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10 advantages of living and working in tiny spaces (with wheels)
1) Mobilization
I rent space on a view lot on a burned home site in a 25-foot Airstream trailer. When I want a change of view I pack up my home/work place in less than 20 minutes. There are dozens of inexpensive places to park for short or extended stays. And why not? Wherever I go I’m home and at the office.
2) Creation
Creativity comes from inspiration, and nothing inspires me more than the great outdoors. I don’t know how some firms expect to get imaginative work from their designers working in fluorescent-lit cubicles on the 34th floor.
3) Concentration
When the time comes for focused, detail-oriented tasks, nothing beats my private, quiet and compact space for getting my best work done.
4) Inspiration
I worked for years in a place that had no view and it was creatively painful. Now, ideas soar out like the boundless view of the Pacific Ocean out my windows. I took a vacation last week, and took my home with me. “Sometimes all it takes for a change of perspective is to move your house. – M Hofmann”
5) Interruption
Clearly, working in a small space isn’t for every job. It’s wouldn’t be ideal for a seamstress to set up his sewing machine with yards of cloth, and then need to put it away for an interruption, like lunch. It’d be too cumbersome. For me, an architect, doing most of my work remotely and digitally – it works fine.
6) Commotion
Some types of work cause commotion that wouldn’t be ideal for high-density areas. Living in a relocateable home/office offers unlimited remote options. I know a sculptor who carves black bears from tree stumps with a chainsaw. He lives in a trailer in an industrial park – hold on – in the High Sierra and he snowboards five days a week, too.
7) Individualization
My father says, “You’ll never beat the herd by following the herd.” Small spaces are good for my mindset of being who I am – me. Small spaces allow me to maintain a good center of emotional balance. Cavernous office complexes with row after row of desks, chairs and monitors can’t be good for thoughtful expression.
8 ) Minimalism
Living and working in a tiny space is unabashedly taking the minimalist route. It says, “This is enough for me. I don’t need more, so I won’t take more.” It’s respectful of resources.
9) Duplication
The mindset of miniaturizing your living and workspace encourages and supports others who are attempting to do the same. I find office products, local food, and services online from other home-based businesses. Delicious brewers and wineries are springing up in small towns across the country. Our support of their hand-crafted goods perpetuates the cycle of responsible living.
10) “Muss mir sparen”
Another one of my German Grampa’s fond sayings translates into English as, “I or the collective we… must, obligated, it’s imperative… economize, save, reserve, save for later, keep back for future use, set aside for a specific purpose, lay aside, conserve.” For right or wrong, Germans have modeled what it takes to recover from adversity. Prioritize. Use what you need, not necessarily what you want. It’s about quality and function, not how much you can grab.
“How much money is enough?” was the iconic question posed to John D. Rockefeller at the height of creating incredible wealth from oil. He responded curtly, “Just a little bit more.”
Later in life, a wiser Rockefeller also said, “I know of nothing more despicable and pathetic than a man who devotes all the hours of the waking day to the making of money for money’s sake.”
Eventually he got it right. He discovered there’s nothing wrong with accumulating lots and lots of money, just respect it – yourself, others and the earth.
There’s a reason why so many people in an all-you-can-eat buffets are huge. It’s the same with money and spaces. There’s a point of diminishing returns on what we eat, the money we make, and the space we take. Even the Biblical reference makes this distinction, when it cautions, “The love of money is the root of all evil.”
Contentment with small spaces for living and working is a journey that I’m eager to explore. The way we view space reveals our priorities. What are yours?
- Matthew Hofmann, co. authored with Wally Hofmann
For more information or photos, visit www.hofarc.com. Sign up for our blog!
I love this and am using it for my inspiration on my 1972 Overlander! Thanks so much!
What’d ya do with yours? I’m in mine AND in the process… stickin original, but always interested in what others choose. RSVP Cheers Mr.E
Hi Matt,
found article about you and your trailer in european newspaper website, must have to say very inspirational. Great idea!!!!
