When Michelle Boyle set out to build her very first tiny home, she had no idea where it would lead. Now running an entire village of pocket-sized properties, with 12 rentals on her books plus some extra side projects, the self-taught builder has created a miniature real estate empire.
Click or scroll through the gallery as we take a tour of her enchanting tiny village in the woods...
Located on a five-acre (2ha) former Christmas tree farm in Sherwood, Oregon, Michelle's tiny home journey started by leasing a plot from the landowners where she could add five tiny homes.
In 2019, Michelle paid a flat fee of just $150 (£122) for each house per month, plus revenue share of rental income, including utilities and Wi-Fi.
Michelle designed each of the houses herself, always sticking to an affordable budget and employing sponsors from local businesses to help with elements of the build that she couldn't do.
Michelle starts by sketching the designs on paper – with her first tiny house, she even made a small model before beginning construction.
As the tiny house movement has grown, Michelle's vacation rentals have become increasingly popular. Each of her homes has a unique aesthetic and character, and she ensures that every inch of interior space is filled with handy storage solutions.
Her passion for pocket-sized properties comes from the transformative effect tiny living has had on her own life. “Living here frees up so much of my time. It takes me barely any time to clean, so I have so much more freedom now," she explains.
Hoping to eventually quit her tech day job and set herself up for retirement, Michelle has set up an Airbnb rental business so that she can educate others about tiny living and support her now grown-up children.
The village has also received global interest from other tiny house advocates, such as Tiny House Giant Journey, who support Michelle's ventures. Let's take a look inside her tiny home collection...
Michelle's journey started with My Tiny Empty Nest in March 2014. Designed to reduce her living expenses and provide an affordable home in her retirement, the total cost of the build came to $37,000 (£30k).
But, thanks to Michelle's money-saving approach, 60% of this was funded by construction firms looking to lend a helping hand.
The project took just 15 months to complete and has everything you'd expect in a full-sized home. Measuring just 8.5 feet (2.6m) wide and 24 feet (7.3m) long, My Tiny Empty Nest is perfectly designed to make the most of its snug floor plan.
The kitchen comes complete with a tall fridge, plenty of cabinets and drawers, a hob, sink and wooden worktops.
As well as the kitchen, the ground floor has everything Michelle needs to live a comfortable life, with a cosy living space and a snug bathroom.
Featuring two large armchairs, the multifunctional living room can easily be converted into a dining area – for her first Christmas in the property, Michelle even served up a full festive dinner for two here!
Upstairs, the house has two rooms, including this bedroom, complete with stylish wood cladding across the walls, storage units and a bedside table. Across from this space is a loft lounge for relaxing, which can be transformed into a guest bedroom when necessary.
When we spoke to Michelle about My Tiny Empty Nest in 2024, she said "I'm in the middle of a remodel. I'm adding a LOT of colour and texture with new paint, curtains, plants, furnishings, rugs and linens. It's really going to be so much more a reflection of my newly evolved sense of style." We can't wait to see it!
This cute yellow house was Michelle's second project and was completed in February 2018. Truly minuscule at just 144 square feet (13.4sqm), My Tiny Perch was another affordable build, costing a total of $20,000 (£16k).
During the design process, it was important for Michelle to feel like the house was encircled by nature, so she made sure the woodlands could be glimpsed from every window.
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Spread across a single level with no upper storey, My Tiny Perch put Michelle's problem-solving skills to the test as she tried to fit in all the necessary amenities. A credit to her design skills, the stand-out feature is the colourful galley kitchen.
With a carefully chosen sink that's just big enough to wash up pots and pans, it's also fitted out with a fridge-freezer as well as small shelves and hooks for additional storage.
Like with any tiny house, the snug square footage was always going to be an issue when designing a practical interior. For My Tiny Perch, Michelle had to be inventive and utilise wall space to provide essential storage.
This gorgeous rustic shelving unit is the perfect spot to store mugs and glasses.
The stylish bedroom features a custom mattress that fits perfectly into the cosy space at the back of the home.
When designing the colourful scheme, Michelle was drawn to these vibrant curtains first and then picked out bedding and accessories to complement the playful print.
