Tiny Tub
This post was sponsored by The Honest Co. (All opinions are 100% my own.)
When Adam and I decided to have a baby, we did so with the plan of staying in our tiny house as-is for years to come. We had no desire to move or expand any time soon. But, at 14 months old, our son suddenly has a little room and full bath of his own. (View my blog post on this unexpected tiny house expansion here.)
Since we’re renting the “new” front cottage, we didn’t want to invest too much money into redesigning it. The bathroom is the perfect example— there are so many things that I would do differently if I could start this room over from scratch, but I decided instead to save that chunk of money for West’s future. Rather than reworking the room, I diverted my energy to carefully choosing the products we will use while in it.
When the previous tenant moved out, he left dozens of bottles behind. As I cleaned out the cabinets in the kitchen and bath, I took time to inspect every item, in case there was something we could use, rather than wastefully tossing it out. But, in the end, I couldn’t keep a single item. I threw out THREE trash bags of partially-used cleaning and personal care products. Some of them came from brands that I know test on animals. Some had ingredients containing potentially questionable chemicals. And frankly, others simply smelled and/or looked completely awful.
As much of a downer as it was to toss/recycle so many products, it was refreshing to stock the space 100% for our son. Now that he’s a toddler, we know what he likes and needs (versus when he was a newborn and we had to figure it out by trial-and-error).
For months, we’ve been using The Honest Co. products exclusively to care for our little one. They’re easy to find (we bike over to our local market to pick up some of our favorites,) and they actually work. Plus their line of products is simple yet extensive. We use everything from their baby multi-surface cleaner, to their “cheek to cheek” wipes, to their shampoo + body wash combo for West, because it’s ACTUALLY tear-free.
One of the biggest joys of expanding in to the neighboring tiny house was that we now have a tub! (The timing couldn’t have been better— Sophee punctured a hole in West’s duck bath the same week we got the keys.) West is super into bubbles, so we’ve been using the lavender-scented hypoallergenic bubble bath. He loves the super-foaming bubbles, and is now even excited by the bottle, because he knows what’s inside.
On a bubble-related side note: we also started making our own non-toxic bubble solution for West’s enjoyment. (I keep it in a travel-size tube so we have it on-hand nearly everywhere.) Directions: Mix 1 cup of warm water with 1 teaspoon of white sugar. Stir in the sugar until dissolved. Mix in 1 teaspoon of glycerin. Gently stir in 2 tablespoons of Honest Liquid Dish Soap. Voila!
For me, small space living is all about being practical, mindful, and keeping things simple. This allows me to maintain focus on my family, rather than on my stuff. At the end of the day, there’s nothing more important than keeping Adam, West, the pups, and myself healthy and happy. Using easily-accessible, safe, and beautiful products helps me effortlessly achieve that goal on a daily basis.
Toys (+ Toy Storage) for Tiny Homes
While we aren't minimalists, our overarching goal at the Cottage is to minimize our possessions without sacrificing comfort, style or experiences. When it comes to our son's book and toy collection, we've stayed in this mindset and only acquired items that he seems to genuinely enjoy, and that we believe to be beneficial to his development-- and, of course, we try to find pieces that we actually enjoy seeing scattered all over the floor, whenever possible.
In our small space, it's been helpful to find the following types of toys and containers:
Collapsible
Travel-Sized
Self-Contained
Scalable (for longevity)
Woven, wood, leather, or hanging baskets/boxes (to suit the style of our home)
As long as everything West enjoys regularly has a dedicated space that's easily accessible (and can be contained in a way that makes our home still feel uncluttered and organized), it works for us. Here are some visual examples of our everyday, ever-evolving storage methods:
A Handmade hanging basket on A magnetic hook Holds west's magnetic letters and numbers on the fridge or dishwasher
Wire mesh hanging baskets hold small toys high up in the nursery
An oversized Knotted string hamper basket contains miscellaneous toys that west enjoys daily
a mix of Toys contained via similarly-toned boxes and suitcases
the large Built-in trundle storage bin beneath our bed
Here are some of our favorite types of toys at West's current stage, along with the reasons why we love them:
The above sampling of West's toys demonstrates the types of items that work well in our small home. Our son uses all of these regularly, and we can store them easily. The small train breaks down into segments for simple clean up. The leaf puzzle slides onto the bookshelf at night. The wooden book is pocket-sized, and travels everywhere with us. The alphabet books entertain West endlessly, and are self-contained in a small box. The geometric star is pliable and can fit almost anywhere. The handmade magnetic fishing set has small (yet safe) parts that we quickly stash away in a drawstring linen bag.