Honza
here is the link, just in case you want to see it.
http://bydleni.idnes.cz/architekt-zachranil-stary-karavan-prestavel-ho-na-luxusni-bydleni-1dk-/dum_osobnosti.asp?c=A110214_160246_architektura_web
Thanks for the link Honza!
Matthew, I love this streamline habitat! I could totally live,work and die here. Parked on the beach in Costa Rica of course…
Nicely done! This is amongst the things I would like to do in life - a streamlined mobile/working life - beautiful! Like the ‘muss mir sparen’ quote, I grew up in Germany as a kid - you might enjoy this week’s word a day German theme: http://wordsmith.org/words/schwarmerei.html
Hi Matthew, I love your article. I live in a 31 sqm apartment with my espouse and I have even a corner for home office. I always liked the small spaces and how to make life as comfortable as possible in them.
I love it! where or how you do the laundry?
Laundromat : )
Hi Matthew, i had a professor of portuguese language, when i was 9 years old, who said: «my child, the most difficult thing in life is being simple!» And I couldn`t understand the contradiction of that… but nowadays, everydays, I take a little more, a little less, and that kind of «cerebral giym» makes me get the whole perspective of my life. (Hope I write these words well, with no mistakes…). It`s a question of respect and truth with you, the others and mother nature.
Love your work!
Greetings from Lisbon (Portugal), the capital of the sun.
Carla Chagas
Greetings, and thanks for following along! Love to hear this mentality is a worldwide phenomenon.
Love it. Just found you and you are living our dream get away! We’ve talked for years about rehabbing one for a vacation spot on some land in the mountains. With 2 kids, I don’t think we could live in it all year, but I think it would be a wonderful lesson for the kids to live this way for summers! Do you plan to post any photos of the renovation in progress? More, more! Kudos on a wonderful restoration and life change!
Absolutely. I’m working on a series that will document the process of renovation for the Airstream Renovation. Keep checking back.
Mr. Hoffman,
I’ve long wished to do what you’ve done. My sticking point has been a usable bathroom for long-term use. You seem to have made a lovely bathroom, and we are of a similar height, so I assume you’ve made something more functional for use than Airstream did initially. I’d love to see more photos of that bathroom. You mention a redwood floor pan in another post. I am not sure what you did there. Is this a “wet room” like in some larger trailers where the entirety of the bathroom is functionally the shower?
Here’s a photo of the shower base condition. Not a “Wet-Bath.” Shower is fully in its own space with a curtain that pulls across to separate. Water flows through redwood slats like rain through a deck, into drain below.
I am a college student and I find your design inspiring. I hope to one day be able to live this way. I agree with you as some one who started working at a young age a cubicle does nothing for creativity.
I love your design! I have Classic 345 MH and have been debating a refresh or the possibility of changing to a trailer.
I love to cook and the design you have done would be fantastic for that as well with all the countertop space - looks like party central!
Your design is great and makes use of all the space. I am an engineer (about to “downsize” from the 50 hour work week so that I can travel and cook) I am in awe of what you have done with this space. I am a Mac addict as well and Steve Jobs would like this trailer!
One question - would you mind commenting or posting a picture of the fridge/entry way. I saw pictures of the fridge open behind the pull-out pantry but cant tell if there is a countertop on top of the fridge (and it is short) versus being “floor-to-ceiling”.
What is under the other side of the bed (the non-printer side)? storage, tanks etc and how are hey accessed?
Did you keep the propane? Any idea how much it weighs? I think this is a 24 footer?
Thanks in advance and congratulations on such a phenomenal design!
Katy L from New Hampshire - Wally number 5939
Katy - Cabinet stops just above the fridge, with a countertop (same) installed. A nice place for keys, change, papers - plus keeps it all out of sight. That small space actually opens the space up visually quite a bit. Enables the line of the cabinetry extend full length. Thanks for following along!
All I can say is wow. This is ingenious and gorgeous at the same time. I would proudly live in that airstream! <3 Best of luck in all you do, even though you don't seem to need it. You have a skill obviously.