Seung Yoo, a 40-year-old designer and entrepreneur, moved from New York City to Santa Monica, California, to live in a tiny house. She initially paid $4,500 a month for an apartment in New York, but after a failed relationship, she decided to move to California and make the tiny house her primary residence. She found the space on Hotpads and had to go through an intense interview process to secure it.
Living in the tiny house has been a transformative experience for Yoo. It has helped her be more present and intentional with her belongings, as there is no room for excess or unnecessary objects. She has saved a few thousand dollars a month by living in the tiny house, which has been extremely beneficial. The house is designed to be energy efficient and sustainably built, and it does not require any heat or AC.
The house is minimal and has a specific style. The main area is also Yoo's work area and living room. She spends most of her day in this space with her laptop. Her wardrobe is curated carefully due to the limited space, and she has a specific container under her sink. The kitchen area is where most of the storage is, and she has a double burner that sits outside of the home for cooking.
Yoo has had a maximum of two people stay in the outdoor space, but indoors she has only had one guest at a time. The bathroom is minimal and has open storage, which allows for more space. The bathroom sink is made of recycled rubber. The bedroom is her sanctuary, and it has a full-size bed. The plywood that surrounds the bed creates a serene and warm environment.
Yoo has no regrets about moving into a tiny house. She sought to feel grounded and to feel completely okay on her own. The transition was challenging, but realigning with her values and what is most significant in her life helped her through it. She has thought a lot about designing tiny homes, and her longer-term plans are to build a tiny house community.
1. Seung Yoo, a 40-year-old designer and entrepreneur, lives in a tiny house in Santa Monica, California.
2. He pays $1,600 per month for his tiny house.
3. Yoo has a children's toy brand called Big Little Universe.
4. Before living in the tiny house, Yoo lived in New York City for over 18 years, paying $4,500 a month for an apartment.
5. After a failed relationship, Yoo moved to California and initially had two places, one in New York and one in California.
6. Yoo decided to live in the tiny house as a way to ground himself with his own values.
7. Yoo found the tiny house space on Hotpads and initially thought it was a scam.
8. The tiny house has minimal storage, which has required Yoo to have very intentional objects that are functional and of high quality.
9. The tiny house is energy efficient and sustainably built. It does not require any heating or AC, but the temperature is regulated by concrete panels.
10. Yoo uses a small portable heater in the winter if it is colder.
11. The main area of the house is also Yoo's work area.
12. Yoo spends the majority of his day sitting in this space with his laptop.
13. The kitchen area is where the majority of the storage is.
14. Yoo cooks almost every day and uses a double burner that sits outside of the home.
15. Yoo is very aware of what ingredients and how much are left over in his fridge.
16. Yoo has had a maximum of two people stay in the outdoor space, but indoors he has only had one guest at a time.
17. The bathroom is minimal and has open storage which allows for more space. The bathroom sink is made of recycled rubber.
18. The bedroom is Yoo's sanctuary. It has a full-size bed and the plywood that surrounds the bed creates a serene and warm environment.
19. The light in the room is the main light that's completely adjustable to many different settings.
20. Yoo has no regrets about moving into a tiny house. He sought to feel grounded and to feel completely okay on his own.
21. Yoo's longer term plans are to build a tiny house community.