The house was named Occhi, short for occhiolism, Holsinger says, which refers to “the awareness of the smallness of your perspective.” Within four months, they’d moved into Occhi, which is about 133 square feet. They “toned down the log cabin vibe a little bit,” says Barker, by bringing in some blue and yellow, and as much artwork as they could fit on the walls.

They use an electric heater in the winter, “the city electric is hydro-powered,” Holsinger says, with a backup propane heater. “We’re not off-grid,” she explains. “When we bought the house, we got a great deal on some solar panels and had big plans to put solar in. Then we realized we were using such little power it would have taken eight years—with the battery purchase and installation—to recoup the cost, so we sold them.”

They use about 200 gallons of water a month, which comes from a garden hose on the mushroom farm that they’ve hooked up. They have a Sun-Mar composting toilet; about every six months, they empty the tray at the bottom into a compost pile outside designated for fertilizing trees and shrubs. In the kitchen, they have a small refrigerator, two-burner stove, and the household sink. It’s a tight fit, admits Barker, who does most of the cooking, but they make it work.