A Year Later...

It's now been one year since I moved into my tiny house (November 2008-2009) and I'm still loving it! Here is the most recent article I wrote for the Tumbelweed website.

Since I moved into my Tumbleweed house last November, I have been tinkering and experimenting with this special space.
My female cat took a fall out of the loft one night a few months ago - she wasn’t seriously hurt, thank goodness, but I vowed to make the loft safer for the cats. First, I got a larger, but thinner mattress that doesn’t protrude over the end of the loft. Then I had my contractor friend, Rich Weaver, build an extension eight inches wide about two-thirds of the way across the end of the loft. He also designed a lovely wooden railing for added safety. When I came home and saw the finished work, I was struck at how it made the interior of the house feel like the inside of a small boat! I love this new addition and plan to expand on the nautical theme.
Rich also installed wooden blocks to hold the ladder for climbing. He always takes care to make things look attractive and I was very pleased with the blocks’ effectiveness and look.
I’ve added wire shelves in the kitchen, and in the bathroom - in a somewhat unusual way. Both the office and bathroom have very little space for storage, so I decided to make use of the ceiling space between the rafters. By installing the shelving on the ceiling, I can put all of my tall/long items overhead! Of course, I’m a tall gal, so this is ideal for me.
Expanding rods are wonderful tools in a tiny house! I use them for all the window curtains, drying rods and for flexible overhead storage between rafters.
While my pots and pans hang cheerfully over the kitchen window, I found a great out-of-the-way spot for those pesky lids - the shelf brackets! I put a couple of nails at the bottom and the lids just snuggle right in.
An extra mesh bag has found a new calling as overhead storage in one of the closets - keeps my bike helmet and rain gear out of the way.
I’d love to hear about other folks’ storage solutions for small spaces - please feel free to comment with your ideas.