The Tiny Ocean Cottage That Replaced 3,000 Books and a Big House
She traded a great big house full of stuff for a tiny cottage and a simpler rhythm by the sea. Happiness followed.
Across the Street from the Ocean — First Impressions
She says she wasn’t really happy back then,
and now she lives across the street from the ocean and loves it.
You first meet her in the kitchen, the heartbeat of this place.
The property sits right across from the beach,
and she’s been here for six years, settling into the ease of it all.
The Tiny Kitchen That Does It All
This small kitchen has everything a regular one would—just scaled down.
There’s a smaller stove and oven and a smaller refrigerator that still handles weekly essentials.
A deep, no-nonsense sink anchors the workspace,
and because she’s tall, she prefers prepping on the countertop to save her back.
A butcher block on top takes the chopping duty and keeps prep efficient.
The cottage was built almost a hundred years ago and can’t be expanded, so planning and order make it work beautifully.
Dinner stays simple: sautéed vegetables, bean dishes, sometimes fish—about 45 minutes, start to finish. She also credits a small-space friendly helper: Wild Grain delivers parbaked sourdough, ready-to-bake pastries, pastas, pizzas, desserts, and more.
Everything arrives frozen and bakes fast—think a loaf of sourdough straight from the freezer to the oven in 25 minutes or less.
One Room, Many Uses — Workspace, Living Room, Bedroom
One room does the heavy lifting: it’s her workspace, bedroom, and living room—everything other than eating happens here.
She parked her workbench facing the windows for natural light and mini ocean-daydream breaks.
At that spot, she wrote three books.
She’s also worked remotely as a licensed clinical social worker for seven years and retires next week.
The “desk” is actually a sturdy workbench she got from Amazon—garage-grade and perfect for a tiny home office.
Where a full-size Murphy bed used to be, surgery made lifting it impractical, so the TV stayed in the best viewing spot.
Smart Storage & How She Organizes Everything
Start with the counter: it hides serious storage—pots, pans, wraps, soaps, and beyond live neatly beneath.
A slim shelf corrals spices and oils so nothing gets lost in the shuffle.
Doors changed everything. Swapping busy open shelves for cabinets instantly calmed the look and made it feel tidy.
She swears by tall, shallow shelving that fits tight spaces yet stores a surprising amount.
Inside, everything’s boxed and labeled—beads, shells, shoes, office supplies—so finding what she needs takes seconds, not searches.
Bathroom, Laundry, and Practical Comforts
She lucked into one of the biggest bathrooms on the property and is genuinely grateful for it.
There’s a compact shower like you’d expect in a tiny home,
paired with a regular-size sink, a medicine cabinet, and storage underneath.
On the opposite wall: a toilet and a stacked apartment washer/dryer she utterly loves.
A small shared laundry on-site has two washers and two dryers, but having her own feels special.
Why She Chose This Life — Costs, Books, and Lessons
This wasn’t random. As a kid, she imagined a cottage with just the essentials—bed, table, chair—and the thought felt warm and right.
Today, it also makes financial sense: she’s saving about a thousand dollars or more, with utilities included in the rent.
The hard part? Letting go of books—she once owned over 3,000.
Her approach to sentimental things is gentle and smart: take a photo of a place setting or teacup, keep the memory, and release the bulk.
That clarity became writing, including Minimalism for Well-Being: A Guide to Simplifying All Facets of Your Life.
You can explore all three of her books and more at livingwithsimplicity.com.