I want my son to have access to a diverse array of colors, shapes, materials, and activities that make him happy and stimulate his growth. I look forward to seeing how his preferences and styles differ from my own. Having said that, I take joy in analyzing everything we bring into our home, and if we can make select items work for all of us (at this stage), then why not. Everyone wins!
Everyday Details
This post is sponsored by The White Company
Spring is my favorite season here at the Cottage. The garden grows rapidly, looking lush and bright, and we can fully benefit from our tiny indoor-outdoor setup. As it's our first spring here with baby West, we've been exploring new ways to modify the Cottage to suit our evolving needs. We've found that it's the little changes that have been the most practical. Tiny details have enabled us to enjoy our space more and more. I partnered up with The White Company to share some of my favorite updates for happy, easy small space living.
Now that West is nearly able to crawl, we were having a tough time relaxing in the garden with him, as the pavers that are scattered throughout most of the property were too dangerous for him to sit on. We tried a couple of children's play mats, but the materials were synthetic and too thin to protect the baby from hitting his head against the rough stone. Luckily I discovered the Aubrey Outdoor Mattress. Not only is the outside fabric composed entirely of linen and cotton, but the mat is thick and large enough for us all to lounge on comfortably and safely. Suddenly our entire yard became available to us again in our new lives with our son. Regardless of how long this lasts, it is bringing us immense happiness and satisfaction during the prime outdoor months. We've even started using the mat inside, protecting West from bumping into the hardwood floors during tummy time. The mattress rolls easily into a carrying case made of the same materials, and fits perfectly under my side of the bed.
Adam and I have also started donating and selecting belongings with childproofing in mind. For example, we're slowly swapping out our porcelain kitchenwares for wooden plates and bowls. We saw the benefits of this on day one, as West has already begun sweeping his hands across every surface possible, sending our things crashing to the ground. Since switching to mango dishes, we've been able to laugh and enjoy the moment, rather than scramble to clean up broken pieces before the dogs step on them. I pretty much love everything from their new outdoor collection, and from their organizational products. Patio accessories are usually more durable, which helps around pets and kids.
Another small nursery-related change we've made was giving up our changing table / bath combo. We loved it, and it was completely perfect for our son's first 7 months, but he was becoming too active to keep using it safely. We gave it to a family with a newborn, providing West with more room to scoot around in the house. This extra space in the bedroom means we have a bit more room for the functional decor we love so much. I've been able to replace our homemade swing shelf, and top it off with a various relaxing candles. All of our other candleholders now hold flameless light for safety, but it's been a simple pleasure to burn one remaining, beautifully-scented candle.
In the delightful rush of new parenting and running my businesses, I realized that Adam and I weren't making much time to take care of ourselves. Updating a few little things-- such as our bathrobes and towels-- made a surprisingly notable and positive difference in how we feel while going about our everyday routine.
I've also been trying to be more mindful of the fabrics I wear daily. I've learned that materials such as raffia and linen make me feel better, and that natural fibers don't irritate West's skin when he's pressed up against me.
Linen Shirt Dress in Smoke / Straw Visor / Cashmere Scarf (Coming soon)
We've always been fans of paying attention to the tiny details and moments, but now that we're a family of 5 every detail and every moment seem to hold more weight than ever. Here's to celebrating the everyday with the ones you love, in the places that bring you joy.
Stanlee and Sophee with a gorgeous gift box of essentials from The White Company
The White Company is opening their first store in the U.S. on June 15th in NYC-- check out some more info on The White Company store opening.
