Jay Shafer

Jay Shafer

Founder / Designer


Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

Sebastopol, CA USA


Know what you need to be happy, and get rid of the rest.

Videos

By Roadtrip Nation

Jay Shafer

Milestones

My road in life has been direct.
Went to grad school, did his Master's degree in fine arts painting.
Worked as a grocery store clerk for 10 years after school-calls this his "intermission," when he gathered his thoughts.
Did the "fine arts" thing for a while, but felt like he was "wasting his potential."
Says the "gnawing" feeling of wasted potential is a great feeling to have and to follow.
Started steering his art towards architectural work; got tired of sculpture so he started designing, building houses.
Believes society puts too much emphasis on "talent"-architecture didn't "come naturally," but he got good at it through hard work and passion.
Found that there was a lot of interest in his "tiny houses," people liked the idea of living simply.
Says once you put aside the pressure of a mortgage, etc., you can focus on the things you truly love to do.
Keep following my journey

Education

High School
Bachelor
Graduate
Painting

Career

Founder / Designer

I design and build beautiful, functional, tiny houses for people who want to simplify their lives.

Career Roadmap

Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Design
Engineering
Upholding a Cause and Belief

Interviewed By

Los Angeles - Seattle

Los Angeles - Seattle

Traveling up Highway 101 to San Francisco, the team takes in the iconic sights of the West coast, from sea lions to the Golden Gate Bridge, before stopping to speak with Aleks Zavaleta, Executive Director of Loco Bloco, a community outreach program. In Sebastapol they interview Jay Shafer, designer of Tumbleweed Tiny Houses, sustainable homes as small as 65 square feet, whose home makes the RV seem spacious. Continuing into the Pacific Northwest, the team is invited into the home of Lori Pappas, CEO of Global Team for Local Initiatives, an Ethiopian aid organization.