Portland Tiny House Community

Behind one charming residential home in Portland Oregon, lies a neighborhood within a neighborhood. A special place where likeminded people relax in tiny handcrafted sanctuaries.  Did I plummet down a rabbit hole? NO, but the world did shrink a bit as I entered “Simply Home Community.”

A functioning, self-sustaining tiny house community

Hallelujah! Yippee! THEY DO EXIST!!! But wait, why aren’t there more?

Well, creating a tiny house community isn’t easy. It requires continuous deliberation to achieve a harmonious co-existence among inhabitants in a community atmosphere. Whew, that sounds complicated!  Or, as Tony Diethelm mentioned in the above video: Community dinners are important! I can’t think of one argument a bowl of homemade soup couldn’t fix.

“Every time I come home, I remind myself to take a breath and appreciate that I’m home.” – Lina Menard, owner/designer of the “Lucky Penny”

At the time when we visited Simply Home, a community garden was being planted and plans for a hot tub were in the works! The degree to which each of the tiny housers used the “big house” varied. Some of them were utilizing the big house facilities on a daily basis: such as shower, toilet and kitchen. Others were living full time in their tiny space, or renting out their tiny house to live in the big house.

It may not be easy to create a tiny house community, BUT, it’s getting easier. More and more counties are accepting tiny homes. More and more people are building tiny homes. And soon, I’m sure we will see more and more tiny house sanctuaries like “Simply Home.”

Lina’s Lucky Penny

Lina Menard owns the “Lucky Penny,” one of the tiny homes parked at Simply Home Community. As a designer, Lina was able to model her home off of the classic Vardo (a traditional horse-drawn wagon used by British Romani people as their home).  Lina also assisted Anita in designing her tiny house, the Lilypad.

Tiny homes always reflect their owners, and the Lucky Penny is no exception.

At only 100.3 square feet, this tiny home still manages to feels spacious, even without a loft! Lina’s house is the smallest tiny home we’ve toured yet, the second being BA’s Tiny House. I get excited when I find the tiniest of the tiniest.

I love the copper accents and rounded shapes incorporated in the Lucky Penny’s interior design. It really accentuates the “penny” theme. My favorite element? It would be a tie between the tansu steps and the mixture of cedar shingles. I also adore the skylight!

*Learn more about Lina’s Lucky Penny on her website

*Inquire about Lina’s design services