Meet Shorty Robbins – historian, Tiny Houser, and possibly the most interesting person in the world! Not only did she build her own Victorian Tiny House in her 50s without any previous carpentry experience, she also built it using recycled Victorian-era materials. Why? So that she could travel with her Tiny House to perform in Civil War Reenactments all over the country, which she describes as her “intense” hobby.
Take a Tour of Shorty’s Victorian Tiny House:
Shorty was able to pay for her Tiny Home by refurbishing old sewing machines, similar to the one she keeps on display in her own home. If that’s not impressive, I don’t know what is! At first, Shorty never intended on selling her big house, but after months of traveling with her Tiny Home, she decided to give full-time minimalism a try. And guess what? She loves it!
“I don’t miss making house payments,” Shorty chuckles. ‘When I sit in my chair and look at my Tiny Home… I’m like: ‘Oh, yes. This is home.'”
Having a Victorian style Tiny Home comes with some unique challenges. After all, they didn’t have running water or electricity in the 1800s. Shorty has found a solution to these problems – she finds clever ways to hide the modern stuff! For example, she has a television hidden behind a painting of herself and her granddaughter. She also has an air conditioner, which is tucked away behind a curtain during reenactments.
But a piano bed? Really??!?
The most incredible feature of Shorty’s Victorian Tiny House is the piano bed. Yes, I said piano bed. Apparently, that’s a thing! In fact, piano beds have been around since the 1800s. So, Shorty took apart her full-size piano and constructed a murphy-style bed inside. Now, every evening, she folds down her piano into a full-size bed.
The piano works, although the keys have been replaced with an electric keyboard. Shorty did this so that she can turn it off when kids are touring her Tiny House (they tend to bang on the keys), but she has also had a few musicians visit to play her a tune!
“The loft is for kids,” she explains. Sometimes Shorty’s granddaughter will join her on the road and during events, so Shorty wanted her granddaughter to have her own bedroom. Shorty also has a solar power generator by Humless that she hides inside of her firewood box. She can be completely off-grid when she is using electricity (not at events).
Shorty’s Unique Staircase
The staircase to Shorty’s loft is made from 17th-century dressers that belonged to her grandparents. Shorty was very close to her grandparents when she was a girl. When they passed, she kept a lot of their stuff, which she has now put to use in her Victorian Tiny House. She also has framed old photographs of her relatives on display throughout the home. “I’m surrounded by my family,” she says.
What do you think of Shorty’s Tiny Home? Comment Below.
If you liked Shorty’s Victorian Tiny House, you might also like:
- Nicki’s Colorful Victorian Tiny House
- Miami Tree House build by Grandma for Full-Time Living
- 75 Year Old Builds Traveling House Truck for Retirement
*All photos used with permission and were provided by Shorty Robbins
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