SMALL

SCALE
 LIVING
L ARGE
IN A TINY
HOME
By K imb erly N icol et ti
Photos by
D ominiqu e Tay lor

A
mong domed mountain
peaks steeped in
alpenglow purples,
pinks and oranges,
a tiny home sits —
a lone, three-dimensional rectangle
in a vast Eagle Valley.
The exterior’s honey brown
cedar siding lends a warm glow,
distinctively topped with wood
paneling painted in a modern,
high-gloss black. Inside, its 221
square feet can sleep four and
includes a kitchen with a full-size
refrigerator, dwarf dishwasher,
pullout cooktop, trash compactor,
washer/dryer combo and plenty
of countertop and cabinet space;
a living room with a fireplace, flat-
screen television, king size bed
and L-shaped sofa; and a bathroom
with a composting toilet and
shower, made roomier by its 3-by-
3-foot skylight.
From September 2018 to
September 2019, Vail Valley residents
Jill Fried and Garrett Schmidt
spent every weekend building the
tiny home while working full-time
jobs: Fried as a hotel engineer
and Schmidt as a plumber. What
they didn’t know about solar
power, elevator beds and small,
wood-burning stoves, they learned
watching YouTube videos.

T HE I NS P I R AT I O N
Two years ago, a trip to Japan
inspired Fried and Schmidt to
simplify their lives and build a
tiny home. Now, living the scaled-
down lifestyle allows the couple
to ski powder in Japan for a few
weeks (which they did in January)
and take off for weekend jaunts.
Rather than paying a mortgage, The bed is on a lift, which they raise and lower daily.
they pop for plane tickets to Tokyo.

FEBRUARY 2020 | VAIL VALLEY HOME 71

 And rather than spending Saturdays thought it was going to be hard to TH E LE ARN IN G CURVE consciously conserve water, which they
cleaning the four-bedroom home in do at first, but once we started doing Watching shows like “Tiny also collect from rainwater streaming
Gypsum that Schmidt owned — or it, it became easier. We realized we Home Nation” convinced the cou- down their rubber roof. But they did
the two-bedroom condo Fried still didn’t need all that stuff — three ple they could live the tiny home run out of solar power a few times; it’s
owns, but rents out — they explore tents, five pairs of skis — to have fun. lifestyle — and build the dwelling only in the last couple months that
various ski resorts. It’s nice to downsize to the essentials themselves — but they ran into “a they’ve figured out how much they
“The way (people in Japan) live is that really make us happy. It just few complications.” can use, particularly when a storm rolls
so simple,” Fried says. “Their houses frees up a lot more time for activities. To begin with, their tiny home in for a day or two and blocks sun-
and apartments have the basic Instead of cleaning the house, we square footage was way too small for light. They also found out that their
necessities to get by. It makes for a camp and experience nature more homeowner’s associations in the Vail wood-burning stove, which only ac-
better adventure and lifestyle.” and see more of the world.” Valley, so they struggled to find a lot. commodates up to 6-inch logs, requires
Fried still has “quite a bit” of Right now, their home sits on a friend’s them to wake up around 2 a.m., espe-
T H E PU R G E clothing, she says. Her winter expansive land in Eagle. This summer, cially on cold nights, to fuel the dwin-
When the couple, who has been wardrobe consists of two pairs they’ll camp in their mobile tiny home, dled fire. They tried propane heat, but
together for three-plus years, told of jeans, two pairs of pants, six which sits on a trailer frame, as they it produced too much condensation,
their friends about their tiny home leggings and about 10 fleece, or search for affordable land to purchase. so they’ve begun to supplement with
plan, some expressed concern about other, tops. Vail Valley lots look “pricey,” Fried kerosene, which burns for 14 hours on
whether Fried and Schmidt would But since they moved in last says, so they’ll be looking everywhere one can.
be content after decimating their fall, has it been too stifling to from the outskirts of Telluride to Mon-
belongings. They also worried about live in a 26-foot-by-8-½-foot tana and Alaska. F ROM TH E (TR A ILE R ) UP
how the pair’s relationship would miniature home? Apart from YouTube videos and the Fried used her engineering back-
fare, living in such a confined space. “It’s just made us stronger. We’ve technical knowledge they came in ground to design the home’s layout,
“With everything we accumulated learned we work well together,” with, they learned about living com- including the steel framing kit, which
in Garrett’s four-bedroom house, we Fried says, adding that she works pletely off the grid through experience. fits over the 26-foot trailer.
had to get rid of a ridiculous amount the night shift and he works days. They discovered their 200 gallon But why spend the $65,000 it took
of stuff,” Fried says. They purged “If we had the same shift, it may tank of water “doesn’t go as fast as to build a tiny home on a trailer when
skis, furniture and clothing. “We have been a little more difficult.” you’d think,” Fried says, though they they could’ve just bought a turnkey

72 VAIL VALLEY HOME | FEBRUARY 2020

 Rounds from
aspen trees and
custom storage
spaces further
personalize the
couple’s space.

