- Dolly Rubiano has lived in a 270-square-foot tiny home for two years.
- The house sits on wheels, allowing Rubiano to move it wherever she wants. It currently sits on a farm in Victoria, Australia.
- Rubiano says it took her three months to build the tiny house, which has two lofted bedrooms, a kitchen, full bathroom, and even a walk-in closet. The home can run on electricity or solar power.
- "Downsizing is inevitable, but it doesn't mean you need to give up the things that you hold dear," Rubiano said of tiny living.
- Rubiano's home was recently featured in Brent Heavener's book "Tiny House." You can read more about it on Amazon, or follow Rubiano on Instagram.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Dolly Rubiano lives in a 270-square-foot tiny home in Victoria, Australia.
"I discovered my love for tiny spaces when I found a cleverly designed house truck in New Zealand back in 2013," Rubiano told Insider.
She stayed in the truck for one night and said the experience "had a profound effect" on her.
In 2017, Rubiano hired Designer Eco Tiny Homes to build her house, which sits on wheels, allowing her to travel whenever she wants.
"My tiny house was built in NSW, Australia and towed 497 miles (800 kilometers) to where it is now in Victoria," she said.
The house sits on a farm among other tiny homes.
"The landowner builds tiny houses on wheels too," Rubiano told Insider. "Those are occupied by visiting friends and relatives and farmhands."
"The actual build took less than 3 months," Rubiano said of the process of making her home.
"I spent another month doing the finishing touches before the tiny house became liveable," she added.
The home features natural wood, white cabinetry, and abundant greenery.
"The french doors open to a spacious kitchen and allow natural light to come through," she said of her kitchen. "Plenty of sunshine makes the plants happy too!"
"I have a mix of minimalist, vintage, bohemian and hand-crafted decors and furnishings," Rubiano said of her decor style.
"Some people describe it as a giant dollhouse," Rubiano said of her house.
The open layout of her kitchen creates more space for her to move about the home.
"The most challenging part in designing a tiny house for permanent living is the limited horizontal and vertical space," Rubiano said.
Almost everything in her home is smaller than it would be in a typical house.
For instance, her stove only has two burners, and she's made use of hanging storage.
Rubiano's bedroom sits in a loft above the kitchen, and she was able to fit a large mattress in the space.
The loft features a skylight that fills the bedroom area with light.
And Rubiano built storage into the stairs, again maximizing her space.
"For me, downsizing is the number one challenge" of living in a tiny space, Rubiano said.
But because she made storage an integral part of her home's design, she hasn't had to sacrifice as many of her possessions as she once thought to enjoy her tiny home.
"Downsizing is inevitable but it doesn't mean you need to give up the things that you hold dear. A clever storage design helps in this regard," she said.
"I managed to include a walk-in wardrobe," Rubiano said of her storage-oriented design.
The closet also serves as her laundry room, adding another function to her home.
The home also features a second loft, which doubles as a living room and guest room.
"I can stand on it too," Rubiano said of the multifunctional space.
Her home was recently featured in Brent Heavener's "Tiny House," a book of inspiration for those interested in tiny living.
The house runs on electricity.
Rubiano plugs the home into an outlet on the farm property using an extension cord.
"But it is future-proofed to be solar-power-ready," she told Insider of her home, giving her versatility in where she can take it if she chooses to travel.
Her bathroom sits under the additional loft.
The bathroom features a composting toilet, but Rubiano didn't sacrifice style for function. The greenery decor continues within it, and she has a unique sink as a focal point.
"I am proud to have made a floating vanity sink from a wooden salad bowl," Rubiano said of the bathroom's chic design.
"Low impact tiny house living makes sense to me because I want a simple, eco-friendly and clutter-free life," Rubiano said.
"You have to embrace simplicity and be happy with less material possessions," she added.
You can follow Rubiano's tiny-living adventures on her Instagram.
- Read more:
- See inside the 300-square-foot tent that a couple transformed into a tiny home for their family
- Take a look inside this Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van that was converted into a colorful tiny home on wheels
- Before-and-after photos show how a woman transforms vintage RVs into chic vans fit for glamping
- This 300-square-foot 'Mad Men' inspired tiny home could be yours for $144k
Follow INSIDER on Facebook.
Follow INSIDER on Twitter.ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufony4u8yapWakmauytHnIp2StoZ6ueqm7zJ5ksJmcoHqquoyco6irlal6sbTOraasZWJlfnp5kGo%3D