'Tiny House' Instagram Accounts Are The Late-Night Balm To My Pandemic Stress

I started getting interested in the tiny house movement when my kids were little and we lived in a 500 square foot apartment. We couldn’t afford to move out for a while, and I decided that rather than despairing because of our lack of space, I’d try to embrace the whole thing, and make our space as nice and functional as possible.

For inspiration, I began reading about the benefits of small spaces and how to declutter and organize your space. I fell in love with a blog run by Carmella Rayone, who was raising three kids in a tiny, but exceptionally gorgeous home. Her home wasn’t just functional; it looked like something out of a magazine.

I mean, if she could make a tiny space look like that, and raise three boys in that space, maybe I could too?

Of course, I am not nearly as artful or deliberate about my space as Rayone is (she’s literally an interior designer), and I find it impossible to keep a small space completely decluttered while raising young kids. I’ve since left my 500 square foot apartment for a much larger space. Well, larger by my standards, at least. We live in a 1300 square foot apartment now and it feels huge!

Still, the spirit of small space living is very much a part of me. Recently, as I’ve been trying to cope with my pandemic stress, I’ve found solace in tiny houses again.

Here’s what happened. I decided a few weeks ago that I needed to put an end to my late night COVID doomscrooling. So I deleted Twitter off my phone, and only allowed myself to scroll through Instagram at night as I was unwinding.

Somehow, Instagram knew exactly what I needed (how do they do that?!) and began suggesting some tiny house accounts for me to follow. Holy hell, it’s been just what the doctor ordered.

I’ve started following a few of these accounts, and I am in heaven. I know that people find looking at big, beautiful houses soothing, and I do too. But there is something especially comforting for me about flipping through pics of teenie, tiny houses.

I am in awe of how these people are able to fit everything they need in these tiny spaces (most tiny houses are 500 square feet or less!). Everything looks so clean and organized, despite the space restrictions.

I swear, the simple perfection of it all is like Xanax to me.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTLMBIDj72p/

Some of these tiny spaces can sleep as many as 10 people, and have little sleeping spaces in all kinds of nooks and crannies. It does make me nervous when a loft bedroom doesn’t have a railing, but that’s another story. (Please add a rail if you are putting kids up there!)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSzehy2Lju5/

These tiny houses make me want to sell all my possessions, sell my apartment, quit my job, and go live off the grid somewhere.

That’s the thing: the tiny house movement is all about simple living, and getting as much bang for your buck as possible. Many of the people who live in them are able to survive on less money, work less, and live close to nature. Additionally, many of these houses are also really great for the environment, equipped with perks like solar panels, and an overall very small carbon footprint.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSfIySnjC0a/

While some of these tiny homes are kinda fancy and probably are somewhat pricier than you might expect, most are very reasonably priced. Apparently, you can even buy one of these suckers on Amazon. I mean, I buy literally everything on Amazon, so why not a tiny house? Sign me up.

Realistically, I probably won’t be buying a tiny house anytime soon, though the idea of having my own personal tiny house—as a weekend getaway or a “she shed” for writing or relaxing—sounds absolutely amazing. I’m even thinking that a tiny house would be fantastic for retiring in.

Until then, I’m just going to be spending my time scrolling through pics of these incredible abodes. There is something so peaceful about these cozy spaces, and something wholly satisfying about the way that people utilize these spaces and make them pretty.

Some of them are like a doll house, come to life.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CN8Oq6anIV1/

Or like the perfect childhood treehouse.

And scrolling through pics of tiny houses sure beats doomscrolling. By a landslide.