When children move out, it can be hard on a parent. For the last 18 years or so, these children have run your world. You have packed lunches for them, planned family vacations, and been a shoulder to lean on when they needed you most. It can be lonely to suddenly find yourself in an empty house.
That is exactly how Michelle Boyle felt when her children left the nest. She wondered what she would do next, how she would fill her time.
It must have been difficult for her to cope with the reality that she would now be living alone, but she turned the experience into something magical.
Boyle decided to build her own tiny home – the perfect size, just for her. It took a little over a year, but in the end, it was all worth it. Her home is one of the cutest places imaginable, and it certainly doesn’t feel void of company.
“Dear Tiny House,” Michelle wrote on her blog entitled My Empty Nest, “For the past 15 months I have poured every spare moment, dollar, and ounce of emotional energy into you and now; you’re done.”
“You see, some people drink or smoke or exercise or find other means of stress relief. But for me, you’ve been it. You’ve been my happy place, and given me challenges to conquer and problems to solve.”
Boyle gave her heart and soul to this project, and the proof is in the details. Every inch of the room is a clear reflection of Boyle’s beautiful personality.
She made her own decorations to hang on the walls so that she could always feel at home when she entered the house.
She even built her own staircase with a little loft to relax in. This home has everything she could ever need, and she couldn’t be more proud of it.
“I originally named you My Empty Nest and, when I started building you, I was eagerly anticipating the day when my two kids would grow up and move on with their adult lives,” Michelle explained.
“Now, however, I am thinking that the name I gave you does not really fit you.”
“You have helped me see that no matter where my kids are, and even if I am your only official occupant, you will never ever be truly empty.”
The woman left out a piece of trimming above the bathroom doorway so that she could put her own time capsule there. The capsule will contain her letter, as well as pictures of the home in its various stages of building.
Her hand painted decor transforms the flat walls into a welcoming space. This may not be the place Michelle imagined living in when she was growing up, but it is definitely a cozy home.
And in a lot of ways, it is even better than a typical house adorned by a picket fence.
For this expert crafter, the project was a source of comfort and security.
“There are so many problems in my world and life that I cannot solve, so, I look excitedly forward to solving the ones I can,” she shared.
Michelle’s home is an extension of her values, and she keeps little reminders throughout the place to never lose sight of what is important to her.
She has placed all of her favorite objects inside, so she will not have to miss anything from her old house.
Michelle’s nest may be empty, but her heart is full. This tiny home has given her a place where she can simply be.
Many of us dream of a life where we are free from the 9 to 5 grind. Michelle has found a way to live with everything she needs and without the extra stress. Her project serves as an inspiration to anyone willing to take a risk and deviate from the workaday world.
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