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Aug 15, 2013

My Tiny Porch Makeover

When Slabtown Customs of Arkansas built my 8' x 24' $10K tiny house, I debated if I should go with a large (for a tiny house) covered front porch or use that space to extend the interior length and square footage. Since I am not a builder and have no intention of building my own covered deck in the future I decided to go with a  covered front porch. I am happy with my choice. Have covered deck ---- will travel. The interior size measures eight feet wide by eighteen feet long. The porch measures six feet long by eight feet wide.

A large tiny house porch gives me several options. I need to be able to change things up and move furniture around as my mood changes. Even in a tiny house I feel it is important to be able to change out furniture and décor. I could not imagine living day in and day out, year in and year out with the same stuff in the same place all the time. I would go stir crazy and be bored to death. Here is my little porch dressed and ready for the long warm days of summer. My prior post shows pictures of the porch in Feb. Yes ... I change out my porch depending on the weather, holiday or my mood.


                                                                       
I purchased lace panels from a thrift store for added privacy & a cozy feel



My porch will seat four people comfortably  




I sat on my porch reading a book during a thunder storm last evening



Roses tied to an old wooden post welcome guests to my tiny retreat



Seating for two on one side of the front door



Comfortable seating for two more people on the other side of the porch



The sun and lace create beautiful wall patterns depending on the time of day



It is so comfy on my porch as a warm summer breeze blows through the lace



An antique French key adds mystery to my front door 



A vintage lunch box works great outside to hold and protect food items



The wicker table was on the side of the road = free, a coat of white paint and she has a new life



Rusty vintage chicken feeders make wonderful planters & an old milk can provides storage and when topped with a tractor seat makes a great place to sit



My little wicker sofa was a Craig's list find for $25.00



Adding shutters made a world of difference



A vintage ceiling tin piece sits above the top step to add interest to the porch area





Thanks for visiting my tiny front porch. It is such a fun and comfortable spot to relax, read, entertain, eat meals or just hang out with a girlfriend.


Remember - It is never too late to have a happy childhood.
Now.... go play.

xoxoxo
Tonita

{To see the inside my tiny home ....please view older posts}


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Feb 12, 2013

Hosting a party in a tiny house

Some people like to entertain &  host holiday parties. Tiny house owners might shy away from any thought of it due to not having an adequate amount of space where guests can be seated somewhat comfortably. Dinner parties can be fun in a tiny house, that is of course if your guests are not claustrophobic.
 
For my dinner party I  pulled out my Valentines Day decorations. Even though my tiny house is just 8' x 18' (on the inside) I filled her with Valentine décor both inside and outside on the 6' x 8' front porch.  So, come along with me to take a look at my shabby chic tiny retreat in her Valentines dinner party décor. Hearts, angels, roses, candles and lace fill all corners of my home and spill over to the front porch where a lavender topiary is dressed in tiny red hearts.
 

Valentine hearts hang from the lavender topiary on my porch 



Before building a tiny home decide in advance if you will entertain  guests in your little home. If so, I highly recommend using a standard size front door in your tiny home.  Not so skinny people can feel uncomfortable crunching through some of the tiny front doors used on many tiny homes. This will provide your  guests as well as yourself a more comfortable entry into your tiny abode. It will also allow you to move in a table that will seat up to four guests comfortably, that is if you build your home at least eight feet wide by eighteen (ish) feet long. Of course, there is always an option to purchase a table with removable legs or a fold down compact table and chairs in order to move it through a tiny door that is not a standard size. However, with tiny non standard front doors your furniture options become a bit more limited.

  

My covered front porch provides extra seating for guests



Roses, hearts, vintage lace, chocolates, angels, candles & dashes of pink all say Valentines Day 


One good thing about hosting a dinner party (or any party) in a small or even tiny home is that there is not much square footage for you to clean before hand. The down side is that there is not much storage space for things you may want out of your guests view. This is where your shower stall or bathtub will come in handy. You might also use this area to hold ice and cold drinks for your party. I have a vintage coat and hat rack attached to the wall above my bathtub. It works great for hanging guests coats, purses, or other items while allowing me to use the bathtub for temporary storage.


I
My dinner table will seat four adults comfortably

You might consider cooking a meal ahead of time so that you can hang out with your guests and relax. Serving food buffet style is also a popular option as well as using paper plates and cups for easy clean up. For my Valentines dinner party I am planning a sit down candle light dinner for several guests. After dinner the table will be cleared for more elbow room as we enjoy dessert and maybe some cards or a game.



Just because you live in a tiny house doesn't mean you can't decorate it






Who says you have to be a minimalist to live in a tiny house?  



You may want to decorate your tiny home and make it festive for holidays or on special occasions. This is not only fun but it is also memorable for your guests. Not everyone who owns a tiny home is a full fledged minimalist. I admit that I am not even near to being a minimalist, nor do I care to be. I like to shop and I like my stuff.  There are those who like the concept of a tiny house but don't want to part with nick knacks, collections, hobbies and so forth. Good news,  you don't have to. There is no law that says you can not have a storage shed or storage rental unit full of your beloved treasures that serve no other purpose than to make you smile. In fact, I can not imagine living in a tiny space looking at the same window coverings, furniture, pictures and so forth day in and day out for years on end.  Hats off to the minimalists, but that is just not my style. I like to decorate for each holiday, as well as change things out and mix things up a bit for some variety throughout the year.