I acknowledge that I am partnering with The White Company in sponsorship for this post. All expressed opinions, photos and experiences on this post are my own, and are written in my own words.
Double-Duty Drawers
In the past 4 months, Adam and I have given away about 1/3 of our belongings. It feels so wonderful to create more room for our new lifestyle with baby West! Here are a few little modifications that we made that really helped us free up floor space, and eliminate clutter:
1. Built-in Pet Toy Storage
For the past 5+ years, these four drawers on my side of the bed were filled with my socks, underwear and swimsuits. I'd placed an open basket at the foot of the drawers, and that's where we stored the dogs' toys. But the basket got in the way a lot-- mainly when I was trying to access the storage under our bed, or when I'd groggily wake up in the middle of the night to pump. I realized that I could easily get rid of one drawer of accessories, and then keep the puppies' goodies in the bottom bin. Now I can easily tuck the toys and container away:
2. Extendable Nightstand
We have wonderful little built-in nightstands on the sides of our bed. But lately I've been wanting a bit more surface space at night so I can keep West's books and toys at the ready (we're currently co-sleeping). Rather than buying a new piece of mobile furniture to wheel in during the evenings, I opted to make a cover that I can slide over one of the open drawers at night:
Luckily the removable lid to the basket located one cubby up worked PERFECTLY for this project. But had it not, I would've simply had a lightweight piece of plywood custom-cut at the hardware store that I could use in the same manner. During the day, I would've stored it on the shelf alongside the books. In this case, I just replace the basket top during the day. This little extra table-top space is so helpful!
3. Trundle Storage for West's Toys
As West's toy collection grows and evolves, we'll need a big, easy bin in which to put everything. However, there is no room for an additional large catch-all basket or box in our house. So I decided to donate all of the clothes I kept stashed in the trundle-drawer on my side of the bed. (The neighboring bin is for laundry.) Now every bit of clothing I own is stored in our garden wardrobe.
My hope is that this easily accessible, oversized drawer will be a handy tool in the future, when West is able to pick out and play with his toys on his own.
Nursery Tour on R29
Refinery29 posted a tour of West's nursery today! Click here to view the full story / gallery.
Small-Space Nursery on TODAY.com
We're thrilled to be back on TODAY.com-- this time for West's mini nursery! Check out the full story and all the images here.
Closet Nursery and Having a Baby in a Small Space
I took some time away from the blog to focus on our first month with Baby West. He is now 6 weeks old, and we've been very pleased with how the nursery has worked for us thus far! (View our nursery tour posts here.) This is a quick round-up of some of the key items we've loved, and the reasons why they're handy for our small-space lifestyle.
Our most functional, space-saving piece is definitely this bathtub and changing table combo. It rolls all over the house, depending on where we need or want it to be-- from the garden, to the stoop, to the nursery. The removable tub is extremely easy to use and clean, and the entire unit is tall, so we don't end up with aching backs after changing or bathing West. There are also two massive storage baskets built-in, which hold our reusable diapers (from Grovia), disposable diapers + wipes (from The Honest Co.), and bath items (from Amazon and Etsy).
I added a long metal wire basket (from Amazon) to the side of the table to hold baby-care essentials for easy access. Items shown include:
Grovia All-in-one Newborn Cloth Diaper - Via Grovia
NailFrida the SnipperClipper – available at Target
FeverFrida the ithermonitor – available at Target
NoseFrida Travel the SnotSucker – available at Fridababy.com
Handmade Linen Baby Towel - Via Etsy
Some of my favorite goods, which work well in the closet-nursery AND on-the-go:
Handmade Changing Mat with Carrier Strap (can be stored vertically, and looks beautiful when hanging up in the house) - via Fawn + Cub
Waxed Canvas Unisex Diaper Bag (completely foldable and easy to stow) - via Kith and Kin
Handmade Wallet + iPhone Tiny Leather Purse by Hustle & Hide (a small, extremely functional handbag/wallet) - via Etsy
Solly Baby Wrap / Carrier (takes up no space when stored) - via Solly Baby
All-in-one car seat cover, nursing scarf, and cart cover - via Native Wilds
Our mini-crib (via Bloom Global) works beautifully, and fits perfectly in the Bay. But IF we didn't have space for the crib, we could've still made it work via a co-sleeper. My favorite is the DockATot, which is available in two sizes.
