Spunky self-builder, Michelle Boyle set out to create her very first tiny home more than six years ago – and she hasn’t stopped since. Now running an entire village of pocket-sized properties, with five tiny homes on her books plus some extra side projects, the self-taught builder has created a miniature real estate empire. Click or scroll through and let’s take a tour of her enchanting tiny village in the woods…
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An idyllic setting
Located on a seven-acre former Christmas tree farm in Sherwood, Oregon, Michelle leases her land from the property owners and is allowed to put up as many tiny houses as she wants. She pays a flat fee of $100 for each house per month, which includes her utilities and Wi-Fi.
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The design process
Michelle designs each of the houses herself, always sticking to an affordable budget of no more than $20,000 and employing sponsors from local businesses to help with elements of the build that she can’t do. Michelle starts by sketching the designs on paper – with her first house, she even made a small model before beginning construction.
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Liberating lifestyle
As the tiny house movement has grown, Michelle’s tiny houses have become increasingly popular. Each of her homes has a unique aesthetic and character, and she ensures that every inch of interior space is filled with handy storage solutions. Her passion for pocket-sized properties comes from the transformative effect tiny living has had on her own life. “Living here frees up so much of my time. It takes me barely any time to clean, so I have so much more freedom now,” she explains.
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A retirement fund
Hoping to eventually quit her job and set herself up for retirement, Michelle has set up an Airbnb rental business so that she can educate others about tiny living, as well as hosting workshops about the housing movement too. The village has also received global interest from other tiny house advocates, such as Tiny House Giant Journey, who support Michelle’s ventures. Let’s take a look inside her tiny home collection…
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My Tiny Empty Nest
Michelle’s journey started with My Tiny Empty Nest in March 2014. Designed to reduce her living expenses and provide an affordable home in her retirement, the total cost of the build came to $37,000. But thanks to Michelle’s money-saving approach, 60% of this was funded by construction firms looking to lend a helping hand.
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My Tiny Empty Nest
The project took just 15 months to complete and has everything you’d expect in a full-sized home. Measuring just 8.5 feet wide and 24 feet long, My Tiny Empty Nest is perfectly designed to make the most of its snug floor plan. The kitchen comes complete with a tall fridge, plenty of cabinets and drawers, a cooktop, sink and wooden countertops.
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My Tiny Empty Nest
As well as the kitchen, the ground floor has everything Michelle needs to live a comfortable life, with a cozy living space and a snug bathroom. Featuring two large armchairs, the multifunctional living room can easily be converted into a dining area – for her first Christmas in the property, Michelle even served up a full festive dinner for two here!
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My Tiny Empty Nest
Upstairs, the house has two rooms, including this bedroom, complete with stylish wood cladding across the walls, storage units and a bedside table. Across from this space is a loft lounge for relaxing, which can be transformed into a guest bedroom when necessary.
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My Tiny Perch
This cute yellow house was Michelle’s second project and was completed in February 2018. Truly minuscule at just 144 square feet, My Tiny Perch was an affordable build too, costing a total of $20,000. During the design process, it was important for Michelle to feel like the house was encircled by nature, so she made sure the woodlands could be glimpsed from every window.
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My Tiny Perch
Spread across a single level with no upper story, My Tiny Perch put Michelle’s problem-solving skills to the test as she tried to fit in all the necessary amenities. A credit to her design skills, the standout feature is the colorful galley kitchen. With a carefully chosen sink that’s just big enough to wash up pots and pans, it’s also fitted out with a fridge-freezer as well as small shelves and hooks for additional storage.
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My Tiny Perch
Like with any tiny house, the snug square footage was always going to be an issue when designing a practical interior. For My Tiny Perch, Michelle had to be inventive and utilize wall space to provide essential storage. This gorgeous rustic shelving unit is the perfect spot to store mugs and wine glasses.
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My Tiny Perch
The stylish bedroom features a custom mattress that fits perfectly into the cozy space at the back of the home. When designing the colorful scheme, Michelle was drawn to these vibrant curtains first and then picked out bedding and accessories to complement the playful print.
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My Tiny Bird House
My Tiny Bird House is the smallest property in the village, coming in at just 48 square feet, and was completed back in July 2018. The quaint blue house has its very own decked terraces to the front and the rear, providing the perfect spot to soak up the stunning surroundings.
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My Tiny Bird House
Inside, the tiny dwelling has two single bunk beds with storage space underneath. At one end of the pocket-sized property is a small kitchenette with a sink – just enough for preparing the essentials. The home also has a unique library shelf for storing books, plus three windows that let natural light flood in.
