Laura LaVoie is undertaking a few huge transitions in life. She’s embarking on a new career as a freelance writer, she’s moving from Atlanta to Asheville, North Carolina and she is downsizing her life from a 2400 square foot home to a 120 square foot custom built tiny house that she will share with her partner, Matt.
Why would any woman do that? Who would voluntarily give away all of her ‘stuff’ to live in a tiny hideout in the woods that is barely big enough to host a dinner for four?
Laura is well aware of how ridiculous that sounds in a society that celebrates wanton consumerism. She is well aware yet, she doesn’t care because for her, a minimized lifestyle maximizes her freedom.
“Two years ago we sold a 2400 square foot house in the suburbs and moved into a 900 square foot high rise apartment on the north end of Atlanta. We really liked our big home and enjoyed using it while we had it - we'd throw parties and have friends over all the time,” Laura remembers. “But it was a lot of work maintaining that house - we always had to worry about the weather and the roof and the basement. When we sold it, we felt liberated."
This newfound liberation led to scouting the mountains of North Carolina to find a suitable place to build her own home. “We have spent the last three years building a 120 Square Foot house with our own hands. This has been an incredibly rewarding experience. The house has everything that two people need: a kitchen, a bathroom, a sleeping loft, a sofa and a dining table. On top of that, the house is situated in the middle of 15 acres on a mountain. It is so beautiful there that you can't help but be less stressed with life in general.” Laura says.
Blogging about the experience of building a Tiny House has allowed Laura to connect with other women and men who appreciate the minimalist lifestyle.
“I was originally just writing updates on my LiveJournal for myself and I had no idea anyone was reading it,” says Laura.” Eventually, people started to contact me about our build. A tiny house blogger in Charlotte was the first to feature our house on his website and I realized that maybe more people would be interested. I had no idea how big the tiny house movement was going to get.”
The Tiny House Movement is indeed awakening the minds of Americans across the country. As more people opt for personal and spiritual gains over material treasures, these miniature custom built homes are being constructed as permanent residences and vacation get-aways.
For more information about the Tiny House Movement please visit these outstanding websites.
Tiny House Design
Tiny House Blog
Tiny House Listings
1 comments:
Lara, what a humble home. I am inspired by your story. In the city, new homes are built everyday, while there you are living near the woods maximizing your freedom to explore the nature.
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