A FOCAL WALL
DESIGNED WITH THIN
SLICES OF TRUNKS
AND BRANCHES
COLLECTED FROM
‘SOME OF THE
AMAZING PLACES
WE VISITED’ VISUALLY
TRANSLATES TO
VARIOUS-SIZED
ROUNDS OF
DIFFERENT TYPES OF
TREES SET UPON
A BLACK PAINTED
BACKGROUND.
 COPPER KITCHEN
COUNTERTOPS
AND A COPPER
KITCHEN WALL
STAND OUT WITH
A SPECKLED
PATINA OF BLACK
AND RED TONES
FROM THE AGED
METAL, WHICH
COMPLEMENTS
THEIR RED WASHER
AND DRYER.

74 VAIL VALLEY HOME | FEBRUARY 2020

RV? The answer: Fried and Schmidt compartments hold shoes, summer Carpet squares add coziness to but I thought since it’s a tiny
built their home for their exact clothing and other equipment. the living room, while Pergo spans home we could add a fun vibe,”
needs. Every nook and cranny, from “The tiny home has way more the rest of the floor. Fried says.
ski storage located on a roller system storage than my two-bedroom Fried and Schmidt added style They also incorporated a
under the trailer to food storage to condo has,” Fried says. to their mountain casual, chic home creative patchwork accent wall
keep veggies chilled in the metal tin And, it fits plenty of people; about with pine beetle kill wood walls under the bed with repurposed
adjacent to the wheel well, fit their 20 friends all fit comfortably inside and pops of red. pieces of leather.
personal requirements. during the couple’s housewarming “We used a bunch of beetle
While many tiny homes include party last November. kill because the colors and PASSING ALONG INSPIRATION
stairs with hideaway space, the couple “People say from the outside personalities in each piece are The couple’s tiny home has
decided they’d rather maintain an this place looks so small, but they incredible, and this is one of the inspired their friends, several of whom
open floor plan. Every night and say from the inside, it’s huge,” only places you can get it, and if have asked Fried and Schmidt: “Can
morning, they lower and raise their Fried says. “I feel like we have so we travel with it, it definitely has a you build ours next?”
king-size elevator bed, which hangs much space in ours. If you’re in story of its own,” Fried says. “They say they could do it, after
above the living room, rather than the kitchen, it’s not like you’re on A focal wall designed with thin seeing it,” Fried says. “When they
sleeping (and crawling on hands and top of each other. We have space slices of trunks and branches come inside, they say, ‘oh, I could live
knees) in a loft with a low ceiling. for prepping, and we have a lot of collected from “some of the in this.’”
Fried fashioned their L-shaped cabinets.” amazing places we visited” visually Fried says they wouldn’t mind
couch using 2x4s for the frame, thin Through hut trips and seeing translates to various-sized rounds of building more in the future, but
plywood for the base and memory yurts, they noticed many used different types of trees set upon a they’re going to take a few years off,
foam mattresses, cut into two seats Plexiglas windows, rather than glass. black painted background. settle into their own tiny home and
and a backrest, which, when laid flat, So, they improved on the design, Copper kitchen countertops and a enjoy their new lifestyle.
forms a full-size bed. When they host using two pieces of Plexiglas with copper kitchen wall stand out with a “We’re saving a ton,” Fried says,
overnight guests, they only lower their weather-stripping in the middle. speckled patina of black and red tones “and planning more and more trips
elevator bed halfway. Schmidt’s mom “We found out it’s better than from the aged metal, which comple- and fun things to do.”
helped Fried sew fabric around the glass,” Fried says. “It keeps in more ments their red washer and dryer. They’re just one example of how
memory foam, so it looks like a “real” heat than our glass door, and we “It pops a little differently than tiny home living can result in a very
sofa. Underneath, 1x1-foot storage saved a ton of money.” most people would go in a house, expansive lifestyle.

FEBRUARY 2020 | VAIL VALLEY HOME 75