Note: The curtains are only near the crib when the baby is out of it or an adult is supervising.
I thought that the Bay was a bit TOO dark at night, but I didn't want to re-instal a ceiling light (they can get too hot, and we don't have real room for one anyway). There also isn't enough available space for a table-top lamp. So I recently installed some battery-operated twinkle lights (from Terrain) to brighten up the nursery, and I absolutely LOVE how they look and function.
MamaRoo Infant Seat - via Target
This incredible gizmo takes up less space than a traditional baby swing. West loves it. There are varying speeds, movements, sounds, and angles, so he never gets bored. It's a phenomenal help when I'm working at the computer, and when I want to keep the baby upright while he dozes off immediately after breastfeeding.
In the kitchen we use a collapsible bottle-drying tree, and a wall basket for bottle-tops, etc. These take up much less space than a traditional drying rack. (Via Amazon)
And, as always, going vertical wherever possible has helped us find place for the pretty little accessories we use on a regular basis, such as burp cloths, rattles, soothie clips, etc.
On a side note: After our first month with West, it's also important to note a few changes we made for the pups in order to prevent them from feeling neglected as we tend to the baby. We've added daily trips to the dog park or beach to the routine (in addition to our regular dogwalks along the Canals). We’ve also started giving them meals from @thefarmersdog (they’re completely obsessed), and we got them new handmade beds from our wonderful neighbors @thewolfnest. So far, so good!
(Please note: the pieces in the nursery and cottage will change as West gets older. His safety is obviously our main priority, and the space will evolve according to his growth, capabilities and mobility.)
Our newest resident: Baby West!
Baby West is here! Our son was born on September 30th, and Adam and I have spent the entire month of October fawning over him here at the Cottage.
I would’ve loved to have an at-home birth, but since this was my first pregnancy and I’m considered to be of “advanced maternal age,” we decided from the start to play it safe and give birth in a hospital:
I was in labor for about 24 hours, and had a natural childbirth (on Pitocin). West was healthy and relaxed upon his arrival, and is truly an amazing newborn. I’m happier and more thankful than ever.
The Cottage has been the perfect place for our family of 5 these past weeks, and I am so excited about our family AND home evolving together.
I’ll soon share details on our experience thus far with the tiny house nursery. In the meantime, thank you all for your kind and supportive comments on Instagram— we’ve read them all, and we are so grateful for the outpouring of love!
Tiny House Closet Nursery - The Details
My favorite part of putting together the nursery was finding all the little, practical details to use in the space while our son is an infant. My main shopping resource was ETSY, but I discovered incredible products (both new and vintage) from a variety of other makers and vendors as well.
CRIB | The first piece we picked was the crib. We needed a VERY specific size, and this Alma Bloom Mini Crib (on wheels, which is a feature we love and use frequently here,) ended up being absolutely perfect. The crib's platform height is adjustable, and the entire thing is easily collapsable. We couldn't have dreamed up a better design for the baby's Bay.
CLOTHING STORAGE | Next we needed a vertical storage solution for the remaining cubby (to the left of the crib). And again, it had to be a super-specific size. I found a lightweight, simple set of rolling drawers on Amazon. They're well-suited to the space, and we're thrilled with the piece's functionality.
