These are the the rooms, items and features I want in my tiny house based on my daily activities.
Bedroom
- Bed sheets – $25 at Amazon
- Loft
- Steps up to the loft are used for storage
- Comfortable padded wall for laying against (reading)
- Comfortable bed
- Enough headroom to stand on knees and not hit the ceiling
- Plenty of windows to see the stars and let in natural light
Office
- Desk that can support a computer, multiple monitors, keyboard, mouse, and a laptop. I’m a tech geek. I must have space to do what I love the most.
- Comfortable chair. I already have the Herman Miller Aeron. It’s normally over $1,200 but I got mine used (pre-assembled and in perfect condition) from Madison Seating for $648. (Includes $30 leather armrest, chair size B, standard caster, and $70 headrest.) Got in 2014 and have no complaints.
- Everything should be ergonomic. I’ll be here over 10 hours per day.
- Stand-up desk.
- Lots of natural daylight (that doesn’t cause glare off screens). Prefer to have a good view outside.
- Good lighting at night (dimmable) — shouldn’t reflect off the screens
- If possible, would be nice to be able to see the TV while working on computer.
- Shelves or cubbies up top. No pull-out drawers.
- Area to store books.
- Two Synology file servers
Movie theater
- 100″ pull-down projection screen – $70 at Amazon
- Speakers
- Optoma GT1080Darbee projector – $730 at Amazon
- Projector Central calculates that you need a throw distance of 3′ 7″ to produce a 100″ projection. In other words, the front of the projector needs to be only 3.5 feet away from the screen and you’ll have a 100″ (diagonal) movie screen!
Kitchen
- I’m not worried about cooking big meals. In fact, I typically don’t want to spend more than 15 minutes preparing to cook something. I just need the ability to store and cook chicken, steak, pork, burgers, etc.
- Small fridge for storing things like milk, butter, ranch, BBQ sauce, ketchup – $130 at Amazon
- Big freezer for storing raw meat – $1,204 at Amazon
- Small pantry for food storage
- Homemade spice rack similar to the one for $87 at Amazon
- Reverse osmosis system for drinking water – $230 at Amazon
- Induction cooktop – $75 at Amazon
- Outdoor propane grill
- LED lighting in and under cabinets
- Sink – $221 at Home Depot
- Don’t need an oven, microwave, or dishwasher. Everything will be cooked on the induction cooktop or propane grill. Dishes will be cleaned by hand.
- Pull-out garbage can hidden in cabinet – $17 at Home Depot
- Soft close drawers – YouTube
Bathroom
- If possible, I would love to have a full-size bath, especially if connected to a well or city water. I would love for it to have lots of windows and maybe a skylight.
- 72″ Whirlpool bathtub – $954 at Home Depot
- Tub and shower faucet – $94 at Home Depot
- Nature’s Head Composting Toilet – $925 at Nature’s Head
- Read about it at Tiny House Giant Journey
- This video from LoveAlwaysAdventureOften is both amusing and informative
- Peat Moss – $182 at Amazon
- Exhaust fan with humidity sensor located above the shower – $96 at Amazon
- No need for blackwater tank sink using composting toilet
- Have the water tank close to the shower to prevent wasting water
- Floor tile – $1.99 per square foot at Home Depot.
Storage
- Lots of videography and photography equipment
- Storage areas can be closed for when I’m traveling
Wires and cables
- Cat7 ethernet cable
- Modem and wireless router
- Coax cable
- Separate POE ethernet cable for (four) 4K security cameras
- Wires for dashcam and backup dash cam
Gadgets and nice-to-haves
- Google Home to control lights with voice.
- TP-Link smart bulbs that dim and are controllable by Google Home.
- Nest thermostat (if it works with the split system)
- Ceiling fan for moving air around
- Eyedro to monitor energy usage live
- 4K security cameras with night vision. I have this on my big house and love it. I like being able to use my laptop to see what’s going on outside, evening when it’s pitch black in the middle of the night.
- Dash cam and rear view cam to record when driving. The above 4K security cameras are nice, but the software is clunky and difficult to quickly get footage off it.
- Rear-facing backup camera that can be viewed live from the driver’s seat. $196 at Amazon
Air conditioning & heating
Propane heater as a backup: Hampton H27 (https://tinyhousebuild.com/how-to-heat-your-tiny-house/)- Air conditioner & furnace (mini split) – $1,479 at Total Home Supply
- Wood stove during the extra cold winter months
- CB-1210 Grizzly – $494 at Cubic Mini Wood Stoves
Jotul F602 – $1,050 at Rocky Mountain Stove & Fireplace (160 pounds) – over 1 million sold
Floors
- Hardwood or laminate floors – $2.79 per square foot at Home Depot
- In-floor heating
Walls
Embossed Gray Homesteader Hardboard Wall Panel – $32 per panel at Lowe’s. Each panel is 47.75″ x 7.98′. If using 24′ trailer, would need 6 panels for each long side plus 2 for each short side. Total comes to 16 panels = $512.- 3/4″ tongue and groove like seen on YouTube – Maybe the solid bamboo from Cali Bamboo
Lighting
Good lighting is important to me, as is the ability to control its brightness remotely.
- Remote-controlled LED lighting with various styles (sconce, etc.)
- Fake windows made using Plant Grow Light Fixture ($40 each + additional materials)
Foundation and building materials
- Insulation: R60 in attic, R30 in walls, R40 in floors (per colostate.edu) along with spray foam to fill in gaps and cracks
- Soundproof (I’m a light sleeper and won’t want to hear the outside world)
- Acoustic absorption materials
- Solid-core doors with weatherstripping
- Double- or triple-pane windows
Plumbing
- Tankless water heater
- Ability to store 50 gallons of water for when traveling off the grid – $158 at Amazon
- Graywater tank that can be rolled away and emptied – $121 at Amazon
- No blackwater tank (see the Bathroom section)
Other
- No need for clothes washer/dryer
Utilities
- Solar panels
- Propane
- If there’s enough wind, consider a wind turbine. $700 at Amazon
- Use an energy meter to track energy usage. $19 at Amazon
Trailer
- Leaning towards 24′ — https://www.tinyhomebuilders.com/blog/2018/06/13/tiny-house-size/
Environment
- Located far enough away from people/humanity that I can’t be waken up in the middle of the night. I’m a very light sleeper.
- Located somewhere where solar panels can be used.
- Fresh water supply
- Can build a temperature-controlled underground storage room
- Outdoor greenhouse / sunroom / atrium