My Tiny Bird House is one of the smallest properties in the village, coming in at just 48 square feet (4.5sqm), and was completed back in July 2018.
The quaint blue house has its very own decked terraces to the front and the rear, providing the perfect spot to soak up the stunning surroundings.
Inside, the tiny dwelling has two single bunk beds with storage space underneath. At one end of the pocket-sized property is a small kitchenette with a sink – just enough for preparing the essentials.
The home also has a unique library shelf for storing books, plus three windows that let natural light flood in.
My Tiny Bird House doesn't go without the necessary amenities either, as it's fitted out with a hot outdoor shower. It just goes to show how far a tiny space can stretch!
Just beyond the deck, you'll also find this unique firepit table framed by coins. This artistic spot is the ideal place to toast marshmallows in the evening as the sun sets across the woodlands. It doesn't get much better than that!
Next up is My Tiny Hideout, which was one of Michelle's toughest builds to date, taking her nearly one and a half years to complete. Finished in May 2019, the tricky project ended up pushing her $4,800 (£3.9k) over her initial budget of $20,000 (£16k).
Nearly 200 square feet (18.6sqm) in size, the multifunctional space is light and airy, featuring 12 beautiful wood-framed windows. The pint-sized home has two upstairs bedrooms and a small 24-square-foot (2.2sqm) bathroom that's been lined in cedarwood.
My Tiny Hideout has a different interior style to the other houses, using rustic wood cladding and a neutral palette throughout.
While small, the kitchen is well-equipped with plenty of worktop space, a hob, fridge and sink. Dressed with checked curtains, the windows frame views out over the trees.
No corner of space in the dwelling is underutilised, with a small bookshelf and even a movable caddy making the most of the available space.
The small staircase leads upstairs to the cosy queen-sized loft bedroom, which benefits from an expansive picture window – ideal for stargazing at night.
On the other side of the property, there's a second smaller loft bedroom, while the bathroom is located underneath on the ground floor.
While still in the process of building My Tiny Hideout, Michelle was offered the opportunity of a lifetime when she received an invitation to design and build the first tiny house at the NW Natural Street of Dreams in Oregon – an annual event that celebrates the latest in residential construction.
She built Amelia in just three months, as well as landscaping the exterior and staging the interior.
The 204-square-foot (19sqm) home was inspired by the layout of her previous tiny home build, My Tiny Perch. The kitchen sits at the centre of the house and is designed to be the main entertaining space.
It takes up over a third of the floorplan and is packed full of state-of-the-art appliances.
The building has three separate rooms, including this stylish double bedroom with Scandi-style whitewashed walls.
The bed frame lifts up for easily accessible extra storage space, which was a big consideration when designing the petite property.
The contemporary bathroom has no shortage of storage solutions either – beneath the sink, a built-in cubby helpfully doubles up as a countertop.
With its sleek white tiling and hexagonal flooring, this snug space has an undoubtedly luxe feel.
The journey doesn't stop there though – next up was My Tiny Wine Wagon.
Bought for just $1,000 (£821) back in September 2018, the unit was used as a mobile cooking station for the local mining club in a previous life.
Housed in a workshop in Oregon, Michelle spent less than $12,000 (£9.8k) transforming the tiny house shell into another cosy dwelling. The interior of the wagon began as a blank slate, just waiting for Michelle to work her magic.
As always, Michelle started out by sketching the layout on paper. The open-plan tiny home has two bedrooms consisting of a queen and a single, plus a full kitchen, dining area and an outdoor shower.
The wagon’s interior features a double bed with a single bunk cleverly slung above, a library nook, and a fully equipped kitchen.
There’s even an adorable faux logburner just inside the front door for maximum cosiness in the evenings!
The wagon, which resides in Oregon, is also ideally situated to make the most of the great outdoors, with an alfresco dining area, barbecue, and open-air shower.
If that wasn't enough, since 2019 Michelle has also been working on a brand new project outside of her tiny village.
Even smaller than her previous projects, this lightweight trailer – known as Margot the Teardrop – can be rented out and attached to a car, offering snug and stylish accommodation on the move.
Designed and made by Michelle, the compact home features a double bed, galley kitchen and collapsible tub for washing.