LARGE ITEM STORAGE | The last major element of the Bay to consider was the top shelf. We needed durable storage containers that were roomy enough to hold several items, but we also needed them to be small and soft enough to slide onto and off of the top ledge. (We also had to ensure that whatever we selected would remain secure during an earthquake.) I found three gorgeous jute baskets from The Dharma Door (USA), and not only are they ideal in terms of use, but they're completely beautiful:
OPTIONAL CLOTHING RACK | We removed the dowel rods from the closet, as we don't intend to hang the baby's clothing in the space. However, in case we do need a place to hang items from time to time, I found a wooden bead garland (to act as a clothing line) via ETSY that I shortened to fit our needs, and then secured to the inner lip of the Bay's top shelf. I can pull the strand out whenever we need to hang something up, and then tuck the strand away again when it's not in use:
As such, we also needed some small, light hangers. I opted for these adorable cardboard clouds from Little Dundi, as we can recycle them once they're no longer needed:
ARTWORK | Then came the artwork! I wanted the nursery to have dedicated imagery, but for the pieces to compliment the other art within our bedroom. I also toyed with the idea of dark accent walls and/or wallpaper for the Bay. In the end, however, the bright, clean walls decorated simply with the art won me over. (Plus, we want the Bay to be easy to adapt, so it can evolve as our son grows.) I chose the following pieces for the Bay and the bedroom, and kept the possibility of earthquakes in mind when choosing how and where to display them:
Sources:
1. "They Delayed the Workings of the Day..." by Elly MacKay as "Theater Clouds" on ETSY (Link)
2. "Legends" book cover (Vintage)
3. "Homestead" by my friend Gregory Beauchamp as "Beauchamping" on Instagram and ETSY (Link)
4. "Peace Leaves" pen + ink by Britt Fabello as "Sea of Atlas" on Instagram and ETSY (Link)
5. Medium, vintage-reproduction nautical map of the "Reefs of Florida" from Archive Print Co on Instagram and ETSY (Link)
6. Large, vintage-reproduction nautical map of "Old Santa Monica" from Archive Print Co on Instagram and ETSY (Link)
(Also pictured: Handmade beagle plush toy by ADToys via ETSY)
FUNCTIONAL ACCESSORIES
Next on the to-do list was the delightful task of selecting functional accessories to help us easily access and stash various necessities.
I selected these lightweight Otis Wire Wall Baskets that I found on Domino to help hold miscellaneous cloths, tiny clothing, and toys. (As our son grows and begins to be able to reach these baskets, we'll relocate them.)
(Also pictured: Small driftwood, burlap and hemp baby mobile-- another ETSY find, via Wiggly William.
I wanted new hardware to hold Stanlee's and Sophee's leashes next to the Bay. This pair of hound hooks (also from ETSY) were spot on, and blend well with the decor when paired with the nautical rope leashes by Resq Co:
We needed to find a place to stash my prenatal and postpartum paperwork, as well as the baby's ultrasounds and future health records. Rather than opting for another "storage solution" I wanted to find a pretty lil' something that could be left out in the open like an art objet. I stumbled upon a vintage picnic basket at Tower 20 (by Tim Clarke Design) in Santa Monica, and repurposed it into a medical files box:
I then decorated the nearby heater cover with lightweight mirrors to help brighten and enlarge the appearance of the space:
(Also pictured: Handmade Loch Ness monster plush toy by MEVVSAN from etsy // Small wooden stool (vintage) // 2-toned Umbra hub ladder // Daphne white garden stool from home decorators collection // Sailor swaddle by Woolf with me)
We also needed a new, cozy rug to sit on while spending time with the baby. I found the Sahara Rug in Sand via Loloi Rugs, and it's my new favorite item in the bedroom:
(Also pictured: Handmade Loch Ness monster plush toy by MEVVSAN from etsy // Small wooden stool (vintage) // Daphne white garden stool from home decorators collection // Sailor swaddle by Woolf with me)
Another item on the checklist was a baby monitor. But we also wanted something that could act as a general security and pet cam when we're out of the house. We love the look of this Withings "Home" camera, and that it has several audio features that we can control with our iPhones. (We've started using it already to speak to the pups when we're out, which is always entertaining.) We'll have to find the perfect place for it once the baby arrives!
