Tiny Tranquility

When designing a tranquil home that perfectly suited her, Ann Lirette decided to do something very different. “Over the years I’ve had a few homes, including a larger one. Turns out, that comes with a lot of maintenance and a lot of time spent not necessarily doing the fun things in life. So when the time came to do it again, I chose to do something quite different,” Ann shares. 

While the home totals only 850 sq. ft. of living space, the entire space totals 1,800 sq. ft. Ann explains, “My carport and porch take up more than the living square footage of my house, but that’s exactly how I wanted it.” 

With a passion for the outdoors, Ann will find any excuse to be outdoors, so incorporating lots of windows to bring the outdoors in felt natural, as well as functional to make the small rooms feel larger.

Entering the home directly into the kitchen and living space, one large room with no defining lines makes the space feel large and inviting. “The point of the layout of the house was that you could see as much as you could when you walk through the front door,” says Ann. 

Two features in the large room stand out. In the kitchen, a 4×4 plank of milled oak, milled by Ann’s brother is the centerpiece of the space. On the opposite side, a mantle gives the impression of a fireplace, without sacrificing valuable space. Ann added tile to give it a pop of color and is very happy with the end result. 

In the rear of the home is the master bedroom and bathroom, which she refers to as her tranquil space. The rooms feature two chandeliers that she found in California many years ago.

While originally planning for the home to be a one bedroom, one bath, Ann altered plans to include a second bedroom and full hall bath. She currently utilizes the extra space as an office.

For Ann, the outdoors serves as an extension of her living space. A recently-added greenhouse reflects Ann’s passion for the outdoors and love for plants. Learning over the years that more yard work can be hard on your knees and back, she decided to build a greenhouse. Ann shares, “My only regret is that it’s not big enough, but maybe that’s a good thing, too.”

“What I’ve learned is that keeping it simple, keeping it no bigger than you need, at least for me, works. Life is short and you don’t want to spend your time on the work side of life, you want to spend time doing the fun side of life and that ’s what this place has given me the opportunity to do,” Ann says with a smile. POV