Typically, when we think of a “home,” we think of a standard-sized house that sits stationary on a piece of property that is big enough to hold all our personal possessions.
But what makes a tiny house enthusiast different, however, is their idea of what a “home” should be is different. They don’t want space for too many personal possessions, nor do they want to be stuck on the same plot of land — which is why many tiny houses, like this cute, colorful cottage, comes with a set of wheels.
Yet tiny house fans don’t wake up one morning and decide this is the kind of lifestyle they want. Sometimes the desire develops slowly.
Take Jewel Pearson, a proud tiny home owner living in Charlotte, NC, whom we sat down with in an exclusive interview.
The first time Jewel realized she wanted something other than a traditional home was when her daughter was in kindergarten in 1992. Knowing that her daughter would one day be a success, she made an agreement with the little girl that she would buy her mom an RV someday so she could follow her when she made it big.
Since then, her daughter has graduated from Harvard Law — but instead of holding her baby girl to the agreement, Jewel took matters into her own hands…
Jewel, knowing that living in a traditional home wasn’t for her, began her journey into the tiny house lifestyle slowly.
First, she decided to downsize: “I had downsized over the course of 10 years from a four-bedroom, three-bathroom house to a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment,” she told LittleThings.
Once she'd downsized, she suddenly felt a sense of “freedom and lightness.”
Yet, though she was scaling down, she didn't think of herself as a minimalist.
“I live tiny, but I’m not a minimalist, so I haven’t gotten rid of everything,” she said.
But she did purge. “Over the course of getting to a one bedroom apartment, I either gave away or sold furniture and clothing to pair down to the items I didn’t want to get rid of. I’ve kept the things that are part of who I am."
Once she had what she truly needed and wanted, she decided to design the kind of mobile home she had been dreaming of since her daughter was in kindergarten.
“I sketched the design out on graph paper,” she said. Once that was done, she had her sister and and friend — both interior designers — turn that sketch into actual plans.
Her inspiration? “Making sure I’d have enough openness and light to maintain the ability to see beautiful sunrises and sunsets.”
She then worked with a builder and created a 360-square-foot dream home with two lofts and a screened-in porch in Charlotte, NC.
She named the house “Ms. Gypsy Soul.”
“I didn’t need an adjustment period,” Jewel says about moving into her tiny house.
“My house was just like I planned, imagined, and envisioned it to be, so it was comfortable from the start.”
“It’s a happy space for me.”
“it is very cozy and comfortable, and I enjoy lounging on the couch looking out the French doors,” she says.
“My porch and balcony are the icing on the tiny house cake!”
Her favorite areas in the house? “I think it’s a tie between the main sitting area and my loft.” (But personally, we think the porch is exquisite!)
To those thinking about embarking on the tiny house lifestyle, Jewel offers some advice: “Spend time ensuring it’s the right lifestyle.”
But after looking at Jewel’s jewel, how can one resist?
To get more information about Jewel and her projects, check out her page by clicking here.
What do you think of her home? Let us know in the comments!
Please SHARE if you loved this personalized tiny house!
