An Ode to the Bathtub in a Tiny House

I had a horrible day last Thursday. It was actually the crescendo to a stressful week full of storms that included tornado warnings and other life stressors. Our dog, Sweet Sade Sue, became seriously weak, falling over like she was drunk. We rushed her to the vet to learn that she was bleeding internally from the spleen and needed emergency surgery.

Photo by Sherri Jackson

Once we got her to the vet and I came home to work a little. All I wanted to do when I got home from The Belle Writer’s Studio was to lie in a nice, hot bath and soak my stressed muscles. Once I got the rest of the Fearless Five fed and walked, into the tub I went. Dale was on the road for work, so I didn’t have to worry about cooking dinner. I had been up with Sade since midnight and the hot bath was just what I needed before falling into a deep sleep.

When we built Our Little House, one of the things I knew I couldn’t live without was a full-sized tub/shower combo. My aunt, who drew up our plans worked it in. I even knew what type of tub I wanted, a porcelain enameled steel, instead of the fiberglass one we had in our house in Kansas City. The steel tubs are much more durable and I find them easier to clean. I also wanted a beveled edge on the back, which makes it easier for soaking. I also love my shower curtain, which adds a pop of art to our little bathroom!

We didn’t have a shower in our little bungalow or in the bigger house we moved to when I was a teen, so I have always taken baths. I know many new houses are being built without baths and just have showers and many remodels on both private homes and hotels only include a shower.

But showers just aren’t for me.

We have 480 square feet, big by some tiny house standards and we’re also on a foundation, but what about tiny homes on wheels, can they include a full-sized tub?

You bet, says Sherri Jackson, who is building her 9.5’ x 28’ tiny on wheels in Corvallis, Oregon (she will be moving it to Portland once it is completed). “A full-sized tub was the first thing I knew I wanted in my tiny,” Sherri says. “I don’t think living tiny means sacrificing every creature comfort, it just means you need to be smarter about figuring out how to incorporate them. I truly enjoy taking soaks to ease both body and mind.”

Sherri still plans on being very water wise with her home, incorporating an atomized shower system and building a gray water irrigation system for her garden. She also hopes to build a rainwater collection system.

So there you have it. If you were wondering if you could have a full-sized tub in a tiny house, the answer is definitely yes.

Enjoy those soaks, I sing their praises, there’s nothing like them!

Do you have a full-sized tub in your tiny, or if you were building a tiny house, would you have a full-sized tub? Tell us about it in the comments. 

~Kerri, The Living Large Lady