When Alexis Stephens and Christian Parsons — couple, documentary-filmmaking duo, and tiny house creators — began building their shared home, they quickly decided that less would most certainly be more.
So, they started researching tiny houses, and shortly thereafter, fell down a rabbit hole of fascination with the entire tiny home movement.
Since then, they've embarked on Tiny House Expedition, their community outreach and documentary storytelling initiative.
These two "adventurers at heart and storytellers by trade" built their own tiny house, and are spending two years of their lives traveling the U.S. and Canada, documenting their journey whilst "inspiring and empowering people to think BIG and build small."
By sharing their adventures, these two thoughtful activists hope to spark larger conversations about modern housing issues and sustainable living.
Stephens told LittleThings, "My things used to weigh me down, in a way that I was unaware of. Downsizing decluttered my mind."
Living in their small space, without many possessions pulling their focus, forces this duo out into their community — inspiring a more connected, present life.
Keep scrolling through our gallery to learn more about this couple, their DIY tiny house, and their remarkable expedition.
[H/T: Tiny House Swoon]
As 2014 came to a close, Alexis Stephens and Christian Parsons set out on a magnificent journey.
The documentarian-storytelling duo and couple decided to build their own tiny house, and travel the U.S. and Canada shooting a docu-series all about the tiny house movement.
Their intention was to engage folks all over both countries in conversations exploring modern housing issues and sustainable living.
The hope was that these conversations would uncover real tactics we could all use to live more meaningful lives and build stronger, happier, more supportive, and connected communities.
When asked what inspired this project, Stephens told LittleThings: "On a personal level, the tiny house movement deeply resonated with me. Post-divorce, I was in a transitional period of my life and was looking for opportunities to simplify and embrace everyday adventure.
"Tiny living is a way of life that ditches the traditional script of our largely dissatisfied consumerist society, for a life in a simple small space. Less things, more experiences and better quality of life. Plus, tiny houses are super cute and offer the flexibility to be mobile — a comfy ticket to adventure."
"Through our extensive research of the movement, we were amazed by the many developing tiny house communities and grassroots housing projects that were popping up all over the country.
"These vibrant projects creatively address modern housing issues, the need for sustainable living, and the yearning for more meaningful lifestyles through tiny or micro housing.
"The idea was born to travel the U.S. and Canada to document the diversity of the tiny house movement, and tell the stories of these emerging community projects. But first we had to build our tiny home, which was an adventure in itself."
So, over the next nine months, this couple DIY-ed themselves their own tiny home — completely tailored to their personal wants and needs.
Their small, 130-square-foot space is decorated with an eclectic mix of furnishings, and sits on a mobile trailer.
Each piece of wood in their home was salvaged from its own previous life, imbuing their living spaces with diverse natural character.
They acquired most of their home's wood during the aftermath of a tornado, that downed many trees in their hometown.
These storytellers have a master bedroom with a queen-sized be, as well as this smaller loft, where Stephen's son sleeps when he comes to stay part-time.
So far, this couple has been on all sorts of remarkable adventures with their tiny home.
Stephens remembered of one particular trip to Las Vegas: "This past winter, we held a tiny-house open house in front of Zappos in downtown Vegas. A Zappos employee came into our tiny home; she thoughtfully looked around, then her face lit up and her eyes were a bit teary."
"She was blown away by how comfy it was," Stephens explained, "and that it had everything we needed to be happy. She explained that as a first-generation immigrant to the U.S., she always thought success meant owning a big home. But now our tiny home made her question what success truly meant to her.
"This was one of the most surprising and heartwarming reactions we’ve ever witnessed to our tiny home. This is why we share our personal space with others, to inspire them to rethink the meaning of home and have a better understanding why people chose to live tiny."
Of adopting this new lifestyle, Stephens told LittleThings, "Living tiny has opened my eyes to how satisfying it can be to be aware of every single thing you own and exactly where it goes. I am a recovered pack rat."
"Living tiny is an expression of the essence of who I am, who we are," she continued. "It feels so soothing and joyful to walk into a space tailored around our personalities and style, filled with the items we most love and most need.
"Living consciously and simply helps create more gratitude for what we do have and creates more personal freedom to embrace everyday adventure. Less truly is more!"
To others considering moving into a tiny house, Stephens said: "Go for it! There is absolutely no time like the present to prioritize your well-being and embrace a freer way of life. Start saving and research, research, research. How tiny is right for you? Is building your own feasible?
"Getting to know yourself and identifying your priorities are essential components of crafting a true independent tiny lifestyle. Shake off the mold and redefine what personal success looks like to you. And have fun doing it!"
While this couple's adventures have not yet ended, their stories are already en route to the masses.
Along with the website they update regularly with new travel tales, Stephens told LittleThings: "One of two projects we are working on is a short educational documentary, Living Tiny Legally, that will debut at the upcoming National Tiny House Jamboree. This three-part documentary series features exciting case studies of how a handful of cities from all over the country are making legal tiny housing and legal tiny house communities, a reality.
"Our larger documentary series is still in the works. We have another year of travel ahead of us, and will be visiting tiny house community projects of all kinds."
These tiny house aficionados are on the move, traveling the U.S. and Canada, sparking all sorts of interesting conversations and inspiring profound change.
What do you think of this couple's expedition? Would you ever live in a tiny house? Let us know in the comments.
Want to follow along with Stephens and Parsons' journey? Check out their website, or follow their adventures on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Periscope.
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