Organizing the Barn

Last weekend the weather was beautiful and the temperature mild here in Oklahoma. The winds have been fierce on and off for the last week and a half, so the greenhouse structure I was using as a mock tool shed was seeing some bad wear and tear. Sucking it up, I got up early last Saturday and tackled cleaning out the storage barn, organizing and culling the "stuff," and moving all the tools in out of potential weather exposure. The project took all day and boy my knees hurt like heck for the effort. 

Doesn't Look Like Much, But It Is A Huge Improvement

First we hauled out all of the boxes that needed sorted. Into the loft on one side went all the holiday decorating supplies. We moved all the unused furniture and various household goods I am not parting with (someday they will go in a guest cottage) into the far recesses of the loft, before lining up the boxes for the holidays close to the edge for ease of access. A large pile for donating began to form.

I moved all the canning jars to the back corner of the barn for now. Eventually I want to add more shelving to the barn and neatly store the jars by size and wide-mouth vs narrow. However, for now they are stacked neatly all in one area. I decided to leave all my craft project totes stored on that side in front of the jars for now because I want to be able to access them easily as the mood hits to complete the multiple quilts I have started. 

Toward the front of the barn on the right side I kept a portable closet to store out-of-season clothing. An antique dresser fills the space between the boxes and the portable closet. 

I will build a workbench like I built in my garage in my "big house."

On the left side, we moved in the frame to the greenhouse with its great shelves, sans the plastic cover. This created a great tool storage area. This took up roughly one quarter of the barn, but greatly increased the storage area and efficiency of accessing tools. I added a folding table in front along the left side as a tool bench until I find an old door to build a more formal and solid tool bench. Finally I brought in larger tools such as the saw table and shop vac. 

Storage Bins Idea

I still have some barn goals which will be met when the budget allows. These include:

• Uniform storage totes
• Shelving
• Lighting (solar)
• Running electric to workbench area

All in all, it is a pleasure now to be able to access things I don't want to store inside the Shouse or Shedroom. I am able to locate and use the things I choose to store. All my things are protected from weather and the locking barn door helps keep everything secure. 

It was a Saturday well spent!

200 Things Challenge - What is Your Relationship with Things

Within the Tiny House movement is the 100 Thing Challenge. It didn't start in the Tiny House community, but many within it decided it made sense and paid if forward by sharing it with others. It quickly took on a life of its own simply because the size of a Tiny House forces one to reevaluate all their possessions, to determine what is most important, and what is superfluous. Eventually the challenge was increased to 200 Things, but the intent is the same: Choose what you own carefully and don't bring anything in without taking something out. 

Certain types of possessions take priority over others. These are items that can do double-duty, be used in more than one way, take precedence over items such as purely decorative ones. A library of books can be stored in one e-book. Laptops replace desktops. No longer is there a walk in closet full of clothes, but a wisely chosen wardrobe of key pieces that can be mixed and matched. There are countless other ways to eliminate unneeded belongings.  Lina, over at her blog This is The Little Life, recently looked back over her 200 Thing Challenge and wrote about her experience:  

"I’ve found that My 200 Things Challenge has made me a better minimalist. I am less attached to my possessions, but more pleased with the things with which I surround myself. I am more likely to loan something out. I am less worried about wearing something out because there’s a new excitement about acquiring something new. I am more likely to decorate with fresh flowers or fall squash. I only wear clothing that I feel comfortable in. I own few possessions that I don’t use on a daily, weekly, or at least monthly basis. I don’t have to shuffle things around as much to get to the other things I need. I no longer own things that frustrate me because they are broken because I have repaired, replaced, or purged them. I am more particular about what I allow into my home, which means I no longer take something just because it was free. I am more likely to consider whether or not I really need something before I acquire it. I am more likely to get rid of something I’m waffling about. But most importantly, I give less attention to my stuff and more attention to my experiences."

Lina offers workshops in Portland for those who are interested in how to go about participating in the challenge, but most can undertake it on their own. Here are some things to think about if you want to downsize: 

• What is the most important thing you own?

• What clothing must you have vs what is just hanging in a closet or stuffed in drawers?

• If you don't love it, leave it.

• What can you fit into technology (Books, photos, documents, etc.)

• How will you store all your items?

• Can items fill more than one role?

• How big is the footprint of the item? 

Living in a tiny house and living the Tiny House lifestyle comfortably requires thought and consideration. It is most certainly and adjustment, but I have yet to hear of anyone who was disappointed by their choice. If you are considering downsizing, you can begin preparing long before you move. 

What is one item you would never part with, even if you lived in a tiny house? 

Tiny House Home Office Organization

Know what these are? These are the answer to a small office storage issue in the tiny house!