This Tiny Home Nestled in the Forest Proves Small-Scale Living Is About Intentional Design

Amber's tiny living story is a beautiful example of how you can turn a simple tiny house into a sanctuary space that reflects your personality and the things that are important to you. Whether you're a seasoned tiny home enthusiast or just now considering embarking on your tiny living adventure, her account of what living in a tiny home is truly like might be inspiring for you.

Amber values simplicity and minimalism, and this is reflected in the way she configured, organized, and decorated her small abode. She has been living simply and beautifully in this 34-foot by 8.5-foot tiny house in Canada for about four years now and says she has zero regrets as this lifestyle has only increased her quality of life.

Situated on a rented piece of land surrounded by trees and forest, Amber's home looks just like a peaceful retreat in the heart of nature. It was built by Mint Tiny House Company, a Delta-based builder that helped bring her vision to life by customizing one of their standard floorplans. It sits on a triple-axle trailer, which offers her the perk of mobility, though she confesses she prefers to be more stationary as moving her house is both expensive and complicated.

Like many tiny home dwellers, Amber acknowledges and highlights that small living is not just about downsizing in terms of space and possessions but also about intentional design and reconnecting with nature. That's why she chose to park her tiny in a forest and surround herself with the things she loves.

The exterior of the house is clad in board and batten siding combined with a metal roof, and she also installed a gutter system that helps her collect rainwater. She added a small deck with an awning in front of the entrance, giving the structure a more homey look.

Inside the house, the goal was to create a space that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional. With a large, well-equipped kitchen, a cozy lounge, a dedicated workspace, a huge bathroom, and two sleeping lofts that maximize space, Amber has everything she needs within the confines of this charming home. The entire living space is designed with a sense of pure and simple elegance, combining the efficiency of Scandinavian minimalism with the warmth of a modern farmhouse.

Her favorite part of the tiny house is the kitchen, and that's no surprise, considering she works as a nutritionist, creates her own recipes, and prefers home-cooked meals. Spacious and beautifully designed, the kitchen includes full-size appliances and plenty of meal prep space. She opted for floor cabinets and creative, open shelving for an open feel, while a huge kitchen island that acts as both a dining table/breakfast bar and an extra workspace creates a sense of separation between the cooking space and the rest of the house.

The living room is also simple yet stylish and its cozy appearance invites you to kick back and relax. The comfy sofa that turns into a single-person bed if needed faces an electric fireplace mounted under a huge window, creating a dreamy setup for sipping a hot cuppa on chilly evenings. The high vaulted ceiling above the living room, coupled with the white walls and strategically placed mirrors, helps create the illusion of more space and enhances openness.

Next to the living room, Amber created a home office nook with a white desk and creamy leather chair to match the clean and minimalist design of the rest of the house. Opposite it, there is a slightly curved staircase with plenty of storage space both built into the treads and underneath.

The bathroom is a big surprise inside this dwelling. It's unexpectedly large and has both a bathtub and a shower, which is a rarity in tiny homes. Simple in design, it is also surprisingly stylish, with a simple color palette of white, beige, and black for the right amount of contrast. The generously sized shower has tiled walls, and the bathroom also includes a vanity with sink and mirror and a compost toilet. A discreet pocket door hides yet more surprises, in the form of a closet/laundry room with floor-to-ceiling shelves and a stacked washer/dryer combo.

The two sleeping lofts mirror each other, adding a sense of symmetry to the design and are both large enough to fit queen-size mattresses. Bookshelf walls serve as privacy walls in both of the lofts, and large skylights allow the owner and her guests to admire the forest or the starry night sky from the comfort of the bed.

Amber’s tiny home on wheels cost CAD $169,000 (about USD $120,000), which is kind of pricey, but it includes lots of extras, such as a dishwasher, skylights, custom tub, and more. After living in this home for four years, she says she would do a few things differently the second time around. For instance, she would install radiant in-floor heating, have the fireplace built into the wall, and add more integrated ceiling fans for better air circulation.

All in all, Amber says living in a tiny home has been easier than she thought it would be, and at the moment, she can't imagine going back to living in a conventional house or apartment.