Man's Art-Filled Tiny House Is a True Gem of Creativity

The tiny house movement has never been just about one thing. Some may turn to tiny living as one way to live more simply, while others gravitate toward this alternative form of home ownership as a way to eschew onerous mortgages and gain some financial freedom. Others use tiny homes as a form of passive income by renting them out, while others live in them in order to be closer to family, or as a way to live in a custom-built, accessible dwelling that allows aging in place.

There are so many reasons why someone might decide to live in a tiny house, and each of those reasons is as valid as the next. For Wellington, New Zealand resident Cam Oliver, his tiny house meant gaining more financial independence, as he went through a period of financial uncertainty due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This uncertainty led him to plunge into tiny home ownership instead, ultimately resulting in him creating an incredible tiny home that is packed with creativity and personality. Check out Cam's brilliant home via Living Big In A Tiny House:

When the pandemic hit, Cam was working as a tattoo artist. At the time, he was already the co-owner of a conventional home with a friend. But with lockdown, he was unable to work and with government benefits covering only so much, Cam started to worry about what the future might hold. He eventually decided to sell the house, and to build something smaller that wouldn't require a mortgage. For him, building a tiny house was one way to gain some certainty for the long term:

"I was thinking about what might happen in the future if there's another lockdown, or another pandemic, or even if I break something or get sick, and I couldn't pay the mortgage. And so, just having my own little house that I owned completely outright seemed like the best way to [gain some peace of mind]."

While the sale of his previous home covered the cost of building the tiny house—totaling about $101,000—Cam didn't have the funds to buy land to park it on. Fortunately, Cam has a close relationship with his older sister, who generously offered a spot for Cam's house in her backyard. Thanks to Cam's little home, the siblings are now able to live near one another, offering a helping hand to each other whenever needed. In addition, having a mortgage-free home has meant that Cam could take a risk to start his own tattoo studio, Indigo Bloom.

Measuring a modest 20 feet long and 7.5 feet wide (6 meters by 2.3 meters), Cam's house is definitely on the smaller side as tiny houses go. However, what it lacks in size, it makes up in terms of its smart use of space and materials, including the exterior that is clad with a combination of durable, engineered wood siding and charred cedar wood planks (also known as shou sugi ban).

There's also a huge modular outdoor deck, which helps to expand the usable space significantly and is easy to disassemble and transport.

Stepping inside, one is greeting with an incredible full wall of gorgeous artwork that wraps continuously from the floor up to the ceiling, and around a central skylight.

There's also an ingenious mid-air lounging spot here, made possible by a net stretched taut over a metal wall-mounted frame.

The tight interior is enlivened with a beautiful array of plants—some potted, some climbing up to decorate the walls and net structure.

The sitting area consists of a small loveseat, whose armest doubles as a foothold to ascend to the sleeping loft.

There are some clever appliances here, like this slim-profile monitor that serves both as a television and as a changeable digital display for artwork.

With windows letting in light from all three sides, the kitchen is an absolutely stunning place to prepare food. Cam says that out of all his previous living situations, this tiny kitchen with its U-shaped configuration actually has the most counter space. Granted, there is only a tiny round sink, but with a built-in mini-dishwasher and all the appliances streamlined to create a modern but minimalist kitchen, it fits Cam's needs perfectly.

There is even a hidden range hood that only pops out of the counter when it's in use.

Cam's dog has her own protected space under part of the kitchen counter, accessible via a little doggy door that connects to the outside.

The bathroom is at the other end of the house, and it has been designed extremely well. Despite it being a tiny house, Cam has managed to fit in a full-sized shower, an incinerating toilet, and a combination washer-dryer. And of course, there's art here too: the back of the bathroom door has been painted with artwork by an artist friend.

Above the bathroom, we find the sleeping loft, which has extra headroom due to the angle of the sloped roof.

There is storage space that has been integrated around the bed, plus a small table that flips up to provide Cam with a surface to create traditional artwork.

Amazing things can come in small packages, and this is exactly what Cam's ingenious little home achieves. The flexibility and diversity that tiny homes allow for is on full display here, and with bright splashes of color, plant life, and plenty of personal touches, Cam has ultimately managed to create a home that he can call entirely his own.