Woman Turns An Ordinary Garage Into A Dream Home
It takes a lot of time, money, and elbow grease to maintain an attractive and comfortable house, and It's pretty difficult to find a decent, affordable living space in today's market. With such high costs, many people realize that they simply have to settle for something less. But as blogger and designer Whitney Leigh Morris discovered, it doesn't have to be that way. All she had to do was move into her garage...
The Life of a Small Space Living Consultant
For Whitney Leigh Morris, a designer, blogger, and "small space living consultant," living in the picturesque Venice Canal District of Venice Beach in Los Angeles, California, was a dream.
Enjoying the Good Life
Whitney and her husband, Adam, had made a happy, comfortable home with their young son, West, and their two beagle-mix rescues, Stanlee and Sophee. Clearly, they were enjoying the good life!
One Tiny Secret
By all appearances, Whitney and the rest of her family were living the kind of luxurious lifestyle that many folks would associate with wealthy Los Angeles residents. Except they had a tiny secret...
No Ordinary Living Space
You see, this happy little family didn't reside in any kind of the sprawling mansion like you might find in other parts of the area. In fact, they didn't even live in an ordinary house!
Home Sweet...Garage?
Rather, Whitney's family called a regular ol' garage their home. Well, it wasn't regular, exactly. What they did to the interior was something that would almost seem too good to be true if there wasn't photographic evidence to back it up!
More Than Enough
Whitney's home was built in the 1920s as part of a much larger building, but she and her family only needed something small for their living situation. While it was only 362 square feet, it was more than enough, all thanks to Whitney's sharp eye for design.
Her Ambitious Dream
Despite the fact that it seemed like a crazy idea, Whitney knew that she had a brilliant, cost-effective plan at her fingertips. And once she finally made her ambitious dream a reality, everyone took notice.
It Takes Talent
As a talented designer, Whitney used her artistic and economical eye to create enough room for not just herself, but her whole family. Complete with a bedroom, kitchen, and living area, this garage really was a dream home...
How'd She Do It?
Whitney's creation was a fully-functional, fully-realized, and breathtakingly beautiful home that anybody would be lucky to call their own! However, what's really impressive is how she pulled it off.
Heavenly Atmosphere
The house's wide entrance and doors were replaced with spacious panels and a glass door that let in natural light, giving the whole space a warm, welcoming — and almost heavenly — atmosphere. The doors were still big enough to create an optical illusion of space.
Big Isn't Better
Whitney also situated a charming and perfectly functional desk near the door to utilize as her professional workspace. It wasn't big by any means, but as all shrewd designers know, big isn't always better. The compact workspace got the job done — kind of like the entire home!
Mirror Trick
The mirror hanging over the desk also helped to make the room seem significantly bigger than it actually was. No matter how large your own home is, this is a helpful trick that's worth trying! There was more, too...
Living Room Transformation
A simple tablecloth draped over the coffee table helped to transform an ordinary living room into a pleasant and cozy dining room. Can't you imagine sitting here for a nice gourmet meal or even just a casual lunch?
An Artistic Touch
The rear wall, which would ordinarily be used to hang garden tools and other outdoor supplies were it still a garage, now boasted beautiful stainless steel appliances, wooden cabinetry, and artwork.
Perfect For Guests
Whitney even added a beautiful L-shaped couch to section off the space from the entertaining area without making it seem too closed-off. It looked like it would be able to comfortably fit a few guests. Speaking of, where did this family sleep?
A Partition Is A Plus
Whitney simply partitioned off the bedroom for more privacy, which gave the illusion of there being another whole room in the "house." Obviously, it was gorgeously designed! Stanlee and Sophee took great care to watch over their teeny infant sibling who was enjoying a snooze in their brand-new digs.
Lovely Little Backyard
There was even a lovely little backyard! Whitney and Adam converted the small outdoor space into a modestly sized patio area, as well as added to the comfortable décor with fairy lights and trailing ivy.
Saving Your Money
A tiny home like the one that Whitney and her family renovated proved that larger, more conventional living spaces were overrated, quite often unnecessary, and very likely overpriced! But won't Whitney and her family crave more space eventually?
Whitney's Motto
As far as Whitney is concerned, she doesn't think you need a lot of space or "stuff" in order to be happy. Whitney's motto was that most people "don't need to 'live large' to live beautifully," and her lifestyle was a testament to that. For some folks, though, living small isn't a state of mind so much as a necessity.
Tent Life
As the cost of living increases, viable options for common folk decrease, especially when raising a family. When Zac and Katie Ruiz were looking to move out of their pricey apartment to raise a family, they were super inspired by Whitney's bold and affordable lifestyle. But when they finally decided to deep dive into tent life, they weren't prepared for the unpredictable consequences.
Cali At A Price
During the blissful honeymoon phase of their marriage, Zac and Katie Ruiz resided in a quaint California apartment. While waking up to the warmth of The Golden State every day sounds like a dream, cutesy Cali living came at a price.
