Musician Mary relocated from the Bay Area to a tiny house community in Arizona where she invested and built a 500-square-foot bungalow designed around her grand piano. The instrument, which she had paid to move from apartment to apartment for years, became the centerpiece of the home’s layout. Since the community offers communal cooking and dining spaces, Mary chose a minimal kitchen setup, prioritizing music and living areas instead.
Don’t miss other interesting tiny homes like this – join our FREE Tiny House Newsletter for more!
Living Room Designed Around Grand Piano
Images via Tiny Home Tours
Eclectic Decor with Antiques and Heirlooms
Images via Tiny Home Tours
Bungalow Exterior in Tiny Home Community
Images via Tiny Home Tours
Video Tour: Musician’s 500-Square-Foot Bungalow
Design Details
- Owner: Mary (musician)
- Interior Area: 500 square feet
- Type: Bungalow in tiny house community
- Location: Arizona
- Previous Location: Bay Area, California
- Design Focus: Built around grand piano
- Primary Instrument: Grand piano (centerpiece of home)
- Decor Style: Eclectic mix of antiques and heirlooms
- Kitchen: Minimal (community has communal cooking/dining)
- Community Amenities: Shared cooking and eating spaces
- Ownership: Owner is also investor in the community
Lessons from This Home
- Design Around What Matters Most: Building the floor plan around a grand piano demonstrates how small homes can prioritize personal passions rather than conventional room arrangements
- Community Amenities Reduce Individual Space Needs: Access to communal cooking and dining facilities allowed for a minimal kitchen, freeing square footage for music and living areas
- Investing in Community Creates Housing Options: Becoming an investor in a tiny house community provided both a financial stake and a place to build a custom home
- Heirlooms and Antiques Personalize Small Spaces: Filling a compact home with meaningful furniture pieces creates character that generic modern furnishings cannot match
- Downsizing Enables Location Freedom: Moving from an expensive Bay Area lifestyle to a smaller Arizona home demonstrates how reduced housing costs can fund geographic flexibility
Learn More
Related Stories
- Bouldin Creek Bungalow: Quaint & Quirky Getaway
- Airstream to 800 Sq. Ft. 1953 Bungalow Life
- 500-Year-Barn Turned English Cottage
You can share this using the e-mail and social media re-share buttons below. Thanks!
If you enjoyed this you’ll LOVE our Free Daily Tiny House Newsletter with even more!
Also, try our Tiny Houses For Sale Newsletter!
More Like This: Tiny Houses | Video Tours | Solo Tiny House Living | No Loft Tiny Homes | Cottages
See The Latest: Go Back Home to See Our Latest Tiny Houses
This post may contain affiliate links and/or sponsored content.
Alex
Latest posts by Alex (see all)
- Custom Built 7×14 Cargo Trailer CAMPER Tour - May 20, 2026
- Living Full-Time in a Tesla Model X - May 20, 2026
- Tiny House Communities in Georgia: Where to Live Small in the Peach State - May 20, 2026
actually looks like a studio apartment rather than a home – communal cooking is ok but does she have her own bathroom?
Everything communal…
I’m afraid I would have to have my own composting toilet, no getting up in the middle of the night or being sick and having to run outside to a communal bathroom!
I feel exactly the same way, Linda! Having to run outside to a communal bathroom is unacceptable. I like other aspects of her home, but she has different priorities (and that’s OK, of course). But gimme a bathroom!
I love playing my piano! Because piano was such a strong connecting point between my mother & I, I didn’t have the heart to play for quite some time after she died. So… to say the least I’ve become rather rusty!
I’m making a big move in my life, now, and feel I’m getting enough traction that I’ve been wanting to get back to my piano. I’d love to learn the piece that comes in at 2:44 minutes into the video. This would be a great motivational piece to help me get back in the saddle, again. Can anyone help me out with the name of it, please? Thanks for any help!
Good job and to all the people that think you do not have your own bathroom I am sure it is off your bedroom which is lovely am I correct? I have wanted to drive up to Kingman one day I have not been there for so long if ever. I am sure the place has really grown. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and your beautiful tiny home.