Everything may be bigger in Texas, but photographer Kelly Christine Sutton and husband Canaan, beg to differ. Located in the Little Forest Hills suburb of Dallas, lives their 312-square-foot #goldentinyhouse they built with the goal of reducing their carbon footprint. Having just opened our Dallas store, we wanted to get to know our neighbors and this Texas couple was more than welcoming. Below find their tips on making more with less and their favorite Dallas hotspots...
On deciding to build a tiny home:We chose to build a tiny house for several reasons; most importantly was the desire for mobility, financial independence and environmental neutrality. My husband is studying to be an environmental biologist so the idea of decreasing our carbon footprint was really exciting to us both. And like most people our age, we hit a wall with renting and wanted to invest in something to call our own while also allowing the freedom to move.
After acquiring so much stuff over the years, we both started to feel the weight and burden of it. The idea of living with less and focusing more on experiences became extremely appealing. A tiny house was the perfect solution once we realized we were able to fully customize it to our liking.
On living in close quarters:Compromise goes a long way. My husband enjoys having a say in what our home looks like. I try not to carelessly buy things without seeing if he likes it too. When we both love how our space looks, it makes for a more peaceful home. And when we want to get some alone time while in the home, headphones are great.
On small surprises:When someone new comes into our house they typically say “it’s much bigger than I expected!” It's true.
On entertaining:We’ve had several gatherings since moving in almost three years ago(!!). Typically the party overflows into the outdoor space but it’s always amazing to see how many people can comfortably fit inside the home. When we have friends stay the night, we have a pull-out couch and the guest bedding is hidden away under the couch, in the chaise.
On embracing the outdoors:One of the best things about living in a tiny house is that is allows for more time spent outside of the home. Though we still do these things, we spend so much less time cleaning, fixing, rearranging and doing all other chores that come along with living in a standard home. We like to use that free time and take walks around the lake (the bird watching spot near Sunset Point is beautiful around sunset).
On living small in a big city:We currently have our tiny house in a friend’s backyard in the artsy Little Forest Hills suburb which is my favorite neighborhood in Dallas. It’s close to the Arboretum with lots of nature and funky homes. We love taking walks around the lake and enjoying the food scene. Right now we’re loving Havana Cafe (get the arroz con camarones!), Maya’s Modern Mediterranean and Cosmic Cafe. For coffee we like White Rock Coffee in Lake Highlands. The weekends are reserved for shopping estate sales around town, enjoying a for a walk around the lake, get ice cream at Hypnotic Emporium or see a movie at Alamo Drafthouse.