Trevor Gray and Mary Benasutti of Dayton, Ohio, have built a tiny home that puts an entirely new spin on tiny living. In an interview done by Tiny House Build, Gray revealed that he was first inspired to go tiny by spotting a Facebook post from Jay Shafer. Although Gray was intrigued with the idea of going tiny, the turning point came when he spotted pictures of an elegant tiny home by hOMe. Gray and Benasutti became the first customers for hOMe plans and built most of their tiny home themselves.
According to Built from Scratch, Gray and Benasutti's home rests on a piece of Gray's parents' property, so they get to enjoy a beautiful rural setting which beautifully compliments the style of their home. At a total cost of $33,000, their tiny palace on wheels is a place that they absolutely love to spend time in, and at the price, they aren't slaves to their home.
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Rather than stick with the typical rustic or shabby chic look like the majority of tiny homes, Gray and Benasutti decided to make their home elegant with dark wood flooring and hanging lights.
Since the couple has four cats, they built custom walks across the top of the home joining the two lofts together so that their furry friends could move around more easily.
Since the couple doesn't watch much TV, they built a reading nook under one of the windows to maximize the use of natural light. Their post on Heart of it All points out that they designed their home around their likes and dislikes, their habits, and things that made them comfortable.
Gray is an avid biker, so he worked using a bike sprocket for a door handle into the design of his home. The designs from hOMe also put to use the space under the stairs by creating storage cupboards in what would be "dead space." The couple's eating area is snuggled across from the stairs to the bedroom loft.
The tiny home doesn't feel so tiny because of the 13.6 foot vaulted ceiling.
The smaller loft has become a great place to relax with a good book, almost like a built-in couch.
The main bedroom loft has the feeling of privacy through the creative use of a partition.
The couple decorated the partition with a map of Ohio, and placed a "catwalk" for their cats to have easy access to the bedroom.
A refrigerator/freezer combo is in the kitchen, so they have plenty of food storage space.
Typical styles of tiny homes only include two windows in the loft bedrooms, but Gray and Benasutti's has three for extra light.
Many tiny homes have tiny kitchens. This couple decided to do this room right. Their kitchen has granite countertops, a gas range, and a stainless steel sink. They made sure to include plenty of cabinet space as well.
A composting toilet, sink and shower comprises the bathroom.
With 14 windows for light, this couple felt free to enjoy the rich beauty of dark wood within their elegant, tiny home. Their commitment to going tiny has given them freedom to enjoy more time doing other things, and they have discovered that you can make any place your own. When asked if they would have done anything differently, they said they really wouldn't. In their words, "It's truly a dream home."
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