Keli and Ryan Brinks built a tiny home community for their family of four, and it’s freaking bonkers ah-mazing!
Just when you thought tiny homes couldn’t get any cuter, check this out. This bundle of six tiny homes that Keli and Ryan Brinks built on 21 acres of pristine Kentucky land is its own tiny village!
There’s a parental unit, 2 separate crash pads for the kiddos, a pool house, an office, and a bathroom/guest house.
But, that’s not all! Want to know what makes this setup even better? There’s a barn, a chicken coop for organic free-range eggs, and a goat. Because you can’t really call yourself a proper family without having a token goat-in-law!
Building an entire village from scratch might sound like a sucker punch to the pocketbook, but since we’re talking teeny weeny dwellings for just four folks, it’s actually quite doable. In fact, it cost the Brink family far less to buy the land ($57,000) and build all the structures ($20,000) than it would have to shell out for a cookie-cutter house in the ‘burbs.
And get this – because this community is built on land that they own, the Brinks family doesn’t have to pay any stupid housing association fees! That’s a win right there.
The Parental Unit
At 280 square feet, Keli and Ryan live in the biggest home the property, and it looks just as good in the inside as it does outside. Don’t you just love that porch?
The Living Room
The vaulted ceilings make living here so worth it. But they’re not so tall that you have to get a ladder to wipe away all the spider webs. Every nook and cranny is conveniently located within broom reach.
This Full Size Tub!
You can’t really call it a bathroom unless it has a full size tub. Shower stalls just don’t cut it during the winter months when the cure for seasonal affective disorder calls for a hot bath every single night before bed.
The Kitchen & Bedroom
Speaking of beds, Keli and Ryan’s bedroom loft is location just above the bathroom. It can be seen here from the kitchen. It may be a tight fit, but they’re married so it’s okay to get cuddly.
The Pool House
The 180 square foot pool house is where everyone, including 16-year-old Brodey and 18-year-old Lennox, come together as a family. It’s the perfect spot to play games, chit chat, and catch up on each other’s lives.
The Back Deck
The pool house functions like a communal living room, but this one just happens to have an above ground pool out back that’s 18 x 33 feet, and is 8 feet deep.
Brodey’s House
Not everyone can call themselves a homeowner at 16, but Brodey is lucky enough to have his own sweet little chill pad. It’s actually a tiny cabin with a porch.
Inside Brodey’s Teenage Lair
This is where Brodey naps, play video games, and listens to music. There’s a dresser, TV, and a futon/couch for overnight guests on the ground level. Upstairs is the loft that’s big enough to hold a king-sized bed.
It’s the perfect setup for a teenage boy, but there is one very important thing that’s missing – a bathroom!
Neither Brodey nor Lennox have bathrooms in their tiny homes, so when they have to use the loo or wash up, they walk over to the guest house to take care of business.
It’s a little bit inconvenient, especially in inclement weather, but Lennox told Insider that it’s not it’s not too bad.
“It seems much worse than it is. I just put a coat on if it’s cold or raining. I’ll just bundle up and run over there.”
Guest Bedroom
The guest bedroom looks super cozy and comfy, and it comes with a large window that opens up to a great view of the surrounding woodlands.
The guest house is also where the family’s washer and dryer is kept.
The Cute Barn House
Keli and Ryan let their kids choose which model tiny home they wanted, and while Brodey chose a cabin, their daughter Lennox picked a 160 squre foot barn.
The only difference is that the builders installed a regular door instead of the kind with the big swinging doors.
Inside The Barn
Just like Brodey’s house, the ground level of Lennox’s house has plenty of room for a couch, TV, and dresser. There’s a bedroom loft upstairs.
Since Lennox goes to college, she only lives in the house part time on the weekends.
Her friends think it’s weird that both she and her brother have their own house, but she says:
“It’s just like having a bedroom. Instead of having hallways, you’re just outside. I like the independence of it. I don’t have to bother my parents with noise either.”
The Office
This tiny 64 square foot building looks like a fancy outhouse, but it’s really just an office.
Living in this tiny village as a family really isn’t all that different from being bunched up together in one giant building. But, mom Keli notes that there are some subtle differences:
“We have taught them to value the Earth and to do their part to take care of it and encourage others to take care of it. Family togetherness, fresh air, outdoor exercise, growing and cultivating food, and taking good care of animals so they can take good care of us is what we want them to live for and pass down to the next generations.”
Isn’t that what family and communities are all about?
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