For bathing, Vicki’s home has a unique outdoor shower. A site-built deck adds outdoor living space for the home, with an awning and booth where the outdoor shower is located. Inside, the unique floor plan maximizes the amount of livable space. Vicki also worked with the builders to include all different types of deluxe features, including custom cabinets, stainless steel counter tops, and a built-in couch with custom upholstery.

The Community 

Vicki had lived in different homes of reduced square footage in the past. A 200 square foot home on wheels, however, would most likely have led to certain legal challenges had she tried to find a plot of land for the home on her own. Fortunately, she was able to find Little River Escape, a unique tiny home community located in the beautiful, mountainous landscape of Lookout Mountain in northern Georgia. 

Little River Escape is a private gated community that only allows tiny houses to be built. Nestled into the woods atop a 1,500 foot mountain, the community is composed of 50 acres along the East Fork of the Little River. Surrounded by forest and nature, the rustic community encourages biophilic architectural design, allowing the homesteads to blend into the surrounding natural landscape. 

The community sells plots of lands for tiny house construction, many of which are located next to the river. They also offer five year leases on 3/4+ acre wooded lots. The lots are completely move-in ready and include a driveway, patio, utilities, and natural landscaping. The community also includes a common guest house, a community pool, and river-front activities. 

An Interview with Homeowner Vicki Williams

Tell us a little bit about your house. What are the main features?

My tiny house is 24 feet long and 8.5 feet wide. I have a beautiful deck with an outdoor shower. My kitchen has stainless steel countertops and dark blue cabinets with a farmhouse sink. I decided to use a turbo, convection cooker instead of an oven with a 2 burner induction cooktop.

Wind River built a storage couch that folds into a bed. There are storage stairs leading up to the loft, and I have four small closets for hanging my clothes and everything else. I wanted a house with a modern design, so there are nine windows and a full glass door. I like Nordic design, so we choose blue gray paint for the walls and kept the trim natural or medium stain. I have a washer and dryer combo with full shower and lots of storage.

Why did you choose to live in a tiny home? 

Eight or nine years ago I sold my home and moved; first into 650 square foot cottage, and three years later into a 450 square foot home. I have always been somewhat of a minimalist and conscious of what was going on with the environment. I also enjoy being outside hiking, cycling and just sitting around. A friend told me about the tiny house movement, and here we are. 

I understand you live in a tiny home community. Can you tell us how that works? Does the community aspect help with codes and zoning laws? 

Little River Escape is the name of the community, and Ed Watters is the landscape architect who owns this beautiful place. He does work with the local government of the county in Georgia where we are located. It’s rural, so the zoning rules aren’t so restrictive, and he was able to develop this community. He does charge a fee for set up of your house, electric, water and septic. He is very helpful with every aspect of the move, and he has wonderful people for building the deck, sidewalks, patios, etc.

What is your favorite part of your tiny house? 

I love my kitchen; I’m standing at the counter right now. I actually love everything about this house and where I live. I feel like I’m on vacation!

What would you say are some of the biggest challenges of tiny home living? 

Other than finding a place to put your house, I think storage is the biggest challenge. One of the many things Wind River excels at is creating functional and aesthetically pleasing storage. If you are attached to your stuff, it will be harder to go tiny. 

Why did you decide to have your home skirted? Does that help with energy efficiency and the thermal performance of the home? 

Our climate is not so cold that I have to skirt, but all the houses here have a mountain vibe. The sidewalk, patio, streets all are rock. It’s quite lovely.