CHANGING AND BATHING TABLE (+ ACCESSORIES)
Last but definitely not least, we needed to find a changing table and baby bathing solution. While we could've used any place in the house for changing diapers, we wanted something dedicated and mobile. I am nearly 6' tall, and Adam is even taller, so the idea of bending over a low surface for changing and bathing was completely unappealing to us. Meanwhile, our sinks (bathroom and kitchen) are too small and not properly designed for baby bathing. We don't have room for a changing table AND a bathing solution, but luckily we found a rolling combo piece.
... and no, we aren't keeping the combo table outside-- it's just easier to photograph out of the house! It will be a mobile piece within the Cottage.
How cute is this greige sailor changing pad cover by Woolf With Me?!
We've already stocked up the cart with multiple diapering systems from GroVia. (We've used them on our nephews who are here frequently, and they've worked wonderfully.)
When we're on the go, we'll use this handmade changing mat from Fawn + Cub. (I bought this a year before we decided to get pregnant. Crazy, I know, but I just loved it so much.)
Our diaper tote is also made by an ETSY vendor-- a married couple who run a shop named Kith and Kin. Adam and I love how this unisex bag is both durable and beautifully designed:
LOUNGING | We don't have the room for a glider inside, so we placed a wicker rocking chair from Joss & Main in the garden just off the bedroom/nursery stoop. We dressed up the space with outdoor rugs, throws, lanterns, and a 5' handmade mobile by Sea & Glass. If the baby isn't in our arms while we're enjoying the garden, he'll be in this gorgeous Moses Basket from Plum + Sparrow:
WHEW. Now I think the only thing we still need is... THE BABY. Hurry up, October! We are can't wait to meet our son and introduce him into this loving, little world of ours.
Tiny House Closet Nursery - The Baby’s Bay
When selecting a dedicated area for our son’s nursery, we did what many small-space dwellers do and opted to convert our closet into his little room. I didn’t intend to have a “theme” for the space, but it happened on its own over time. The colors, textures and prints I selected were sandy and neutral, and the artwork I loved most reminded us of our lives here along the ocean. Before I knew it, we had a subdued coastal vibe going on. As such, I started referring to the little alcove as "The Baby’s Bay."
There were some basic updates that needed to happen before we could safely and practically convert the closet into the Bay. Thankfully they were all simple:
1. Deconstruct the built-in shoe rack, and fill in the gaps left behind after its removal. We hired a local handyman to do this. He ripped out the built-in shoe shelf, and then used a mix of old and new materials to fill in the gap in the floor where the shelf previously stood. Meanwhile, I visited The Home Depot to pick a trim that matched the rest of the closet, and had it cut to fill in the gap in the molding left over from the shoe rack removal:
2. Remove the internet cable cord, which was fastened to the molding on the perimeter of the closet. Our internet provider sent a technician to help us with this process. He removed the ugly cords that sat inside for years, and relocated them to the crawl space under the cottage.
3. Cover the breaker panel, while still leaving it accessible: There’s a standard grey electrical panel on one side of the closet. We need to maintain easy access to the door, but I wanted to cover it up for the nursery. I used a magnetic sheeting overlay to mask the hardware, and painted it to match the color of the wall:
4. Remove the heater control panel box, closet dowels, and miscellaneous hardware. We had an electrician help us with all necessary wiring modifications. Beyond that, it was a simple matter of applying spackle and wood-filler where necessary before repainting everything.
5. Leave the remaining built-ins (a high, closet-wide horizontal shelf and vertical divider) in place to help protect the baby from items that could displace during an earthquake, but better-blend those walls into the overall space. We always planned to leave the remaining built-ins within the closet for safety, and aimed to work with them when outfitting the space. But the dark wood lines drew attention to the dividers, and made the alcove feel even smaller than it is. So we chose a paint color that’s a few shades lighter than our bedroom walls to brighten up the previously shadowy Bay. I selected “Polished Marble” by Behr. I love how it appears to blend with the rest of the room, even though it’s actually quite a bit whiter:
Once we had this new, blank canvas, I could finally visualize the nursery. I found a little white garden stool from The Home Depot’s décor brand, Home Decorator’s Collection. I placed it by the crib, and I sat there rearranging and restyling the room in my mind for hours. The space then came together easily, despite its size.
