Lina & the Lucky Penny, photo: Tiny House Giant Journey
Here are some of the questions I most often hear when people ask me about living little. If you have a question, please let me know!
Question: Does the Lucky Penny have a bathroom?
Answer: Yes, indeed it does! My Quintuple-Duty Mud Room has a tiny bathtub and shower behind the door and a spot for a bucket compost toilet in the bottom drawer of the stacked set of drawers. I live in a tiny cohousing community called Simply Home Community, so these days I use the bathroom in the Big House.
Question: How do you cook in The Lucky Penny?
Answer: I tend to cook big meals for my landies in the Big House at Simply Home Community when it’s my night to cook, but I usually cook for myself in The Lucky Penny. And cooking in The Lucky Penny is fun! I didn’t want to dedicate counter space to appliances and fixtures so I tuck things into drawers and cabinets. I call it my plug-and-play kitchen. I get out whatever I need to cook my meal and then it disappears again, leaving me clear counters for the next project. In one of the drawers I have an induction cooktop and my pressure cooker. In another drawer I have a stock pot and a cast iron pot. I even have a microwave tucked into a cupboard because I haven’t quite weaned myself off it yet. Another drawer contains baking dishes - 9×9, 8×12, a pie pan, and a loaf pan - which I can use in my Breville toaster oven. (I also have a cookie sheet, a broiler pan, and a pizza pan.) In a cupboard I have my slow cooker and my hand mixer. My mini chest freezer allows me to store ingredients and leftovers and also provides additional prep space for bigger projects. And of course, I keep my ice cream maker handy, too, because I’m not willing to compromise on what I love! My spice drawer transforms into a table for two or additional prep space. Stay tuned for an upcoming post about my Plug-and-Play Kitchen!
Question: Does The Lucky Penny have a fridge?
Answer: Yes, I have an undercounter refrigerator installed under the counter against the wall that’s shared with the shower. It’s 19″ wide, but a wider one could be accommodated if the cabinets were smaller. My fridge is an all refrigerator because I’ve found the freezers in most mini fridges are worthless! I have a separate mini chest freezer (painted copper, of course!). I also use My New & Improved Chiller several months a year since it’s perfect refrigerator weather for part of the year in Portland.
Question: How do you accommodate overnight guests if you live in just 100 square feet?
Answer: That depends on how well I know them! My bed pulls out into a full-size bed, so if the guest is someone I feel comfortable sharing a bed with, that’s easy. I can also give my guest my bed and sleep on the floor on my camping pad. Additionally, I live in a tiny cohousing community called Simply Home Community and we have had a guest room in the Big House, so sometimes my guests stay there. I’ve also had relatives visit me here in Portland and stay at Caravan - The Tiny House Hotel.
Question: How much does The Lucky Penny weigh and what sort of vehicle do you need to tow it?
Answer: The Lucky Penny was built on a trailer with a single 5000 # axel. I’m not actually sure how much she weighs since I haven’t ever taken her over the scales. I’ll update you when I do. For Lucky Penny’s Maiden Voyage, when we moved her from my build site, Green Anchors to my tiny house community when she was Coming (Simply) Home, I worked with Gerlock Towing and their rig was more than sufficient to haul a lil house like mine.
Hey Lina, I just landed on your blog from a YouTube video I embed in my blog post. I’m new to the community and try my best to get an overview over the sites that provide helpful content for everyone. I’d like to include you to my list on my blog. Could you tell me how long it took you and your family and friends to build the Lucky Penny? And how much did the material cost you? I love the design of the Lucky Penny, keep up the inspiring work. Nicolas
Hi Nicholas! I’m so glad you find the Lucky Penny inspiring! You’re welcome to link to my blog on yours. What’s yours, BTW?
You’ll find answers to your questions about the cost on my blog post here: http://thisisthelittlelife.com/2016/02/12/linas-tiny-house-the-lucky-penny/. As for timeframe, it took me about six months to build my tiny house. During that time I worked 3/4 time to full-time and took a couple breaks to travel and visit with friends and family.