While Margot was the first completed trailer, Michelle has expanded the fleet to include the vibrant Levi and Burnadette!
In summer 2022 due to zoning issues on the leased land, Michelle moved most of her tiny homes out of Oregon to Washington. And her tiny rentals now have a big sister...
In March 2022, Michelle finished creating My Tiny Creekside Retreat, a 2.5 acre (1ha) retreat venue which features this adorable (and not so tiny) lakeside cottage for group rentals.
Guests can hire the cottage or the entire complex, including the tiny homes which reside on the grounds. The cottage, which is 1,400 square feet (130sqm), cost $95,000 (£77k) to renovate. It has a rustic country feel throughout with Michelle's signature pops of colour, and includes three comfy bedrooms and two bathrooms.
The cottage has not one but two dining and living room areas; the ultimate comfort for large families! A remodel, creating a duplex was completed in March 2024.
This spacious kitchen has everything you need to prepare a large family meal and is well-stocked with pots and pans, dishes and utensils. When it's not rented, Michelle and her family also love to use the property as a base for holiday dinners and sleepovers.
Outside the waterfront accommodation, there are two wildlife viewing decks for the ultimate relaxation.
In May 2022 Michelle added an 80-square-foot (7.4sqm) A-frame cabin to her tiny village. Perfectly positioned by the river, A Sunny Outlook is one of many scattered, private accommodations on Michelle's retreat, which can be rented individually. Each one is spaced adequately to provide plenty of privacy but also a sense of safety.
From nights by the firepit to yoga on the deck, guests can get fully immersed in nature from this waterfront cabin.
Designed by Derek Didericksen, the build cost $7,000 (£5.7k). Inside, the compact cabin includes two twin beds which can be combined to make a snug double.
While the cabin allows guests to get back to nature, there are also the essentials, from an open-air shower to a camping kitchen which includes a cooler and pop-up sinks.
The creek side wall is corrugated and lets in lots of light during the day. While, at night guests can gather round the crackling firepit and enjoy a barbecue in the fresh air.
The retreat location is the perfect base for exploring the area. It is a short drive from Portland or Seattle, and ideal for those who are looking to take in Washington Coast and Long Beach.
Originally built in 1963, Betsy, which Michelle refers to as her 'Baby', was lovingly restored in 2022 to her current 'princess' condition. The Scotsman RV, has been completely rebuilt from the frame up, at a cost of $25,000 (£20k). The compact caravan includes an outdoor shower experience and all electric heat and cooking options.
Placed in a location to maximise the waterfront experience, Michelle says: "It is our most intimate and lovely accommodation option at My Tiny Creekside Retreat."
Completed in the summer of 2024, Michelle remodelled a container-shaped construction trailer into another tiny rental. My Tiny Bunkhouse, which is 165 square feet (15sqm) is the tenth tiny home she's designed or built in 10 years.
It is also one of the many tiny accommodations on the retreat.
There are a lot of reasons to love the bunkhouse. It features a stylish lounge space, a rarity in tiny homes!
The kitchen includes a hob, microwave, coffee maker, toaster, and all the basics for cooking delicious meals.
It took 12 months to finish the tiny build at a cost of $35,000 (£29k).
My Tiny Bunkhouse sleeps three people with two built-in beds; a queen and, of course, a bunk bed! The decor is cosy and modern farmhouse in style.
All of Michelle's rentals offer stunning views. Something she too can enjoy, when she's not handling the day-to-day management of the staff, maintenance and the guest experience of the properties!
Speaking of her tiny rentals, Michelle says: "It's hard to believe I went from having absolutely NO money in the bank when I started in 2014 to an impressive balance sheet and a thriving and profitable business with 12 short-term rentals, hosting thousands of guests per year, in two states! I'm very busy, but I do enjoy the hustle!"
The future looks bright for Michelle and she's not showing any sign of slowing down. When we spoke in 2024, she was considering the purchase of her next property which will be designed and built for long-term guests to bring their own tiny homes.
For Michelle, what began as a passion project for her retirement has spawned into an incredible community of tiny homes. Her creations champion affordable housing and prove that you can live big in even the smallest of spaces.
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