Before we updated the closet, I used to obsessively close our curtains to avoid seeing the overflowing contents behind them. Now the closet is a bright, airy, and happy component of the Cottage. It feels as though it should’ve always been outfitted this way.
You don’t need to start from scratch to transform your existing square-footage into a space that better suits your evolving needs. With a bit of creativity and paint, you can turn a box into a Bay. You don't need to live large to live beautifully!
I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in this nursery makeover project. As a part of the project, I am receiving compensation in the form of products for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences on this blog are my own, and are written in my own words. My post complies with the WOMMA Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.
Tiny House Closet Nursery - The Garden Shed Wardrobe
When Adam and I decided to have a child, we knew we wanted to stay here in our tiny home. As we already share the space with our two dogs and my small business, we knew it would be a challenge to add a nursery to the mix, but we were so excited to make it work. Given our budget, we basically had two choices when tackling the nursery project in our tiny house:
Leave nearly everything as-is, downsize our belongings in existing storage spaces to make room for baby care necessities, and rely solely on mobile/rolling nursery components.
Create a dedicated nursery within an existing space by downsizing and relocating our other belongings from that area.
We went with option two, because thanks to the sunny, dry SoCal climate, we knew we could get creative with indoor/outdoor lifestyle and storage solutions. (If we lived somewhere that gets a a fair amount of rain or any snow, we would've stuck with option one.) We decided to convert our bedroom closet into the nursery, by downsizing and relocating part of our wardrobe to a 2'x4' cedar garden shed from The Home Depot.
It's important to note that it VERY RARELY rains in Los Angeles, and the weather usually hovers somewhere around the 50°s to the 70°s. As such, our patio furniture stays outside and uncovered year-round, while select garden decor and accessories come indoors in the unusual event of rain. We've been using our outdoor spaces in this manner for over 5 years now, which gave us the confidence that we could pull off an unusual outdoor closet solution. Here’s how we did it.
DOWNSIZING
While storage solutions are obviously important in homes of all sizes, the clearest path to living simply is to not own too many things. While we extended our usable storage space at the Cottage via our new 2x4’ shed, Adam and I were able to make the wardrobe relocation project work by getting rid of nearly 1/2 of our clothing. Giving away belongings is second nature to us now, but it definitely took some practice at the beginning. For those of you struggling to let go with your unnecessary belongings, I recommend exploring The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. (Try reading the digital version rather than the print edition and VOILA! You’re already on the path to reducing your physical possessions!)
We removed everything from our shared closet, and created four piles:
The Giveaway Stack - I keep a folding bin from The Home Depot’s décor brand, Home Decorator’s Collection, in the laundry unit we share with our neighbor. Adam and I place our donation items in the bin weekly, and then drop its contents off at Goodwill and/or our local community housing organization about twice a month. We filled this bin (along with several other bags,) when cleaning out our closet for the nursery. I found that the start of my third trimester was the ideal time to tackle this undertaking. I hadn’t been able to wear my “regular” clothes for months due to the baby bump. It was therefore fairly easy to assess what I missed and needed, vs what I did not.
Infrequently Used but Useful Clothing - We put our winter/travel coats, scarves and other such infrequently used but handy clothing in two plastic, lidded storage bins. (The bins are now stowed at the bottom of the shed, beneath our hanging clothes.)
Weekly Wear to Hang - I had about 18”w of hanging clothes (dresses, tunics, etc) that needed to remain on hangers. We suspended those in a cedar wardrobe from Home Decorator’s Collection within the new shed, alongside Adam’s work shirts and sweaters. (Photo below.)
Daily Wear to Fold - I eliminated everything I didn’t need, and fit all of my daily casual dresses, tops and pants into one of the two trundle-drawers built into our bed. (Photo below.) The neighboring trundle was, and still is, our hamper. Adam bested me by downsizing his clothes even further— he managed to find a home of the rest of his pieces in the drawers that are part of the bed frame, beneath the bookshelves on his side of the bed.
