Page 97 - Southern Oregon Magazine Fall 2018

TINY HOMES

IN SOUTHERN OREGON

Big returns for compact living
by Valerie Coulman

Southern Oregon Tiny Homes by Sara Faith Photography

or two Oregon business owners, a desire for a simpler lifestyle
has made tiny homes a natural and exciting space for their vision
Fto grow. They are enthusiastic about the trends they’ve seen in
the tiny home industry as people are embracing its efficient and eco-
nomical lifestyle.

Sean Moroni, co-owner and Head of Design for Southern Oregon
Tiny Homes in Central Point, began in the construction industry, but
quickly saw an opportunity for change. “I was doing million dollar
housing and was pretty disillusioned,” he recalls, both with the wasted
resources and the environmental impact of standard building practices.
Along with co-owner Cole Smith (COO) and another friend, Moroni
began to address those issues in a back alley project that has since
grown into a four-year company recently featured on HGTV’s Tiny
House Big Living.

Todd Miller, founder of Oregon Cottage Company in Eugene, also
began with an interest in living smaller. “It was my love and interest for
the outdoors and my love of alternative building,” says Miller, which
first interested him in tiny home living about 10 years ago. “It was
an experiment for me,” he adds. He started blogging his tiny home
experiment and received so much interest that he began building tiny
homes first in Cottage Grove, then moving to Eugene to be strategic in
staying close to suppliers.

Tiny homes, for Moroni and Miller, fit the gap in terms of providing
economically and environmentally responsible housing options that can
be locally sourced and reduce their carbon footprint both in supply and
in use. “I like to keep all of our money local,” Moroni says, sourcing all
the materials for their tiny homes, except the custom trailers, locally.

It’s not just financial economy, says Miller, but economy of space as
well. “Every square inch of these tiny houses has been carefully thought
out.” It’s a creative challenge that both builders are enthusiastic about
as they work with their customers to create the ideal, and individual-
ized, compact home.

“It’s so customizable,” Moroni adds. “It can be really luxurious and

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