Aaron Richard Maret is an architect, builder, photographer, and blogger from North Carolina. One of his most recent designs, the Pocket Shelter, has been garnering a lot of attention – once you step inside, you’ll see why.
Measuring under 200-square-feet, the Pocket Shelter was designed with Aaron, his partner, and their 2-year-old son in mind.
The exterior of the tiny home-on-wheels features a fun rustic exterior with metal roof. Maret designed what he calls a ‘mud room’ at the back of the home. It’s a semi-enclosed porch with a bench, storage for dirty shoes, and hooks for wet jackets.
The interior of the home is warm, comfy, and surprisingly elegant.
“This tiny house on wheels is a synthesis of thoughtful design, detail-oriented craftsmanship, and a healthy dose of patience. Five years in the making (longer if you count the design time), this has been a labor of love and a playful experiment in alternative construction… and living,” Maret says on his website.
When living tiny, it’s crucial to have furniture that is multi-purpose.
This thoughtfully designed sofa isn’t just comfortable, but it features multiple drawers and room for storage. The opposite side of the ‘living room’ features a long bench with additional storage as well.
Just past the seating area is the Pocket Shelter’s kitchen with gorgeous wood slab countertops.
On one side of the kitchen, there is a two-burner gas cooktop, mini fridge, and a couple of drawers. On the opposite side, there is lots of additional storage, as well as a sink with a removable wood cover that provides extra counter space when not in use.
The “mini built-in composting toilet cabinet” is what Maret and his family use as the bathroom.
The composting toilet slides out when needed, then tucks away when not in use – hiding completely out of sight! It’s creative designs like this that make living in such a small space completely tolerable, and quite comfy.
To access the sleeping loft, there’s a gorgeous handmade wood ladder.
The sleeping loft boasts a vaulted ceiling with large wooden planks. A window sits at the end of the room, letting in a bit of natural light, and it can be opened to provide a nice breeze as well.
A view looking down from the loft shows just how much living space is available in the Pocket Shelter.
A large triangular window sits at the front of the home, another wonderful source of natural light. There is also a shelf sitting above the seating bench, providing a perfect spot to store the family’s book collection.
So, how has it been learning to ‘live small’ with a family?
“Learning how to build this small is a challenge. But it’s child’s play compared to learning how to live small. It took every bit as long to pair down enough to fit reasonably into such a small space as it did to build it,” Maret says.
“Going through round after round of downsizing, purging, and otherwise shedding whatever is unnecessary took determination and mental and emotional stamina. And it’s been totally worth it. Having only what’s essential (by relatively affluent western standards) frees up a lot of clutter, expense, maintenance and energetic baggage.”
Want to learn more about the building process and the Pocket Shelter itself? Visit Aaron Maret’s website.
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