Home Sweet Home – in 84 square feet
Jan 26, 2015, 8:13 AM | Updated: Oct 10, 2024, 2:03 pm

Dee Williams who founded Portland Alternative Dwellings, a tiny house education, resource, and consulting company, built an 84-square-foot house of her own. (Photo courtesy Dee Williams/Penguin)
(Photo courtesy Dee Williams/Penguin)
Dee Williams not only believes in scaling down but she’s also happy to show others how to do it.
The Olympia resident, who founded Portland Alternative Dwellings, a tiny house education, resource, and consulting company, built an 84-square-foot house of her own.
Her book, The Big Tiny, details her construction project that began atop a metal truck trailer. The pine-and-cedar bungalow houses a kitchen counter with a propane one-burner, a sleeping loft, solar-powered lights, a composting toilet, and a sink.
The small home movement isn’t just for those who want to live off the grid, either. Country Living magazine has an entire section of its website dedicated to little homes, and recently published, “44 of the Most Impressive Tiny Houses You’ve Ever Seen,” highlighting small homes from all over the country.
Tiny homes are also an option for buyers seeking land for recreational purposes such as kayaking, fishing, or weekend getaways. Depending upon local ordinances, some tiny homes may not even need a building permit.