Mel’s tiny house – ‘Betty’
“To break up the area and make it feel more like a bigger home, I have created unique spaces using design, colour, patterns and furnishings without conforming to a standard use of space.”
I’ve had to really downsize my wardrobe and furnishings, so every new piece has to be really thought about and carefully sized.”
What the bedroom lacks in size, it makes up for in luxuriousness.
Views from the upstairs bedroom.
Mel’s favourite thing right now – “My Coordonne Sakura wallpaper. It’s described as a dance of white cranes seen gliding over the treescape. It’s a statement piece for Betty and looking at it each day brings me joy.”
“Maximalist is my style and you can certainly do that in a tiny.”
Custom-made illustrated tea-towel by Just Call me Cat
“I’ve always loved have my personality represented in my rooms.”
“When I look at Betty, she reminds me of where I am at 51 years old and how downsizing is not a compromise but an act of freedom, where having less means you treasure things more.”
1. What’s the room and who uses it?
My tiny home, Betty. She’s kind of just one big room at 8m long x 4.5m high. To break up the area and make it feel more like a bigger home, I have created unique spaces using design, colour, patterns and furnishings without conforming to a standard use of space. I use it – it’s all mine and the best decision I ever made.
2. What do you do for a crust?
Tarot reader and EFT tapping teacher. I don’t like being in a JD box because I love to learn new things, but you could say I managed advertising creative humans for 20 years before I came out of the spiritual closet at 44 years old.
3. What goes on in the room?
Everything! Betty is my external as well as internal experience, so magic, reading, thinking, dreaming, the flowing of ideas as well as eating, sleeping, working and cooking.
4. Favourite piece in the room and why?
Oooh that’s a hard one. I’d say right now, it’s my Coordonne Sakura wallpaper. It’s described as a dance of white cranes seen gliding over the treescape. It was the first wallpaper I sourced and even though I ordered 12 more samples, I never changed my mind. It’s a statement piece for Betty and looking at it each day brings me joy. Even though Betty now lives in the country, I wanted nature, specifically birds to be represented. It, gives me a feeling of ‘freedom’. Most of my furnishings have been collected from second hand stores over the years and I have never lived in a “new” home, so my wallpapers feel special and new.
5. Anything on your wish list that you would love to add to the space?
An emerald green velvet chaise lounge, a taxidermy peacock and black crow (peacock obviously won’t fit) and more religious art. I’ve had to really downsize my wardrobe and furnishings, so every new piece has to be really thought about and carefully sized. I’ve always loved have my personality represented in my rooms. Maximalist is my style and you can certainly do that in a tiny. you just need to allow yourself not to hold on to things that were maybe your loves in your ‘20’s & 30’s and embrace every decade as a new mirror of where you are at.
6. What do other people say when they see your room for the first
time?
“Omg, amazing. how did you do this?” “I didn’t know this was possible in a
tiny”. (Neither did my builder, who I swear was pulling out his teeth by the end).
7. Why do you love this room?
It really reflects my personality, comforts & loves. working with small spaces is not new to me. I’ve lived in shared housing most of my adult life, so I basically had one bedroom to create my queendom and sacred space, so when I look at Betty, she reminds of where I am at 51 years old and how downsizing is not a compromise but an act of freedom, where having less means you treasure things more.
8. What’s one lovely memory you have whilst being in the room?
Sitting in my velvet chair, looking out onto the countryside, watching bunnies chase each other and saying… you did it!
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