• Tony and Charlie Perez live in a 290-square-foot tiny house outside Sacramento, California.
• They’ve spent $35,000 building and designing the tiny house, which creatively maximizes space and takes on influences from their many travels.
• But they say they’re not minimalists. Instead, they told Business Insider they designed their home around practicality.
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Tony and Charlie Perez love the freedom and simplicity that come with living tiny.

The couple have traveled to nearly 60 countries and lived in five, often doing volunteer work along the way. When they decided to move from Africa to California, they chose to make their new home base a 290-square-foot tiny house.

They built the tiny house in 2019 on a budget of $30,000, they told Business Insider. Later additions of a deck and awning brought that total up to $35,000.

Tiny-house living has a reputation as a minimalist lifestyle, but the Perezes wouldn’t describe theirs that way. “We are practicalist … if that’s a word,” they said.

Instead, they thoughtfully designed their tiny house according to what they realistically needed in a home. This deliberate approach helped them create a place that maximized space. It also took on influences from their travels. Learning from other cultures, they said, has been one of their “greatest joys.”

Here’s how they designed their home with practicality, not minimalism, in mind.