Surprising News
With no real plan in mind, Zac and a pregnant Katie went back to Katie's hometown in New Mexico, as they needed to save some dough. After living there for about a year, Katie's mother relayed some surprising, not to mention convenient, news.
A Whole Acre
Lo and behold, Katie had unknowingly inherited an acre of land. As you could only imagine, the couple, with a second baby on the way, was practically jumping for joy. Money was tight, and this seemed to be the answer to their prayers.
No More Living Paycheck to Paycheck
Zac and Katie were eager to move onto their newly obtained property, as they wanted to break the exhausting cycle of simply working to pay their rent and living paycheck to paycheck. They knew where they were going to live, but not what they'd live in.
A Unique Idea
After perusing the internet for housing options, hoping to cheaply build their dream home on Katie's acre, they found the available options would strip their wallets dry. They birthed a unique idea, however.
More Than "Glamping"
The Ruiz family decided to live in a tent. Yes, a tent. After getting situated in a lousy camper for a few months while on the property, they transitioned to tent living. But don't cringe just yet. They took "glamping" to a whole new level.
Huge Tent
Within an eight-week period, Zac, who makes handcrafted lighting and decor, and Katie, who sells various essential oil products, built a 300-square-foot tent, complete with a cozy, raised loft. Though it's compact, the homey tent featured only what the family of four needed.
No Big Sacrifice...
"That's $1,500 a month we don't have to spend," Zac said regarding their brilliant escape from the dreaded monthly rent bill. Raising a family comes with its sacrifices, and while you'd think giving up a house would be a huge sacrifice, it wasn't for the Ruiz family — at first.
Aesthetically-Pleasing
There were no sleeping bags to be found in this tent. Their sleeping area, kitchen, and dining area were all visible from the aesthetically-pleasing glass front, which obviously made for a cramped lifestyle. The Ruiz family made it work, though.
Homey Tent Living
The whole hipster-Brooklyn-coffee-shop vibe, which included rustic artwork, pastoral wood, and various houseplants, made the lack of elbow room more than bearable for the fam. Although it was homey, tent life did come with its downfalls.
No Heat
The loft, which was dripping in fairy lights, was accessible via a ladder for the kiddies. Though it was technically the kids' bedroom, they often slept in their parents' bed due to temperature issues. The tent didn't exactly get central heating.
The Family Could Freeze
It was especially a problem in the winter, as the family not only slept in the same bed to bask in communal body heat, but they also frequently wore coats and sweats inside the tent. That sounds like it would get old pretty quickly.
Force of Nature
"Most people probably couldn't deal. I always joke, 'People like nature until nature kicks in,'" Zac said of the uncomfortable temperatures the Ruiz family endured. Still, nature had more in store for the family than cold temperatures.
No Water?!
Unfortunately, there was no running water anywhere in the tent (which may be the final deal-breaker for some), so that made certain aqua-related chores a bit of a hassle. The family had an industrial-style outdoor shower, though.
Take & Give
"Washing dishes isn't the easiest thing. But it's still really doable. It maybe just takes a few minutes longer here and there," Zac said. It was all give and take, though some people would definitely see this rustic life as more "take" than "give."
A Woodsy Paradise
In the grand Ruiz tent, you'd also find a four-foot by eight-foot closet, and a four-foot by three-foot bathroom with a composting toilet. They were only concerned with the tent serving the most fundamental of needs. There was no fluff in this woodsy paradise.
Minimalism
Since minimalism was important to Zac and Katie, they found little ways to create space without cluttering the teeny-weeny tent. Their king-sized bed sat on an elevated platform, which provided room underneath that was just perfect for storage.
They've Got The Power
They also kept their energy usage to a minimum, which was why their solar panels worked wonders. Said panels fueled LED lights, a television, a DVD player, phone chargers, a small fridge, and an electric stovetop. "Our daily power needs are pretty small," Zac said.
Time Enough At Last
Zac relayed that he gained a ton of free time since the start of the family's downsized tent lifestyle. "Time to do whatever I want. Time to hang out with the boys, time to have hobbies and actually do them," he said.
Moving Out
The Ruiz family's tent was even featured in Brent Heavener's book Tiny House, which details the ins and outs of tiny living. Though their two-year-old tiny tent was famous, they weren't planning to be there forever.
Looking Towards the Future
The family was in love with tiny living (which Brent Heavener believed "aids in your pursuit of freedom"), but Zac explained that a 600-square-foot cabin would be perfect for the squad, and that they were planning to move out of the sacred tent in a few years.
Newly Enlightened
"We evolved our mindset of working with less," Zac explained. Living a simplistic life in a 300-square-foot tent birthed a minimalistic renaissance for the Ruiz family. A life without unnecessary clutter not only saved the Ruiz clan wads of cash, but it created a sense of enlightenment and fulfillment within the family.
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