Choosing a Tiny House Style that Feels Like Home

Since I was a small child I've been deeply sensitive to and affected by environments. As soon as I was physically big enough to do it, I was moving furniture around in my room to try out different arrangements. I was always very attuned to how those arrangements made me feel.

That instinct carried on in me, and is probably part of why I spent over ten years as a web and brand designer as well as developer. I've always felt drawn to the logical and practical — but also to what is beautiful, evocative, and even transcendent. The best, to me, is when all of that can combine.

The Importance of Style

It feels a little silly to call this out because it's pretty obvious – but the style and feel of a house is incredibly important! Style has the ability to add or remove functionality, directly cause an emotional reaction in those who enter, communicate the values of the owner, and much more.

I may not be an interior designer, but I have enough experience in the world of art and design to have a deep appreciation for the effect a beautifully designed space can have on a person or landscape.

Recognizing My Own Style

My personal style – the visuals and aesthetic I innately gravitate toward – has evolved over the years. The one constant has been a deep belief in minimalism. It's a concept that strongly resonates with me at every level. But what that looks like has shifted. When I was younger, I was all about Scandinavian design – lots of whites, pine, black accents, and clean, modern lines. I still love that style.

My Evolution of Style

But as what was important to me started to grow and become more clear, so did my style. Growing up, I learned all sorts of skills including cooking, sewing, canning, even lacemaking – and the reason I learned this, quite honestly, is that our county fair could be an extremely lucrative place for a kid. You could enter handmade items of all sorts for a chance to win prize money – and let me tell you, my siblings and I cleaned house. That was our yearly income, and we took it seriously! Yes, we did have fun with (some) of the skills we learned, but we were very down to the brass tacks when it came to calculating how much money we could earn each year from the fair. And boy were we successful.

It wasn't until later on that I started to realize that those skills were actually quite important to me, even without any fair prize money. I also started realizing that the older, traditional ways of living that I had been very much surrounded by as a kid (either through Old Salem, which is a Williamsburg-like historic town by where we lived, or through a friend's farm we'd help out on at times in the summer) were calling my name.

Now, as someone firmly bent on living out of my own (human) sovereignty, becoming more self and community sufficient, and returning to a daily rhythm that is much more in touch with nature (literally), I realize that those skills are an incredible gift to me.

My Current Style

As my values became more clear, so did my style. I started shifting away from the more utilitarian, modern styles, and started gravitating to styles that felt more traditional, handmade, and deeply rooted in nature.

Just as those skills I learned as a child came back to me with renewed importance, so did the styles from Old Salem – the historic town we visited constantly as kids. Going back as an adult, I had to admit I was totally in love with the timber framing, plaster walls, handmade wood furniture, and on point green trim and doors.

I'd describe my style as somewhere between Shaker and Moravian – I'm drawn to the Shaker practicality, but the Moravian extra touch of intricacy also speaks to me. It boils down to natural elements wherever possible, simplicity, craftsmanship, and neutral and muted colors. It's those handmade, intentional, nature-rooted characteristics that pull me in!

Design Elements I'm Bringing to My Tiny House

Now that it's clear to me what I'm drawn to style-wise and why, here are the elements that are important to me to include in my own house!

My Design Pillars

• Natural materials
• Simplicity
• Functional beauty
• Visible craftsmanship
• Historic influences
• Muted, neutral colors
• Timelessness

Brown or Green Baseboards

I. Hate. White. Baseboards. I have a lot of things I would gladly give a dissertation on, and this is one of them. Who came up with this idea? Baseboards are going to get dirty. Feet are going to knock into them. And North Carolina red clay will stain them. For that reason (plus the fact that I love this look I'm going for) I'm definitely going with either muted green or brown baseboards. Not only does it make a design statement, but it is forgiving of the expected wear and tear that the baseboards are going to experience.

Simple Trim

I love Shaker-style cabinets and trim. I'm not really into decorative molding for a few reasons – it's too ornate of a look for me, and it poses a problem in cases where you might want to make a change in your house and build something against the wall or on it and then you have to deal with molding that is not a clean and simple 1x4. I've done enough of my own home renovation projects to realize what a low-key inconvenience that can be!

White Walls (Maybe a Plaster Look?)

I'd love to actually have plaster walls. My further-off longterm goals involve buying land, building a tiny house on a foundation, and doing it with natural building methods (straw bale house maybe?). That would mean clay plaster walls! In the meantime, my house will be using modern building methods, and the fact that it's on wheels means that weight is a critical consideration. So real plaster was out the window before the convo began.

However, I'm hoping to recreate the look of plaster. The main thing to me is white walls (not true white, a very neutral cream) so that the house will feel light and airy and spacious. I want the look of plaster because I love the natural, textured look it gives versus the too-perfect modern day paint finishes. Currently, my plan is to use limewash paint on birch ply walls to mimic that plastered look. Most likely, I'll be combining that with some shiplap walls as well.

Mid-Tone, Muted Brown Hardwood Floors

I've always been a sucker for hardwood floors. I love their feel, their character, their timelessness, and their never-ending ability to be re-finished however a person might choose. I do not like carpet. That's another dissertation-worthy subject. Why take stainable, porous fabric and install it permanently onto a floor where people are going to walk and spill things? That may be a more extreme take on it – but it's how I've always felt, and a large part of why I want to do full hardwood floors.

Additionally, I love the wider plank style. I'll have to be careful in what width I choose given the narrow width of my house (too wide of a plank could feel visually imbalanced), but that's the style I'm going for.

Antique and Handmade Items

This one is actually very practical as well as an intentional design choice. I prefer to find good deals at antique shops and thrift stores, plus the character and style you get from items like that is unmatched.

My goal is to ensure that every element in my home feels intentional in one way or the other. That might sound like a lofty goal, but in a tiny house? Not only is that doable, it's advisable. That way something isn't just a practical tool or necessity - it doubles as a decoration, a treat for the eye. You better believe I'll have an old-fashioned broom and you better believe it will hang displayed on the wall (space permitting!)

Tips for Finding Your Own Style

If you're trying to determine what your own style is, here are some tips that I've learned over the past few years!

Look to Your Past For Inspiration

So much of my current style, values, and skills have roots in my childhood. Your early environments often hold clues to your style — where did you feel most at home, most yourself?

Embrace Pinterest

I don't care how mainstream or stereotypical that might sound! (I joined Pinterest back when it was invite-only so maybe I get a pass?) It's been an essential resource for me as an oasis of visual inspiration. As a freelancer, I used it regularly with my clients, and personally, I love how helpful it can be in curating ideas and styles. It can help you find and follow a visual direction, as well as spark other ideas.

Notice What You're Drawn To

What I've learned is that figuring out the best style for you depends on you noticing what you're drawn to, and then asking "why?". For me, not only am I drawn to the style I am because of associated values, but also because of the feeling of simplicity, orderliness, and intention that it evokes.

Patterns in what catches your eye — white walls, handmade pottery, worn wood — can point you to your true style. Pay attention, and ask why.

Style Should Reflect Your Taste and Values

Well, this isn't really a rule. But I think it's an awesome thing when it can be true. Style becomes more deeply rooted when it grows from deeper values, and it becomes more meaningful. To me that's the ideal – form and function.

Your Style Can Evolve

We all change! It's a bittersweet part of life. Giving yourself permission to allow your style to grow with you is not only an honest approach to life, but it's freeing. It's fun to notice when you start gravitating toward something new, and can be revealing when you ask yourself "why am I gravitating toward this?".

At the end of the day, it's meant to be an enjoyable journey of self-discovery.