A Globetrotting Couple’s Light and Bright Tiny Home Is Born Out of a Love for Adventure

"We love freedom and not being held down by material things," says Charlotte Perez, who lives in a 280-square-foot house on wheels with her husband, Tony, a longtime builder who constructed their tiny home for $35K. "I’ve built custom homes for over twenty years," Tony says. "I build big houses, but I love living simply and practically."

The couple, who lived in Africa for four years and has traveled to almost 60 countries, wanted a tiny home so they would be able to work less and volunteer more.  "We love to roam," says Charlotte. "Experiencing different cultures has an amazing impact and volunteer work brings such joy—we’ve friends from all over the world."

Currently, the Perezes’ tiny home is parked on a friend’s property in Northern California. "They’re an older couple who need assistance with their five acres of land from time to time," Charlotte says. "We could always move our home, and we love the idea, but we don't need to."

Clad with white-painted standing-seam metal accented by cedar near the front door, the tiny home features a sizable deck—with an outdoor kitchen—off of the front façade. "The metal siding limits maintenance and the cedar adds dimension to our tiny rectangular box," Tony says. "We wanted a clean, modern look with warm, organic touches."

On the interior, the Perezes outfitted the walls and ceiling with white-painted pine shiplap and installed vinyl planks for the floors. "The flooring is one hundred percent waterproof," Tony says. "We even used it on the shower wall. We love that it’s practical and easy to clean."