This Family Built a Tiny House Village—and It’s the Cutest Thing

Alternative ways of living always pique our interest. Tent life, driving across the country in a van-turned-mobile home, or even just a rustic cabin in the woods reminds us that a home doesn’t always need to look a certain way.

While the tiny house movement has been gaining momentum for some years now, one family in Kentucky has set trends aside and instead created their own tiny house village with purpose—to live more sustainably. Meet Ryan and Keli Brinks and their daughter, Lennox, and son, Brodey. They all live in their own tiny houses.

Already downsized? Here are some products you need for your tiny home.

This Tiny House Village Is Built for a Family of Four

@tinyvillagegirl VILLAGE TOUR! i’m gonna go live tonight at 9pm eastern time so come ask me questions! #foryou #fyp ♬ original sound – len🌻

The Brinkses knew they wanted to downsize, but not in the usual way you’re probably thinking of. Instead of moving to a smaller home, they moved to much smaller homes—tiny ones. The Kentucky family created their very own village of tiny houses, shares Insider.

Here’s how they did it. First, they purchased a 21-acre plot of land. Then, they bought several tiny houses—six, to be exact—each with 280-square feet of space or less. Keli and Ryan live in the biggest house on the property, and their son and daughter each get their own houses to give them some space. Add in a clubhouse, a building with restrooms and showers, a separate office building and some farming space for chickens and goats, and the Brinkses have created their very own tiny house village.

How Is This Village More Sustainable than a House?

Aside from the family’s composting and waste reduction efforts—which play big roles in their sustainability vision—the shift to tiny house living has greatly reduced their use of energy resources.

Compare it to living in an apartment. In 2015, the average single-family home consumed about three times the amount of energy compared to an apartment unit, and in most households, heating and cooling take up about half of the energy budget.

Now consider this—in 2019, the average size of a single-family home was 2,301-square feet. At 280 square feet or less, the Brinkses’ houses take much less energy to heat and cool due to their smaller size. Not bad at all.

Not ready to downsize to a tiny home? Here are some ways to live green in your current situation, plus kitchen products that will help reduce food waste.