Laura and Rory were sick of the skyrocketing rent and outrageous home costs in Vancouver, B.C., so they opted for an alternative solution that has proven to be the best decision of their lives.
Instead of purchasing a traditional home or throwing their money away on rent, the couple decided to join the tiny house movement and build one themselves. Despite neither of them having any prior building experience, they were confident that they could pull it off – and they were right.
After a year of planning and building, Laura and Rory’s tiny ‘Blueberry’ home finally came to fruition.
“The size of a tiny house is great to take on when you don’t have any build experience,” Laura told Tiny House Giant Journey.
Having built the entire home themselves, Laura and Rory have their own sanctuary that they can be truly proud of. Just wait until you see all of the features they’ve incorporated inside.
The ‘great room’ of the couple’s home features gorgeous wood flooring and walls, a seating area, and a storage loft.
It was important for Laura and Rory to have a seating and dining space that would be good for entertaining guests, so they wanted the benches to face one another. Not only that but if they need additional seating, they can always fold out the smaller bench to accommodate two more people.
Looking the opposite direction, you’ll see the couple’s ‘office’ area near the furnace.
In this small corner nook, Rory and Laura included a small table that folds up for a workspace and office. There is also a built-in bookshelf and a cabinet for storage. The 8,000 BTU furnace keeps the entire ‘Blueberry’ warm.
The furnace doesn’t only keep the couple warm during those chilly Vancouver nights, but it also doubles as their ‘clothes dryer.’
Rory and Laura installed a neat feature that has three retractable lines that hover over the warm heater. This allows them to quickly dry their clothes after washing them in their compact washer (below.) When living tiny, it’s important to make spaces multi-functional – making use of every inch of space.
The Blueberry’s kitchen is small but has all the modern amenities you’d find in a traditional home.
Unlike many mobile tiny homes, Rory and Laura’s kitchen boasts a stovetop with an oven. There is also a double basin sink, lots of countertop space (which are made of concrete), full refrigerator (not pictured), and a compact washing machine that plugs into their sink.
The small bathroom is elegantly simple – and also eco-friendly.
The bathroom boasts a full shower stall, sink, and a composting toilet. The couple used the same beautiful wood in the living space for their walls and shelving in the bathroom, every room flowing perfectly into the next.
To access the sleeping loft, just climb up the custom-made staircase that doubles as closet and storage area.
When there’s limited square footage, storage can be hard to come by. It’s essential that tiny homeowners get creative when it comes to multi-purpose furnishing and designs. Rory and Laura have clearly done a remarkable job at doing just that.
The comfy sleeping loft is large enough for a queen-sized mattress.
The Gambrel style roof provides a slightly ‘vaulted’ ceiling for the loft, allowing Rory and Laura to have enough space to sit upright in bed. There is also a gorgeous skylight that lets natural light flood the room during the day and is perfect for gazing up at the stars before bed.
Laura and Rory’s tiny Blueberry home only cost them $30,000 CAD in materials. Take a full tour of their home and how they built it in the video below.
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