Allyson and her dog, Tucker, live peacefully in Victoria, BC in a tiny home dubbed ‘Daisy’. She is 64 and hopes to retire next year, but didn’t have a retirement plan in place yet. After running across a tiny home video and falling in love with the lifestyle, she began her journey into tiny living! Allyson got her first taste of minimalism when her work as a home stager ended. She found that she loved the freeing feeling of purging items! Initially, Allyson had no support from family and friends, making this project feel overwhelming, but her advice is to ‘break it down into manageable chunks!’
Allyson heats her tiny home with a small oil-filled radiator that has a little coffee station on top that her son crafted for her. Her favorite part of her living room is her bright red leather reclining chair that has a pop-up footstool right next to a large bookcase housing over one hundred books that are just waiting to be read! Allyson’s walls display art that is precious to her, especially the drawing of Victoria that she inherited from her father.
Repurposing can make tiny living feasible.
Allyson assisted in building most of her home, working right alongside the builders. She is now able to take on small projects on her own! She saved tons of money by designing her space around windows she repurposed. These massive windows give her tiny home an open and welcoming feel. Alysson saved another huge chunk of change by sewing her own curtains, making her own couch with storage, and repurposing many other items she uses in her kitchen and bathroom, right down to the shower stall that is a galvanized steel tub with a hula hoop shower rod!
Allyson’s home boasts the most amazing, recycled glass countertops made from a mixture of glass pieces reclaimed from blue, red, green, and brown bottles. A local artisan brought it all together in a white resin base that is exquisite and would look great in any home!
Use of color can give a tiny home a playful, fun vibe!
Allyson also has colorful hot pink french doors leading out to a rustic, fun patio outside. Her open back porch is made from old repurposed doors with glass panels that give a little protection from the wind and rain. She lives partially off-grid, utilizing an RV toilet, downloading Netflix shows at work, and ditching an at home wifi connection. She does enjoy the convenience of running water and unlimited electricity included with her lot rent.
All in all, Allyson loves the sense of freedom that comes from only owning what you need. This tiny home is her safe place, she designed and assisted in building this home and it’s her comfy, satisfying sanctuary. She is “beyond happy with the choice to live tiny” and would do it all again in a minute!
If you’d like more information on Allyson or her tiny home, follow her on Instagram at @allysonteenytiny
