Your home reflects who you are, who you used to be, and where you want to go. A house is a sacred space that must cater to your needs and should be suited to your lifestyle.And as the world has proven us, there are a select few homeowners that continue to amaze us with their clever and well-thought shelter.
Kari’s downsized home reflects her past and personality. When she got divorced, she quit work and sold everything she had except a couple of boxes. Kari was able to reevaluate what’s important in her life and began a fresh start.
She used her severance package to propel her into a new beginning and traveled for 15 months, chronicling her entire journey through Europe through a blog.During her journey, Kari lived in a lot of small places, like a shepherd’s bothy on an island off the coast of Iona, Scotland.This little home served as her shelter for a couple of months, with its simplicity and convenience inspiring her to live in a modern tiny house herself.It was a combined effort of her and her architect father to design her current home. “My dad is a retired architect, so while I was traveling, he started working on some designs. And when I got home, he showed them to me, and we started collaborating together…” Kari said.
The small house is 24 feet long and 8.5 feet wide. The modern tiny house sits in the front yard of Kari’s friend, Tom. Kari’s parking spot is conveniently located near downtown Portland, allowing her to be within walking distance from her friend’s house and the city.Outside, you’ll first see the home’s patterned chocolate-brown metal walls, which complemented the trees and flora just outside Kari’s living space.Inside, you’ll notice the Scandinavian inspiration from the room’s furnishing and design.The ceiling, cupboards, interior walls are made of Russian birch. The light wood motif is a consistent look throughout Kari’s modern tiny house.
Everything is in one room, yet all the pieces work together to exude an organized and comforting space.“I knew that I would be spending a lot of time here. I work from home as well as live here, so I wanted to be able to have a lot of light and brightness. That was very important to me.” Kari said.Since Kari is limited by space, her couch and boxes became a storage for her winter clothes, backpacking equipment, and personal memorabilia.
As a 6-foot-3 lady, it was challenging for Kari to come up with a layout that allowed her to stand in the living room and sit on her bed. To remedy this problem, her bed lowers down using a remote control.When the bed is hoisted down, the home transforms into a cozy sanctuary where she mostly spends her time working and relaxing.In the kitchen, the raised counters nestle the sink and propane-powered stove and oven. Beyond is a separate space for her tiny fridge, pantry, and washer stored nicely opposite to her full-size wardrobe.Kari’s bathroom has a toilet with a small basin on top. Her makeup and personal hygiene items sit comfortably on a recessed organizer at the end of her mirror that comes around the side.
Living Big in a Tiny HouseWhen you pop a visit in Kari’s humble abode, her shower area will take you by surprise. You must push her wardrobe sideways to reveal the bathing area.“So one of the things my dad had discerned while doing his research is the showers are a really unused space as far as square footage . . . I have this full-size wardrobe that sits over my shower for the majority of the day, and I roll it out of the way when I need to use the shower…” Kari explained.Kari’s downsized home after divorce paved the way for her to pursue art, traveling, writing, and other passion projects. It’s quite ironic how Kari’s modern tiny house frees up space in her life for things that matter.Give yourself a house tour by watching the video below: