How one widow's quest for a healthier lifestyle inspired her to build the beachside 391-square-foot tiny house of her dreams

Hillary HoffowerOct 3, 2020, 19:53 IST

This 391-square-foot tiny house sits on waterfront property.Courtesy of Tanya Jackson

Tanya Jackson lives in a 391-square-foot tiny house in North Carolina.
She worked with builders to design the tiny house as a non-toxic space, which she said cost $120,000.
She also created an enclosed porch which offers waterfront views when she's parked on the intracoastal waterway.

Tanya Jackson caught on to the tiny living life three years ago when she was in pursuit of a non-toxic space.

"My husband died of cancer 11 years ago and that started me on a journey to a healthier existence," she told Business Insider. "I started with clean food, clean water, then non-toxic cleaners."

She realized just how sensitive she'd become to chemical odors after eliminating them from her home. "I then decided that the only way my space could be as non-toxic as I would like was to build it myself," she said.

Jackson, who is retired from the Air Force, also liked the idea of being able to move around since she's single and has a flexible job as a freelance sign language interpreter. A tiny house checked both items off her list.

So, she turned to a local builder to build a 391-square-foot home, working with them to design the house to her liking. For $120,000, she was able to create a non-toxic space complete with an enclosed porch.

Here's a look at the highly customized waterfront tiny house.

Tanya Jackson lives in a 391-square-foot house in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina.

Courtesy of Tanya Jackson

Jackson named her tiny home "The Burrow."

She said she went tiny because she wanted a non-toxic space and the ability to move at will.

Courtesy of Tanya Jackson

Buying a home would be too much upkeep, she told Business Insider, and she liked the idea of leaving during hurricane season.

She turned to tiny house builder Perch and Nest to build the house, but designed the house herself with their guidance.

This 391-square-foot tiny house sits on waterfront property. Courtesy of Tanya Jackson

Perch and Nest is a North Carolina-based company that specializes in small dwelling builds and conversions.

Her primary focus was creating a non-toxic space, she said, but building on a mobile platform has its limitations: Natural materials weigh more than synthetics and the green building materials market is fairly new.

Courtesy of Tanya Jackson

It took some research to find materials that met her needs. "I ordered faucets myself, for example, and had them delivered to the building site because I wanted to be sure that they were lead-free," she said.

Her primary focus was creating a non-toxic space, she said, but building on a mobile platform has its limitations: Natural materials weigh more than synthetics and the green building materials market is fairly new.

It took some research to find materials that met her needs. I ordered faucets myself, for example, and had them delivered to the building site because I wanted to be sure that they were lead-free, she said.

She said she was more concerned with aesthetics than building storage.

Courtesy of Tanya Jackson

"I didn't want to have the opportunity to buy or keep more things simply because I had the room for it," she said.

"The tall cabinets in my kitchen hold a lot more than you would think," she said. "One of them contains only clothes, and I have way more than I need."

Courtesy of Tanya Jackson

"It definitely disqualifies me from most people's idea of minimalist," she continued.

She also designed under-counter refrigeration to maximize counter space, making the kitchen more useable.

Courtesy of Tanya Jackson

She designed one of her lower kitchen cabinets to double as a crate for her former dog. In the back of the cabinet is a doggie door to the outside where Jackson set up an enclosure for the dog to go in and out.

Jackson also designed a porch, extending the living area outdoors.

Courtesy of Tanya Jackson

This gives her great views of her waterfront property, located in an RV park on the intracoastal. "It is one of maybe three RV parks that are truly waterfront/oceanfront in North or South Carolina," she said.

She rotates between this spot and parking on an old farm in Goldsboro, North Carolina.

This gives her great views of her waterfront property, located in an RV park on the intracoastal. It is one of maybe three RV parks that are truly waterfront/oceanfront in North or South Carolina, she said.

She rotates between this spot and parking on an old farm in Goldsboro, North Carolina.

A hammock creates a lounge area from which Jackson can enjoy the views.

Courtesy of Tanya Jackson

The hammock also helps keep space open on the floor.

Jackson avoids conventional lounge furniture to maximize space. She uses floor cushions in lieu of a couch in her second loft lounge area.

Courtesy of Tanya Jackson

The additional lofted lounge is accessible via a ladder.

"I feel a movement friendly space is much better for allowing me to move more naturally and avoid sitting for long periods of time," she said. Her best tip for maximizing space is to use less furniture.

Courtesy of Tanya Jackson

Biomechanist and natural movement advocate Katy Bowman inspired this shift in her life, she added.

"If you have children in the home, they are just as happy on the floor as on a couch and the space can be so much more versatile without large furniture pieces," she said.

"I feel a movement friendly space is much better for allowing me to move more naturally and avoid sitting for long periods of time," she said. Her best tip for maximizing space is to use less furniture.

Biomechanist and natural movement advocate Katy Bowman inspired this shift in her life, she added.

If you have children in the home, they are just as happy on the floor as on a couch and the space can be so much more versatile without large furniture pieces, she said.

She also suggests rethinking your design style.

Courtesy of Tanya Jackson

"Think about using fewer style items that take up horizontal space as that space is at a premium and, if full, can make the space feel small and cluttered," she said.

Think about using fewer style items that take up horizontal space as that space is at a premium and, if full, can make the space feel small and cluttered, she said.

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How one widow's quest for a healthier lifestyle inspired her to build the beachside 391-square-foot tiny house of her dreams

Tanya Jackson lives in a 391-square-foot house in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina.

She said she went tiny because she wanted a non-toxic space and the ability to move at will.

She turned to tiny house builder Perch and Nest to build the house, but designed the house herself with their guidance.

Her primary focus was creating a non-toxic space, she said, but building on a mobile platform has its limitations: Natural materials weigh more than synthetics and the green building materials market is fairly new.

She said she was more concerned with aesthetics than building storage.

"The tall cabinets in my kitchen hold a lot more than you would think," she said. "One of them contains only clothes, and I have way more than I need."

She also designed under-counter refrigeration to maximize counter space, making the kitchen more useable.

Jackson also designed a porch, extending the living area outdoors.

A hammock creates a lounge area from which Jackson can enjoy the views.

Jackson avoids conventional lounge furniture to maximize space. She uses floor cushions in lieu of a couch in her second loft lounge area.

"I feel a movement friendly space is much better for allowing me to move more naturally and avoid sitting for long periods of time," she said. Her best tip for maximizing space is to use less furniture.

She also suggests rethinking your design style.