We now keep all of our shoes in the built-in cubbies beneath the couch. (Photo below.) Socks, swimwear and underwear fit into the drawers that are part of the bed frame, beneath the bookshelves on my side of the bed
The fun (yet tricky) part of this project was finding a shed that was juuuuuust riiiiight for our little garden. We didn’t want to build on to the house— we just needed a simple shelter that was about 2’ deep by 4’ wide by 6’ high. Luckily we found this shed from The Home Depot, which was the perfect size for our needs:
We carefully weather-proofed the shed’s seams, and painted the exterior to match the Cottage with contrasting Behr Paint colors on the panels and trim. Next, we installed a custom-cut dowel rod for our hangers, and selected this cedar wardrobe in which to stash our hanging “weekly wear.” Lastly, we secured the shed to the side of the house for safety, in case of earthquakes.
The entire process took about a day, from unpacking the shed at the start, to hanging up our belts and hats at the finish. We added some accessories— such as this outdoor rug— to make this part of the garden feel more like a room, and to tie it into the nursery’s outdoor lounge area.
The shed is only five steps from the bedroom closet, so it’s no inconvenience. Adam and I joke that our clothes are probably actually better protected now that they’re living outside in a sealed shed and garment bag, seeing as how we keep our house wide open 10 months out of the year. Our clothes have pretty much been living an indoor/outdoor lifestyle for 5 years anyway!
I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in this nursery makeover project. As a part of the project, I am receiving compensation in the form of products for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences on this blog are my own, and are written in my own words. My post complies with the WOMMA Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.
Tiny House Closet Nursery - The Heater Cover
We moved into the Cottage over five years ago, and every day since then our vertical wall heater (located in the bedroom) has driven me insane. Not only is it a total eyesore, but it collects dust and dog hair, and needs to be cleaned off regularly. We rarely need a heater in our home, as “winter” in Los Angeles doesn’t really exist. In the past when we’ve used the wall unit, it only seemed to blast hot air to the top of our bedroom, frying our bookshelf, drying out our plants, and leaving the temperature in the rest of the house seemingly unchanged.
When redoing our bedroom to accommodate the nursery, we didn’t want to remove the unit completely— we’re legally required to have a heating source built into the house anyway. But since the grate is only about a foot from the nursery, I wanted to update the facade so it wouldn’t continue to stab at my eyeballs. Plus the ugly temperature gauge stuck out into the closet, preventing the crib from rolling in and out of its dedicated space, so the little control box had to go. We opted to create a custom heater cover with basic materials that we found and and customized at The Home Depot, which is just down the road from our home next to Adam’s office.
Of course we were very careful to make sure that the heater was completely off and disconnected from the gas before covering it. And we had an electrician visit the house to safely manage the wires beneath the heater and behind the control panel before we sealed everything up.
In order to create the custom cover (which basically acts like a shoebox top over the heater), we really only needed the following items, all of which we got at The Home Depot:
Three custom-cut plywood panels to cover the sides and front of the heater
Decorative and functional molding to join the seams of the panels
Paint (and corresponding paint supplies) for the panels and molding (we chose to match the bedroom walls and trim with Behr paints)
The drill and screws to hold it all together
The whole process of covering, painting and decorating the heater took about three hours. You can see nearly all the steps required via the images above. I can’t believe I waited YEARS to it.
The end result is a simple, smooth surface from which I can now hang wall decor, linens, plants, artwork, and/or lightweight storage pockets. Until the baby starts walking and grabbing things, I’ve opted to hang 2 lightweight mirrors, which help bounce light off the wall and make the room feel more spacious. I also added a 1-pouch magazine rack, where I’ll keep the baby’s daily health log during his first months:
The heater now blends perfectly and purposefully into the nursery, and I love it. During the brief, mild LA winters, we’ll use a modern, compact, energy-efficient space heater instead of the wall unit to better keep our family of 5 comfortable. Win-win!
I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in this nursery makeover project. As a part of the project, I am receiving compensation in the form of products for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences on this blog are my own, and are written in my own words. My post complies with the WOMMA Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.