Baby showers, yet another funeral, rain, and crazy work deadlines. No wonder people take time off to build their tiny house dreams. I've developed such a new level of respect for what these people achieve. Often it takes an hour of "faffing" just to get started and before you know it time has flown by and you wonder what exactly it is you have done. Those little bits amazingly add up and that reminds me of a quote that stuck with me from the beginning and has always rung true when life got in the way. It would randomly pop into my head and give me a renewed sense of focus.
"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -Earl Nightingale
Peeps have been really eager to see what the inside looks like. So here is what has been happening so far.
I had been waiting patiently for some laminated wooden offcuts from suppliers but luckily a pile of carpet tile samples had built up at work and I was very happy to take them off their hands. At first I was not convinced but after playing around with a bunch of them I managed to make it look pretty snazzy. The problem with the floor has always been that one has to access the engine compartment with ease and these carpet tiles work perfectly with a quick shuffle.
The main storage compartments under the bed are easily accessible by flipping the mattress on its side. The front houses the electronics and solar system along with non flammable items. The rear will store items such as solar cooker, blankets, fishing rods, small tool box and travel bags.
Besides the storage under the bed and side table I really needed a few extra spaces to store stuff.
Used an old tomato box for a shelf that was a very lightweight and easy to install. Brackets I had brought for another part of the project that didn't work out ended up finishing off the job. Really starting to embraced the scavenged and hacked together look. From moaning about the colour of the scavenged wiring not going with the interior i've learnt to just let it go and work with what you got.
An old pair of jeans and some clothes rags inspired this pocket solution for storing bits and bobs like cell phone cables and keys and other stuff that generally is an annoyance lying around. If there is a surface to put things on you bet I am gonna create some clutter.
Found this awesome used trunk at Independants Traders. Fits perfectly above the engine compartment under the bed and is ideal for storing bulky winter clothing.
Biggest thanks ever to Muller for helping me put this mattress cover together. Getting a perfectionist to do a crafty job was loads of laughs. This fabric was originally the backing to a friends curtains that his mom had made for him that he could not stand the sight of. He half reluctantly donated it to an AfrikaBurn project we worked on, on the condition his mom never found out. I won't mention names but thanks again for the fabric. :-)
The backing was converted into curtains for the artwork project and now into a mattress cover so that I can flip it up without having to see the mattress itself. Reuse, reuse, reuse.
Thanks a million Mel you shining star for your wonderful donation from Slipstream dye and prints. Mel is bustling with charisma, talent and all the know how from years of experience in the industry. If you haven't heard of her yet, you better check out her website or connect with her on her facebook page. The result was not what I had expected but came out even better thanks to being interrupted by visitors halfway through the process and forgetting to stir and squeeze the fabric. I love the smokey effect. Can't wait to have some fun with the rest of the colours.
A discontinued range sample box and graphics prints to the rescue, thanks again to our interior department at work. Nice to add some more texture into the mix.
I've started adding personal items as each section is nearing completion. This step has been the easiest when deciding what goes in and what doesn't. Things that even a month ago that were considered nice to have or essential, have been very easily to let go of. A momentous shift from my agonizing decisions over what now seems the most trivial of things when I started this downsizing journey a few years ago.
My little tortoise is coming along nicely thanks to all the awesome donations and help. Getting so excited for our little December trip through the Magaliesburg.
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