10 things that surprised me about spending 2 nights in a 212-square-foot tiny house

An hour away from my home in Denver, Colorado, is the WeeCasa Tiny House Resort.In September, I convinced two friends to join me for a two-night stay at the resort. WeeCasa has 22 rentable tiny homes, and we stayed in Juniper, a 212-square-foot tiny house with a lofted bedroom. During our stay, a handful of things stood out to me about tiny living. I thought living or staying in a tiny house would mean I'd have to give up a coffee machine or microwave to save space. But after two nights in the WeeCasa tiny house, I realized that you can have everything you want — it just helps if it's smaller.For example, our tiny house had a minifridge, tiny microwave, and even a smaller-than-average French press.I had all the amenities I needed in a kitchen, and the tiny sizes helped the kitchen feel more spacious than it was. Everything in the tiny house had a designated place, but if you didn't keep up with organizing, it could get messy. Within minutes of unloading the groceries we packed for the three-day stay, I already felt overwhelmed by the clutter in our tiny house.Our takeout food was packed onto one counter, the minifridge quickly filled up, and although we had plenty of storage for the dry goods, I thought the open-concept shelving made it impossible for our groceries to look organized. The tiny house also made me realize that if I wanted to re-create the tiny-house staircase storage in my home, I'd want to add cabinet doors to disguise the clutter. My friends and I worked remotely from WeeCasa, and we feared we'd get cabin fever if we all spent our workdays and free time inside the tiny house.To combat this, we took turns working from outside, going on short walks, and spending our nights near a bonfire. By the end of the trip, we acted as if the outdoors was just another room in the tiny house. When I think of a trip, whether I'm staying in a hotel, Airbnb, or VRBO, I typically assume there will be furniture like a bed frame and nightstand.But our tiny house was too small to fit some of those common items. For instance, my bedroom was an open loft that had just enough room for a mattress on the floor.I learned that I was OK with minimal furnishings. Instead, what mattered to me was a space that felt welcoming and comfortable. Fortunately, the tiny house's decor created those feelings.I spent one night in the house watching a movie curled up on the bed with my two friends. About 20 minutes into the plot, I'd forgotten I was in a tiny home. It was just like any other movie night. Throughout the three days, there were moments it completely slipped my mind that we were staying in a smaller-than-average home. While there were times I forgot that I was living in 212 square feet, there were also plenty of times where it felt obvious. We couldn't all fit into the bathroom to brush our teeth together and making our morning cup of coffee took multiple French press brews. In general, we had to communicate more than we normally would. We discussed our work schedules, what time we planned to get up each morning, and when we wanted to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On our second day, I hiked to an abandoned ghost town, and when I came back to the tiny house, I immediately knew my friends had made hard-boiled eggs.The smell filled the entire house, and it had me questioning what it would be like to live long term in a tiny house. Would my clothes and closet start to smell like my kitchen? Would my sheets end up reeking of garlic? I had expected to have less privacy in a tiny house, but I didn't realize the full extent until we stepped inside. The only door in the 212-square-foot home was to the bathroom. This meant that there was no place to have a private phone call or jam out to music without someone else listening. Besides bathroom breaks, the three of us gave up privacy for the three days.So many elements of our tiny house fit exactly into place. For example, if the trundle bed had been just a centimeter or two longer, it wouldn't have fit next to the dresser. It was clear that the designers of the house had mapped out every part of their layout down to the centimeter. The three of us have juggled small hotel rooms, cramped Airbnbs, and tiny NYC apartments together, so staying in a tiny house was a challenge we were up for. And surprisingly, it wasn't too hard.Besides overlapping work calls and taking turns using the shower each night, we naturally fell into a routine that worked inside 212 square feet.And with the Colorado Rockies in the background, we agreed we'd easily sacrifice space for the breathtaking views.

10 things that surprised me about spending 2 nights in a 212-square-foot tiny house

This fall, I headed to Lyons, Colorado, with two friends to spend two nights in a tiny house. Here's what surprised me about our stay in the 212-square-foot home.

You can have nearly all the same amenities as a traditional house. It just helps if they're smaller.

The kitchen can get messy — fast.

You start to consider the outdoors as another room of your home.

Small spaces might mean limited furniture.

There are times when you forget you're in a tiny home.

And times when you can't avoid feeling cramped.

The entire house including your bed and closet will smell like the meal you've just made.

A small house might mean there's little to no privacy.

The design and layout of tiny homes are meticulously planned.

Overall, I was surprised by how quickly my friends and I adapted to the small space.