Tiny living: Plenty of big ideas for living tiny in Levin Library’s book collection

If you are planning to build a tiny home, you might find some big ideas at the library to help you plan.

Kiri Pepene is the information research and local history team lead at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō Levin Library.

Sometimes life throws you curve balls, and you have to reset your future and make different choices. Recently, I have had to do just that, so I have started an exciting journey into living tiny. I have always been attracted to this kind of life — living more simply with less stuff, and in today’s economy, it is even more tempting.

So, how does one do this? There are many options out there, from buying or building to converting an existing structure. Being a librarian, I went and checked what kind of books and information we have in the library on going tiny. I was delighted to find we have quite a few books on tiny living, and as I started looking, I realised that there is a crossover into other areas of the library collections.

If you are building tiny and on a budget, a lot of the work you might want to do yourself. Upcycling and living off the grid tie right into the tiny house movement, and I have gathered many ideas on how to save money by doing a lot of the work myself.

We have some great books to get ideas from. I’ve reverted to the ‘90s and started creating a mood board, taking snippets of the ideas that I like.

Living Big in a Tiny House by Bryce Langston has great small-space designs from New Zealand and around the world. Some of them are a bit freaky for me and, dare I say it, a bit too tiny. It’s got everything from cabins in the woods to converted buses, moveable homes, and fixed structures. Looking through, I am amazed at how creative and clever people can be when designing their spaces.

Small House Living by Catherine Foster is more about design-conscious living. Great small home designs, including modular and container builds, show that living in smaller square footage does not mean missing out on comfortable or architectural buildings. Houses from all over New Zealand are featured, and all of them make the most of our wonderful landscape.

Tiny House Basics by Joshua Engberg is a great book for those thinking tiny. Joshua and Shelly could not afford to buy in San Francisco, so they went on the journey to owning tiny. It’s not just about the house; it’s about the things you have to give up or compromise on. They have great practical advice on downsizing and how to consider children and pets in the space. It certainly made me think about some of the practicalities I’d ignored as I romanticised my tiny house.

So, if you are looking for inspiration, practical advice, or just want to spend an evening browsing the world of tiny, pop into the library and start the journey.

Top 10 books

Modern Home & Living ebooks on Libby:

Tiny Houses by John Clark

House Lessons by Erica Bauermeister

Nano Housing by Suresh Haware

Keeping House by Emma Bloomfield

Real Life Organising by Cassandra Aarssen

The Modern Organic Home by Natalie Wise

Shipping Container Home by Michael Hansen

How to keep a house while drowning by KC Davis

The Holistic Home by Laura Benko

The Art of Good Housekeeping by Good Housekeeping Institute

Exhibitions:

Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō Gallery: Decades of Drama: A Walk Through Levin Little Theatre’s History – August 1 to August 31.

Decades of Drama is a look into the history of the Levin Little Theatre over the years, as seen through the archives of the Levin Little Theatre, and Society Patron Joyce Corrin (M.N.N.NM.) This exhibition is a celebration of the enduring history of the Levin Little Theatre Society, the many people who have contributed over the years, and its ongoing legacy in our community.

Te Awahou Nuiewe Stroom Māpuna Kabinet Gallery: Te Kuranui a Matariki, Hopukia te whetū rere from Te Taitoa Māori o Te Awahou Trust – August 1 to August 31.

This exhibition features exquisite artworks crafted from stone, pounamu, whalebone, native woods, and digital design, all inspired by Matariki and her six children. Curated by master carver Heemi Te Peeti, it showcases the talents of his students: Paora Kereama, Shaun Hemmingsen, Karanama Peita Gregory, and Le Bon Wilson. Join us on Thursdays as the Māpuna Kabinet Gallery transforms into a live workshop, where artists will carve and add new taonga to the exhibition over the coming months.

What’s On

Heritage room:

Volunteers staff the Heritage rooms at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō Tuesday to Friday at the following times:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 10.00am -12.30pm

Thursday, 1­2.30pm – 3.00pm

Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom Heritage Room has the research librarian available all day every Friday.

Friday, August 16:

Friday Live Concert, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 12pm – 1pm

Jim Redmond Crib Club, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm – 3pm

SeniorNet, Get help with your tablets, phones and laptops

Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 10am – 12pm

Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 2pm – 3pm

Code Club, Shannon Library, 3.30pm – 4.30pm

Saturday, August 17:

Jazz Jam, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 12.30pm – 2.30pm

Monday, August 19:

Storytime, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am – 10.30am

Meet Street, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am – 11am Volunteer Central, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am – 12pm

H.U.G Horowhenua Ukulele Group, Main Space, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 11am – 12pm

Simply Meditation, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 12pm – 1pm, koha

Digital Learning Class: Smartphone Basics, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm – 3pm

Digital Drop-Ins Session, Shannon Library, 1.30pm – 3.30pm

Tuesday, August 20:

Discovering Family History, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 11am – 1pm

Justice of the Peace, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 11.30am – 1.30pm

500 Card Group, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm – 3pm, $2

Lego Hour, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 3.30pm – 4.30pm

Wednesday, August 21:

Volunteer Central, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am – 12pm

Crochet & Coffee Club, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10.30am

Better Digital Futures: Engaging Online, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm – 3pm

Code Club, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 4pm – 5pm

Pop Up Eats Horowhenua, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō Carpark, 5pm – 8pm

Quiz Night, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 7pm – 9pm, $5

Thursday, August 22:

Sewing Workshop, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am – 12pm

500 Card Group, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm – 3pm, $2