Ten years ago, my husband, Scott, and I moved to West Virginia and started building an off-grid cabin.
We knew we didn’t want a tiny house, but we also wanted to keep costs and build time as low as possible. We quickly settled on a happy medium: an open-concept, 500-square-foot cabin with a bathroom, kitchen, living and sleeping space, and a small loft that we’d use for storage.
This little house has allowed us to significantly reduce our monthly bills and enjoy more time in nature. On the other hand, though, living in a smaller space has also changed our lifestyle a bit.
We’ve had to prioritize our passions
I think we both wish we could do it all, and if there were more hours in the day, we would probably try.
Scott and I both run small businesses and have a plethora of hobbies, from outdoor adventures like backpacking, caving, mountain biking, and disc golf to quieter hobbies like gaming, reading, painting, and playing Dungeons & Dragons. We also have three dogs, one cat, and one rabbit.
These hobbies and commitments come with a lot of gear and supplies. Living in a small home, however, has made us less likely to hold on to projects and hobby supplies that we’re no longer enjoying.
There’s no big closet or garage for items to collect dust in, so as soon as we notice something isn’t getting used, we pass it along. Since moving into our cabin, we’ve given away board games, yarn, a guitar, and other hobby supplies.
We dropped the fantasy of a Pinterest-perfect cabin
I love scrolling through the styled Instagram and Pinterest shots of small apartments that somehow still look luxurious, but our space probably won’t ever look exactly like that.
Our lives are full, and our house is busy. Our kitchen and living space often do double or triple duty. In a single day, we may spend time in the same space invoicing for work, canning strawberry jam from the garden, doing yoga, taking care of several pets, and doing a puzzle.
To accommodate all of this, we had to prioritize comfort and utility over style. We each swapped a kitchen chair for an ergonomic office chair.
We got rid of our nice leather sofa in favor of a little loveseat so we could have more floor space for yoga and strength training, and we opted to give up some space for a large wood stove in one corner and solar system components in another.
Similarly, we gave up on decorating for holidays. As much as I love celebrating and always think seasonal trends are cute, having minimal storage space makes it feel less than worthwhile to save decor that we only reach for once a year.
Although we kept a few small decorations — mostly sentimental pieces made by family and friends — we gave most of our storage space over to outdoor gear like backpacks, sleeping bags, and other equipment.
We have to compromise when it comes to noise
When we built the cabin, we opted for an open layout because it makes it more efficient to keep the space warm and well-lit. Our large south-facing windows and wood stove make the entire space bright and cozy even on cloudy, snowy days.
Although this is a huge perk, the layout has also meant we have no space to watch separate TV shows or listen to our own music.
We’re lucky enough to have mostly similar tastes in podcasts and shows, but we’re not always up for the same activity. We often have to compromise by wearing headphones or just keeping the house quiet for a bit, especially when the other person is sleeping.
The issue becomes more important for work calls. As a journalist, I often interview sources via video chat, and Scott often provides quotes and consultations for his construction business. When he’s on a call, I’ve gotten used to taking the dogs for a walk or working in the garden to ensure the house is quiet.
The lack of privacy also makes hosting trickier
We can set up a bed in the loft or offer guests the pull-out loveseat, but it’s definitely not the same as having a guest room.
We’re also relatively early risers, so when we’ve had guests stay over, we’ve often had to tiptoe around in the morning trying not to wake anyone. Plus — of course —anyone we invite over has to be willing to enjoy close quarters during their visit.
These lifestyle changes probably aren’t right for everyone, but they’ve been worth it for us. The limits set by our space have pushed us to decide what’s really important, and that has allowed us to spend more time together and more time doing the activities we love.
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