Grace’s Plant-Filled Oasis Tiny Home in Massachusetts

Grace (@inner.grace on Instagram) works as a yoga instructor and health/mindset coach and her plant-filled home couldn’t feel more peaceful.

What are your name(s)? My name is Grace Riley. How many people (and animals) will are living in your tiny house? I live in my tiny house with my fiance Ryan, and our small dog, Tofu. Where do you live? We currently live in Massachusetts in a wooded area near the border of New Hampshire.

Why did you decide to go tiny? What are you hoping to get out of living tiny?

We decided to go tiny because it really fit our lifestyle and our values. From living in a tiny apartment in NYC and traveling, we were very used to living in small spaces and had adopted a minimalist mindset towards our possessions. I have always loved camping and spending time in nature and wanted a house with a cabin-like feel. We hoped that living tiny would really force us to be more mindful of our possessions, simplify our lives, and to help us focus on the things that really matter. How did you first learn about tiny life? I first learned about the tiny house movement in my early years of college in 2012. My major was in college urban studies, and I have always been interested in how architecture and spaces change people’s behaviors! Sustainability was always important to me, and I knew that one day I wanted to live in a tiny house. How long did it take to finish your tiny? We bought our house 95% built already! From the time we bought our house, to the time it was delivered to us, it took about 4 months. How did you build your tiny? Did you have any help? Did you do it yourselves? Originally, we were planning on building our tiny house ourselves. But after realizing that doing a self-build might not fit into our timeline, we quickly found a pre-built home online that we fell in love with! After doing a lot of research on the Escape ONE model from Escape Traveler, we decided that it perfectly fit our criteria, and we decided to buy one! How did you find a place to park and live in your tiny? Finding a place to park was a little difficult for us, because we do not have any family/friends with land nearby. But after a lot of researching and contacting people, we got really lucky and found a perfect spot on Craigslist! We pay a monthly rent, and we live alongside 2 other tiny houses. Before going tiny, what was life like? Before going tiny, our lives were more stressful. We didn’t have a space and home base to call our own, and were overwhelmed easily by our schedules, our possessions, and daily life. We were living with family in order to save for our dream home. What benefits are you experiencing after going tiny? We have experienced SO many benefits since going tiny! It has caused us to be a lot more mindful of our purchases: from food to clothing to toys for our dog. We also have to be a lot more organized! Simplifying my life has given me more clarity. And waking up in the loft with our big windows right next to the trees is breathtaking and very relaxing! What about some challenges? Something that is both a blessing and a curse is that we have very limited internet due to the fact that we have a small hotspot. This has caused us to have a healthier relationship with technology, although it can be a little annoying we want to stream shows! We also just went through our first winter, and had some challenges with propane tanks running out and exterior hoses freezing. Also, the spot where we are parked right now has seasonal water. Meaning we brought in all our water over the winter to fill up our on-board tanks. Some people may see this as negative, however we see these events as fun and exciting challenges to overcome. What makes your tiny home special? Our tiny home is special because it has such a warm, open feel. The windows and tall ceilings really make it feel bigger and more open than it is. We have unhindered views of the forest and nature, which is really calming and peaceful. Also, we have really been able to decorate our house to fit our style with all our plants and greenery! What is your favorite part of your tiny house? I have two favorite spots! My favorite hang out spot is our sleeping loft. It is 5 ft tall (which makes it very roomy) but it also has panoramic windows on all 3 sides. It feels like sleeping right in the trees. My favorite place to do work is at our huge 6ft by 6ft window at the breakfast bar table that we designed and built ourselves. I love staring out the window all day as I work. What helpful advice would you give to others interested in going tiny/living in a tiny home? Do research! Figure out what your non-negotiables are in a house and keep your parking spot in mind. Also, staying in tiny houses is a great way to get a feel for them. Actually stepping into and staying the night in different tiny houses is an excellent way to get some ideas of what kind of layout would work best and to see if tiny living is for you! Before we bought our house, I stayed in a lot of tiny houses/cabins to get ideas for what I wanted! Do you have a website, blog, or social media page where we can follow along?

Yes! My website is: www.innergrace.me and my Instagram is @inner.grace..