I wanted my dinner table to ooze lovely décor that was pretty yet functional




Vintage dishes & old French key are paired with garland and petals from the dollar store




Vintage fabric and lace napkins are a perfect backdrop for miss match vintage flatware  


  
    
A view from above





My galley style kitchen





Old theater seats fold flat when not in use. A vintage apron dresses them up




Old wooden clothes pins attach lacy hearts to the draperies





Handmade vintage hearts adorn the walls and nooks of my tiny house






A must have, from my local antique store. It functions as a little lap desk and has inside storage





A perfect place to keep Valentines cards




Fresh miniature roses create a romantic feel for Valentines day





My mantle holds vintage Valentines postcards and pink wishbones





My chippy paint fireplace mantle all dressed for Valentines day





My kitchen angel.... God knows I need all the help I can get when in any kitchen




A little angel graces my bathroom shelf






Soap petals fashioned as a rose, add valentines day romance to my water closet (bathroom).






This is my guest loft complete with a single size feather bed



My master bedroom





More Valentines treats on the front porch - Yummy



After dinner treats    
                                           
I hope your day was filled with love.

Update 2/12/19 - If you enjoyed this post you may want to take a peek at my little 570' vintage farmhouse which is a work in progress. While I still own this sweet little 9'x18' shabby chic tiny retreat, my farmhouse allows me to have more living  space.  Go to my home page and click on the the 'Farm Charm Cottage' tab to see my little abode. It is filled with vintage decor, Chandeliers, Shabby recycled treasures, Primitive and French country pieces as well as lots of love. For more Valentines goodness just type in 'Valentines Day' in the search bar. Thanks for visiting. God bless you.
.Almost forgot to let you know - for more Valentines posts that share eats, treats and Valentines decor you can visit the 'Share the Love' link party.
 

xxxxxxx
Tonita

Dec 24, 2012

My tiny house - Christmas 2012

Here she is, my 8 x 24' tiny house. The interior measures 8 x 18'. My little shabby chic tiny retreat. When I sit in my home it is like being wrapped in a hug. So cozy, so sweet. So perfect. I dressed her in pink and white for the holidays and the theme " I'm dreaming of a pink Christmas" seems fitting.



Looks like it is going to be a white Christmas




                                                                           

I am a boot aholic




Looking in the front door




My nook on the left, WC - water closet on the right





My guest loft, fits 2 twin beds, a queen bed or a single bed with extra space for storage





The view from my master loft




My faux fireplace sits in front of my built in wall heater





Fireplace mantle made from an old chippy door






Lots of mirrors in the tiny house to reflect light





Bunting made by Michelle of Back Through Time, on Etsy





My guest loft







Peeking through a chandelier is fresh garland from my yard







Chandelier adds charm to my reading nook




View through the mirror




I have a collection of angels through out my tiny house




Looking out toward the kitchen from the nook area





Looking toward the kitchen and master loft from the nook area





Faux vintage ornaments mixed with real vintage crystals





My pretty little tree





I choose ornaments to reflect light





The view from my reading nook




Private and cozy spot for a nap

My comfy chase





My $2.00 vintage medicine cabinet re purposed as a spice cabinet




View of the kitchen




Pink rag rug from Target -



Fresh holiday garland





Ready for the Christmas party




Mercury glass and silver bulbs reflect light to make a tiny space sparkle





Hand painted sign by Rose Cottage Chic





                                                                    
I like to mix vintage, whimsy and flea market finds




                                                                      
W I S H   -   Christmas Tree topper




Getting ready for my "I'm dreaming of a pink Christmas" party



Before I purchased my tiny house I had an idea of how I wanted to decorate it. I was hugely inspired  by a stylist named Sandra Foster who has the most amazing tiny house in the world, at least to me. I prefer it over any tiny home that I have ever laid eyes on.  It is by far my favorite tiny house and blog ever. Her talent and style has inspired women all over the world. Her tiny studio has been in tons of magazines books and on television shows.

 I hung Christmas lights in my master loft and also used white fabric draped from the ceiling as a sort of ' knock-off', style of Sandy's adorable cottage in the Catskills. I want to take the time here to recognize her and hope that she sees my little knock off loft look, as a form of flattery and know that I acknowledge her as the queen of shabby cottage décor. Thanks for inspiring me, to try a similar look for my little shabby chic girl cave and retreat.


A very special THANKS to two special and talented lady's who's crafts and art work helped to make my little tiny house more festive this holiday season. Jill from Rose Cottage Chic painted the adorable pink sign with roses that says - I'm dreaming of a pink Christmas that I hung in my window above my table. She mixed her own milk paint recipe for my sign. She  has an amazing website and  also does custom orders.  
 

I also want to thank Michelle, who made the little bunting (the hand made W-I-S-H letters) that are vintage style, which I hung against the mirror above my fireplace. She also made my sweet W-I-S-H vintage tree topper.  It  is a pleasure to do business with people that are so pleasant, who provide incredible personalized customer service. I also loved the thoughtful gift wrap (below picture) that my order arrived in. Michelle has an Etsy shop called Back through time with gifts for all seasons and for absolutely no reason. Both women have wonderful hand made crafts.

Gift wrapped order from,  Back through time
                                              
Bunting made by Back through time, available on Etsy
My Christmas tree topper

I also wanted to include some very interesting information about the color pink which I found on Debbie's site. By the way, Debbie bought a 320 square foot home from Scott of Slabtown Customs, who is the same builder that built my tiny house. Look around her blog once you are there to see more of her sweet little family home.


May you be blessed this holiday season. Merry Christmas.


Tonita     

 This post is shared with - Marlyn's Treats                                       
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