Adele’s Backyard Casita Adventure on an Oregon Farm
Upon deciding to move back to Oregon, Adele was searching for a more straightforward lifestyle. She discovered the ideal answer in a “backyard casita” located on her sister’s 20-acre farm. Living on a lively farm with a variety of animals—from 13 horses to pigs and chickens—Adele keeps active and involved, while reaping the benefits of a rent-free life.
“I don’t mind helping around on the farm,” she says, grateful for the opportunity to live close to nature without the financial burden of a traditional home. Her backyard casita, nestled among the farm’s greenery, offers her the perfect balance of independence and simplicity.
A Musical Haven
Adele’s compact backyard casita may be petite, but it’s brimming with character and intention, particularly in relation to her love for music. A retired music teacher, Adele has carefully arranged her 150-square-foot Tumbleweed Cypress to house her cherished collection of musical instruments. From an Appalachian dulcimer to a banjo she has yet to explore fully, her casita is a true reflection of her musical roots. “I just got bungees and bungee them up there,” she explains, describing her creative approach to storing her instruments in a limited space. Her casita might be compact, but it’s bursting with musical charm.
Hosting in a Tiny House
The intimacy of a backyard tiny home can present unique challenges, especially when hosting guests. Adele experienced this firsthand when she invited her book club over. “I didn’t realize how small it was until I had eight ladies from my book club come over,” she laughs.
While her 150-square-foot home is perfectly suited for her daily needs, it quickly filled up with her friends. Even though it’s small in size, her tiny abode emanates a warm and welcoming atmosphere, showing that even compact spaces can create substantial memories.
Optimizing Space with Smart Storage Solutions
Making the most of her new home meant getting creative with storage. Adele noticed early on that she needed more room for her belongings, so she decided to build her own shelves. “When I first moved in, I realized I didn’t have places to put stuff,” she recalls. She opted for open shelving that keeps everything accessible without making the space feel crowded. These personalized shelves are a reflection of her resourcefulness and resolve to make her small casita as practical as can be.
Eco-friendly: The Composting Toilet
Adele’s backyard casita isn’t just a quaint, charming retreat; it’s also a model of sustainability. She chose a composting toilet to minimize her environmental footprint, in keeping with her commitment to green living. “Every time you flush it, you’re wasting two to three gallons of water,” she points out, emphasizing the benefits of her eco-friendly choice. The composting toilet employs peat moss to decompose waste and has a straightforward method for segregating liquids from solids.
The compost toilet is simple to use: Adele stirs the contents by turning a handle after each use, aiding the composting process. The separated urine is collected in a container that she empties around her bushes and shrubs, nourishing her garden with natural fertilizer. “They actually looked a lot better this season in the springtime,” she says, noting the positive impact on her plants. The solids are collected separately and occasionally emptied into an outdoor compost bin, turning waste into valuable compost for the farm.
“Another thing I did like about Tumbleweed, is that it is built above standards for being green.”
A Perfect Backyard Casita Experience
Adele’s dwelling is not merely a tiny house; it mirrors her principles and her intention to lead a straightforward and sustainable life. Positioned on her sister’s farm, her casita provides a peaceful retreat that is perfectly in tune with nature. Adele’s casita serves as a great demonstration of how a small space can provide immense benefits, with ingenious storage solutions, a dedication to eco-friendly living, and a personal touch that reflects her passion for music. Her Tumbleweed Cypress may be modest in size, but it provides everything she needs and more, making her backyard casita the ideal place to enjoy a simpler, more fulfilling lifestyle.
These homes are really great but what is always missing and is the most important before people plop down $100,000 for a small RV typed home is HOW are they occupying it legally? Please consider donating a paragraph of information with EACH of your articles stating how the owner is able to live full time in an RV without violating local ADU ordinances and such. Thanks.
Dear Tumbleweed, We have been very inspired by your Tiny Houses. Thank you for sharing your helpful and free postings that help folks like us who cannot afford to buy magazines and things. We have our own Tiny Slide In and are about to embark on building our dream Tiny Home on a custom built 22′ flat bed. What are your thoughts on having a flat roof for the entire 22′ Tiny House? Therefore using the roof for star gazing and parties? What would you do to make it strong and leak proof and also how do you get a skylight to be leak proof? We also desire to make an entire 2nd floor instead of just two lofts. We found a design on google sketchup that inspired us. What are your thoughts on that? Thank you again for your kindness. We met you at the first Tiny House Jamboree :)
Do you know what i’d still like to design?; a handicap accessible Tiny House. THAT would be an incredible challenge, wouldn’t it? :) <3 :O
And I for one would love to see it. We are in the process of building a new home because of my wheelchair. My experience is that just to move around more space is needed with a wheelchair. We are a family of husband and wife and 4 children, one of them has Downsyndrome and needs his own adjustments (place to change and wash a big kid instead of a baby, separate bedrooms for all kids). We are down to 163 m2 (about 1750 sft) inside space, all in one level, no stairs. But the, much needed, hallway alone is 20m2 (215 sft), about the size of a real tiny home. Still, looking at all the different tiny and small homes here has taught me so much I’m now applying in our build. Thanks to Tumbleweed for that! Sandra Robben, The Netherlands
Fascinating! I’d love to hear more about Adelle’s story on down-sizing! love this model and her deck and hot tub/BBQ! my kinda lay-out! but, i am at the stage where I dream of tiny. But, can’t quite let go of stuff and attachment to home I’m in(17 years lots of memories). but, know I want to stop taking care of it all and my husband to retire! Beautiful wood interior and layout here!
The price is great if you are building it yourself but cost too much when someone else builds it for you. Where I live, housing prices aren’t that bad. I’d be better off buying a house. But I do love the tiny houses.
These are amazing! It’s like your childhood dream of a doll house come to life! What a perfect house for retirement!
All the design of house and its life style is just wonderful.I like it.If some one wants to more designing house they can contact with me.
Thanks for sharing a nice post.
I lived aboard a 24 foot sailboat for years so I know that tiny tiny is fine with me. Currently I live in my own small house that I have altered and re-designed to suit my eclectic style. I think of the nightmare my kids will have when it comes time to sell, only a very select few (probably women) would fall in love with my dreamhouse, but it is such that I am certain the one RIGHT person will find her way here. But the kids have moved away and now it’s my dream to … in a few years … build a tiny home on a piece of property near to my grandchildren. Room for my dogs and cats and my home will continue to be my crazy studio. Your home, Adele, has given me proof that things that would be important to me WILL work without being ‘too much’, i.e. handrail on steps, higher roofline and of course, a mudroom/porch. I love it. Thank you for sharing.
how high is the loft ceiling?
As a single mom of 3. Buying a house isnt in our budget. I love these tiny houses they are adorable. Would be perfect to be able to take our home with when we visit my dad in cali. I imagine a big enough tiny house for us 4 plus our small dog would be about as much as a house. ? lovely thought though.
My comment is I own property in Nikiski I would be willing to share the back of the lot with a person who has a tiny home if they built a tiny home for me basic standard wiring windows insulation 2 story no appliances standard and cheap my lot is big enough to accommodate a couple of tiny homes and another one also if interested call 907-740-8408