Tiny House Part 12: The Shower

Seriously? She’s going to tell us about her shower?

Yes. Yes, I am. I am going to tell you about my shower because it was such a big part of the design challenge.

We were so tight on space that I assured them I would be fine with the smallest shower stall they make. I think that was 32xs32? Fortunately for me, when they were shopping, she stepped inside that tiny one and realized even she couldn’t hack anything so small longterm, and I’m taller than she is. Instead, they got me a 36×36 and I have been grateful ever since. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind a little more space. This is sufficient; it works great in fact. I just can’t imagine going any smaller. So, if you’re building, consider what you realistically need. Yes, we sacrificed a few inches in the main room, but it was more than worth the investment!

They installed an instantaneous water heater in the “attic” above my bath, and it provides plenty of hot water. Oh, and they got me a rainhead. I’ve never had one before and this one, especially since it’s adjustable, is amazing.

The shower curtain is from Amazon. I hunted forever, or so it felt, until I found just the right design to keep me in remembrance of our cruises. This is actually a 60″ curtain (Technically it should have been 48.”) because when I looked at the smaller version it seemed that they had distorted the picture to make it fit. I had originally planned to have this one cut down, but instead I just folded some of the fabric and doubled up on a couple of the hooks. That lets it spread out so I can see it, with the extra fabric not too very noticeable off to the side. (And yes, I got in a hurry taking this photo so it’s not hanging properly on the right side.)

I will include a link to this curtain, just in case anyone wants it, but I warn you that you must have a sense of humor to appreciate it. Near the bottom there are some definite misprints. Mostly it’s a couple of fish that are missing pieces of their bodies, but then there is this.

It’s close to the bottom, so as far as I know no one else has ever even noticed it, but every time I see this bear peeking at me above a wall of water I chuckle. My sense of humor is just quirky enough that I didn’t even consider returning the curtain; I keep it as a sort of trophy of silliness.

Finally, I offer these two photos to share my personal bathroom hack. Moving from a full-size bath to a shower stall left me with extra shower curtain hooks, and I discovered that they are a tremendous help. The hook on the shower head holds my bath brush and scrubby without taking up anywhere near as much space as the shower caddy I’d brought with me from the other house. The two hooks I keep on my shower rod (I actually store them both where the right one is) are ideal for hanging wet swimsuits or other things that need to drip dry. I have thanked myself many times for not tossing the “extra” hooks when I was purging.

And that’s it for the bath!
Yeele Fish Shower Curtains Blue Ocean Under The Sea Shower Curtain

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Tiny House Part 10: The Bathroom Tour

I’ll say up front that this will come to you in more than one post. As small as my bath is, this room is a vitally important part of any successful tiny home, so there are several details I’ll go into.

Oddly enough, I feel the bathroom gives the most complete picture of me and my aesthetic. Eclectic is the word for my “style,” and my color palette is all about summer in the Caribbean. I fell in love with the vibrant, alive colors while cruising and visiting various ports with my sister, and the bath very much represents those cruises.

So, let’s enter. Moving forward, we sweep aside the curtain that we’ll pretend I keep shut. (Nope. I only shut that curtain when I actually need privacy, which is almost never) The first thing that catches our attention is a mirror mounted on the wall. I don’t have a picture of it; just trust me that it’s there. We placed that mirror carefully so I could step back and see myself from across the kitchen. This is also my makeup mirror, though I’ve recently begun to wonder if I want to move my makeup activities elsewhere. More on that later.

To the left of that mirror, over the toilet, is a set of three photos. All three were taken on the cruise that made me fall in love with that part of the world. The top is a beautiful butterfly we saw in Puerto Rico. That visit to the butterfly habitat was one of our favorite excursions, especially when one butterfly mistook my sister’s tattoo for a real flower and not only landed on her arm but stayed there long enough for several people to take photos. There are probably pictures of her wrist stored digitally all over the world – just not here since she was the photographer and couldn’t capture it herself.

The second picture is one of bliss. We were virtually alone on that beach, with our ship in the distance and the sound of the waves. Unlike what you experience here in my neck of the woods (Galveston is not one of my preferred destinations), those beaches are magnificent. And yeah, that’s me. 

And last, but far from least, sunsets on the ocean… Let me tell you, if you’ve never been on a cruise, you should seriously consider it. From discovering the reality of the color ultramarine blue to seeing flying fish to watching dolphins, to simply enjoying private time on a ship’s balcony… And that’s only touching parts of it. Life on board can be so enjoyable that I’ve at times considered not even going out on excursions when we made port.

But I do! Go on excursions, I mean. One of my favorite stops… Ok, one of many… was on an island owned by the cruise company. We began by wandering around, seeing a variety of fascinating and beautiful things, including a lovely little chapel and one of my personal favorites – peacocks! (They are represented in my bathroom too.) The best, though, was something my sister absolutely insisted on, and I’m so glad she did!

We started out on a traditional trail ride; yes, horses. I’m sure most trail rides are similar in one thing. There are a few people like my sister who actually know how to ride, and then there are others ranging in skill all the way to those like me who have been on a horse but really don’t know what we’re doing. The trail ride was ok. Even when a horse two riders up got antsy, my horse kept plodding along as calmly as you please. I knew he was the one really in control, but it was ok.

But then we were sent to change into our swimsuits while they swapped saddles. The water saddles were, as best as I recall, like a waterproof blanket, so you had no trouble staying mounted and the horse was protected. Once back on the horses, we headed into the water. Just getting into the water on a horse was great, but once we hit the deeper water things went way beyond “great.” I can honestly say I’ve only had one other vacation experience that was as exhilarating. That moment when I felt the horse’s hooves leave the seabed, when we started swimming, was gold! The rest of the ride was an absolute blast, and the experience is definitely something I’d like to repeat. I have aphantasia, so I don’t have any visual memories to refer to, but just typing about it right now triggered a shadow of those amazing feelings. 15 out of 10, I highly recommend!

Well, this took a sideways jaunt. I’m glad I warned you ahead of time that there would be multiple posts. See you next week!

Here’s your link to the curtain I use as a door. I only use one panel, but it comes in a set of two.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C