Couple Builds (And Sells) Their First Tiny House During The Pandemic

Seismic shifts in life have an unexpected way of compelling us to take a closer look at what's working in our daily lives, editing out what's not—and potentially forging new paths into the unknown.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has been exactly this kind of catalyst for many, and husband and wife Taylor McClendon and Michaella McClendon were no exception. Prior to the onset of the coronavirus lockdown, the two had moved to Hawaii to jumpstart their destination wedding photography and videography business.

Thanks to the pandemic, they found their livelihoods suddenly put on hold. But instead of waiting around and hoping for the best, the couple decided to pursue a dream that had been on the back of their minds for some time: building their own tiny house.

To make that dream a reality, the pair enlisted the help of Taylor Mclendon's brother-in-law Ike Huffman, a finish carpenter, as well as Huffman's parents Greg and Joy, who had both have experience with construction and interior design.

With their help, the couple was able to complete their lovely 28-foot-long tiny home in only 25 days, working full days from Monday to Friday for five weeks. Some of the things that make this gem of a home stand out includes an emphasis on lots of windows throughout the home's 250-square-foot interior, as well as a very intriguing design for accessing the secondary loft.

The exterior is clad with cedar and metal siding, giving the house a distinctly modern look. As Taylor tells us:

"We used repurposed cedar for all the accents outside and the ceiling inside. We acquired the greyed cedar as leftovers from a project from several years ago; so I took it to a local wood shop and had them planed, sealed, and cut down to usable sections, then pieced it together for the accents and ceiling. We designed a lot of the tiny house aesthetics around the cedar we had available, to use as much of that resource as we could thoroughly."

Coming inside, we see that the interior is horizontally clad with light-colored wooden planks, as well as the aforementioned reclaimed cedar on the ceiling, which has been left in its natural state. The carefully selected pale colors and materials lend the home a Scandinavian-inspired minimalist feel.

The couple decided to prioritize the kitchen and main living space as much as possible, employing an open-plan concept that maximizes the full height of the 13-foot ceilings.

Here's a closer look at the enormous bay window, which doubles as vertical access up to the secondary loft. It's one of the first examples of this design idea we've seen thus far, and it saves space because it eliminates the ladder, which would usually be in the way if it's placed on the other side of the loft.

The kitchen is laid out lengthwise along one side of the home and features a 36-inch modern apron sink, a full-sized stove, oven, and refrigerator.

The counters are made with concrete, which not the most eco-friendly, but there are concrete-based alternatives that are lighter and made with recycled content. In any case, we love how the space-saving dining nook at the end fits in with the rest of the space—it's not too big, and can double as a work or prep area. The windows here are flush with the counter to ease the passing of dishes through during outdoor gatherings.

There's storage space directly under the staircase, as well as within the stair treads themselves.

Going up to the main bedroom, we see a cozy space that has some windows that can open up.

The bathroom can be found tucked below the bedroom. While it wasn't the main focus of the design, it manages to be an airy space outfitted with a 42-inch-wide shower, full-sized vanity and sink, and a Nature's Head composting toilet.

After having built their tiny house during the first year of the pandemic, the couple soon sold it and have now moved to Dallas, Texas, with the intention of transitioning to building tiny homes professionally. They are now offering to build the same tiny house model for clients, with prices starting at $99,800. In addition, they are selling blueprints of this tiny house online to anyone who might be interested in constructing it themselves.

To find out more, visit Tay And Mckay, and their Instagram accounts here and here.