Tiny House Flow and Efficiency

We all live differently. We have different habits, rituals, and ways of organizing our lives. In a tiny house those behaviors greatly effect how the space works for us more so than a traditional house. This is why it is SO important for tiny dwellers to design their places to fit their lifestyles. Nothing is worse than living in a space that is not functional for YOU!  Let’s take a look at three tips to get the perfect tiny functionality for your life. 

1.Know your personal processes:
My background is in process improvement. When studying a process to identify waste or variation we “walk the process” or map it out. Doing this allows us to see the current flow of things. This works for designing an efficient tiny house layout too! If you wake up every morning and make yourself four cups of coffee, not having counterspace for your coffee maker is going to seriously cramp your style. If you prefer to eat in front of the TV every night but take up valuable space in your tiny house for a dining table, you’re going to have regrets about that wasted space. Do you eat take out every night? Probably not a good idea to make your kitchen the largest space in your house. Really study how you do your day-to-day tasks and design to accommodate them

2. Know where everyone fits
It’s a good idea for each person/animal to have their own space in your tiny house. If you have pets you need to look at where they will have their food and water bowls. Where will they sleep? If you have kiddos, where will they store toys, clothes, and art projects? If you’re married, how will you create a separate space for some much-needed solo time? Thinking through this now, will save you stress and annoyance later. 

3. Get creative!
Tiny houses have limited square footage. That means some areas/items will need to serve dual purposes. Keeping your personal processes in mind, can you utilize anything twice? For instance, I keep my dog’s water bowl in the shower. It keeps it out of the way and when she drips a gallon, it’s (mostly) not on my floor. Do you work from home? Can you create an eat in bar that will serve as your work desk and your dining area? Start looking at space and furnishings for more than one use! 

​Tiny living is an amazing lifestyle that has helped me and my family focus on what truly matters in this life. I hope it does the same for you! Keep functionality in the forefront of your mind throughout your building/buying process and dive in!