGUST EDITION 2018
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SEPTEMBER EDITION 2018
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NOVEMBER 2018 JUNE EDITION 2018
The Freedom of Living Simply
The Freedom of Living Simply
The Freedom of Living Simply
APRIL EDITION 2018
The Freedom of Living Simply
OCTOBER 2018
Home is Where Your Story Begins
Beautiful Small Spaces!
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Roulotte Retreat
JULY EDITION 2018
Small Space Inspiration Where Less is More!
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Doves A Living Sign of Peace By Pamela Palongue Doves have long been a symbol of the message of peace. Perhaps it’s their gentle nature or the soft call of their song that draws the comparison, which transcends any one specific religion. Turtle doves are a very special kind of dove that are well known from the song, ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ in the second verse which mentions the gift of “two turtle doves.” They are Great Britain’s only migratory dove. They are rarely seen in Scotland and Ireland, but they have now largely disappeared from Wales as well. Most of the remaining birds are found in southern and eastern England, with Suffolk and Kent being the best places to find one. These amazing creatures can fly at speeds of 60kph, and migrate mostly at night. They favour woodland haunts, and even rural gardens. Their diet largely consists of the seeds of common
weeds, and especially Fumitory seeds. But with extremely efficient weed-free farming, there has been less and less food supply for the doves, which is listed as a major reason for their decline from 125,000 pairs to around 45,000 pairs today. Operation Turtle Dove is a group of four organisations working to reverse the decline of the turtle dove in the UK. To learn how you can help (which may be as simple as placing a bit of organic bird seed about for them) visit their website at operationturtledove. org/about-us Although they have headed south to Africa for the year, they will return in the spring, offering us a symbol of hope for peace and love once again.
Photograph by Mike Pennington
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AUTUMN PRINT AUTUMN 2020
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