Inside a Tiny House

The small house movement is just what it sounds like -- a shift towards people intentionally living in small spaces. Often built to be portable, tiny houses offer a minimum viable living space allowing the occupants to sleep, eat, hang out, and sometimes even work within a footprint that barely exceeds a typical suburban bedroom. The appeal is partly financial (building an entire tiny house can cost less than a few years' rent), but mostly practical -- by living in a small space, you're forced to simplify, and the outdoors becomes your living room.

In this short film, NPR's Science Friday visits one couple living in a 140-square-foot tiny house in Washington state. Keep an eye out for their solar setup -- that's another way to cut down on bills. Best of all? They built the whole thing themselves, despite having no prior construction experience.