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My Tiny Bird House
My Tiny Bird House doesn’t go without the necessary amenities either, as it’s fitted out with a hot outdoor shower and a drawer compost toilet which slides in and out from under the bed. It just goes to show how far a tiny space can stretch!
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My Tiny Bird House
Just beyond the deck, you’ll also find this unique fire pit table framed by coins. This artistic spot is the ideal place to toast marshmallows in the evening as the sun sets across the woodlands. It doesn’t get much better than that!
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My Tiny Hideout
Next up is My Tiny Hideout, which was one of Michelle’s toughest builds to date, taking her nearly one and a half years to complete. Finished in May 2019, the tricky project ended up pushing her $4,800 over her initial budget of $20,000.
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My Tiny Hideout
Nearly 200 square feet in size, the multifunctional space is light and airy, featuring 12 beautiful wood-framed windows. The pint-sized home has two upstairs bedrooms and a small 24-square-foot bathroom that’s been lined in cedarwood. My Tiny Hideout has a different interior style to the other houses, using rustic wood cladding and a neutral palette throughout.
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My Tiny Hideout
While small, the kitchen is well-equipped with plenty of countertop space, a cooktop, fridge and sink. Dressed with checked curtains, the windows frame views out over the Christmas trees. No corner of space in the dwelling is underutilized, with a small bookshelf and even a movable caddy making the most of the available space.
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My Tiny Hideout
The small staircase leads upstairs to the cozy queen-sized loft bedroom, which benefits from an expansive picture window – ideal for stargazing at night. On the other side of the property, there’s a second smaller loft bedroom, while the bathroom is located underneath on the ground floor.
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Amelia
While still in the process of building My Tiny Hideout, Michelle was offered the opportunity of a lifetime when she received an invitation to design and build the first tiny house at the NW Natural Street of Dreams in Oregon – an annual event that celebrates the latest in residential construction. She built Amelia in just three months, as well as landscaping the exterior and staging the interior.
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Amelia
The 204-square-foot home was inspired by the layout of her previous tiny home build, My Tiny Perch. The kitchen sits at the center of the house and is designed to be the main entertaining space. It takes up over a third of the floor plan and is packed full of state-of-the-art appliances.
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Amelia
The house has three separate rooms, including this stylish double bedroom with Scandi-style whitewashed walls. The bed frame lifts up for easily accessible extra storage space, which was a big consideration when designing the petite property.
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Amelia
The contemporary bathroom has no shortage of storage solutions either – beneath the sink, a built-in cubby helpfully doubles up as a countertop. With its sleek white tiling and hexagonal flooring, this snug space has an undoubtedly luxe feel.
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My Tiny Wine Wagon
The journey doesn’t stop there though – Michelle’s latest project is My Tiny Wine Wagon. Bought for just $1,000 back in September 2018, the unit was used as a mobile cooking station for the local mining club in a previous life.
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My Tiny Wine Wagon
Housed in a workshop in Oregon, Michelle plans to spend less than $12,000 transforming the tiny house shell into another cozy dwelling. With plans to add it to her tiny village, the interior of the wagon began as a blank slate, just waiting for Michelle to work her magic.
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My Tiny Wine Wagon
As always, Michelle started out by sketching the layout on paper. The open-plan tiny home will have two bedrooms consisting of a queen and a single, plus a full kitchen, dining area and an outdoor shower.
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My Tiny Wine Wagon
Still a work in progress, My Tiny Wine Wagon will be the latest installment in Michelle’s miniature property empire. With lighting and fixtures in place and hot water connections installed, next up are the kitchen countertops. We can’t wait to see the finished product!
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Margot the Teardrop
If that wasn’t enough, Michelle has also been working on a brand new project outside of her tiny village. Even smaller than her previous projects, this lightweight trailer – known as Margot the Teardrop – can now be rented out and attached to a car, offering snug and stylish accommodation on the move.
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Margot the Teardrop
Designed and made by Michelle, the compact home features a double bed, galley kitchen and collapsible tub for washing. While Margot is the first completed trailer, Michelle is looking to expand the fleet in the near future, with a second model, Aspynn, nearly complete.
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A tiny living legacy
For Michelle, what began as a passion project for her retirement has spawned into an incredible community of tiny homes. Her creations champion affordable housing and prove that you can live big in even the smallest of spaces. With an impressive tiny living legacy already under her wing, we can’t wait to see what Michelle does next!
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