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This family built a private tiny-house village where the kids each have their own homes
Five years ago, the Brinks family made a $57,000 purchase of a 21-acre property in Kentucky and turned it into a sustainable tiny house village where their children each have their very own private tiny home.
Family Ditch Conventional Home for a Tiny House Village
Keli and Ryan Brinks live in a tiny house in Kentucky, which isn’t all that remarkable considering there are thousands of tiny houses across the United States.however, what makes the Brinkses setup unusual is that their tiny house sits among a mini village of five other tiny houses that they also built, two of which house their teenage children.
A Private Tiny House Village Where Teens Have A House Each 4 family members share 6 tiny houses in total—the parents’ house, two separate houses for teens Lennox and Brodey, a double bathroom house, a pool house, and a guest house. Source: Twitter/LennoxBrinks The Parents’ house: At 280 square feet, this is the biggest house on the property. It cost $9,000, making it the most expensive home, because they wanted extra amenities. “We asked for amendments including extra windows, an extra cutout area in back for an exit door, and real dormers up top to add more natural light,” Keli told Insider. (Also, no scuttling to the outhouse in winter for Mom & Dad) Source: Twitter/LennoxBrinks Inside, there is a living area off to the right. Vaulted ceilings make the room feel more spacious. Source: Twitter/LennoxBrinks And a kitchen on the left, with stainless-steel appliances. Beside the fridge is a ladder that leads to the couple’s lofted bedroom. Source: Twitter/LennoxBrinks Below the loft is the bathroom, including full-size tub. It might be a tiny house, but the bathroom does not lack space or feel cramped. Source: Twitter/LennoxBrinks Guesthouse bedroom.Source: Twitter/LennoxBrinks Lennox’s house. Lennox said most people find it weird that she and her brother live in different houses than their parents, but she loves the privacy. “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.” Source: Twitter/LennoxBrinks Brodey’s house.Source: Twitter/LennoxBrinks The guest house with bathrooms for the teens. Lennox’s and Brodey’s tiny houses don’t have bathrooms, so they have to go outside and walk to this building when they need to shower or use the bathroom. Source: Twitter/LennoxBrinks The private pool house measures 180 square feet.Source: Twitter/LennoxBrinks Together space: This lounge, pool and decking area is perfect for family gatherings, after which each family member can go home. The pool is 18ft x 33ft, and 8ft deep. Source: Twitter/LennoxBrinks Workspace: This 64-square-foot building serves as the family’s private office, allowing mom Keli and her husband to work from home. The Brinkses pay less than $200 in utilities, less than at their home in Michigan. Keli and her husband each have multiple jobs, and sometimes they use this tiny office to work from home. Source: Twitter/LennoxBrinks The Outhouse: “It’s really not that bad,” says Lennox. “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.” Source: Twitter/LennoxBrinks Coop de Village: The 21-acre property also has a barn, a chicken coop, and a goat, which all play an important role in the family’s sustainable lifestyle. Source: Twitter/LennoxBrinks
Keli hopes this unique living situation will teach her children what it means to live sustainably
Mom Keli Brinks told Insider the tiny houses conserve energy because it’s easier to heat and cool smaller spaces. Additionally, the family produces only one bag of trash per week.
"The reason we have so little trash is that we try to live by the very important rule of RRRR: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle," Keli said. "We almost always refuse plastic bags for groceries and use cloth bags. We compost almost all our food. We give our produce leftovers to the chickens. We recycle everything that is allowed to be recycled. We rarely use our clothes dryer."
Keli says she hopes this unique living situation will teach her children what it means to live sustainably.
"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," Keli said. "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."
For the time being, Lennox cannot imagine living anywhere else. "This isn’t a temporary thing," she said. "This is a solid home for us."