Tiny or micro living has become a worldwide sensation that only keeps growing in popularity.
One young couple took this trend to a whole new level when they moved into a small 2000 Daihatsu Hijet Microvan.
Meet Max and Nici, the student couple who decided to start their lives together in an unusual way.
The pair met while in University in the Netherlands and decided they wanted to do some travelling together. As both of them were students, money was a little tight so they decided to backpack through Spain and Portugal and sleep in tents along the way.
They noticed that while it took them a lot of time and effort to set up and then tear down their tent and equipment everyday, often a van would be parked near them and the occupants had little to no set up.
The two young Dutch students decided that, if they wanted to continue travelling together, which they did, they would need to invest in a microvan of their own. And so the “Little Ollive” came to be. They purchased the van and renovated the inside so that it felt more homey.
During the day they have a living room area that converts to a bed at night, and they have an outdoor kitchen area that pulls out of the back of the trunk and is protected by the trunk.
The interior of the van takes full advantage of the limited space available and is packed with a surprising amount of storage areas. The seats lift up to provide space for their clothing, shoes, solar panels, and batteries, and they have placed their pantry in front of one of the sliding doors so that they can access their food from either side.
The couple, who travel around Europe, are very grateful for the multitude of public bathrooms available, but they do keep a small spade handy for when they can’t find anywhere also to go.
As mentioned before, they have a small kitchen area that sits tucked under their bed and can be pulled out through the back of the open van, a 2 burner hotplate is all they need. The couple eats mostly vegetarian and vegan food so they do not need a fridge, this is good as it saves them a lot of extra space.
Nici decorated much of the interior with recycled materials, including popsicle sticks, a table cloth that was tea-dyed and cut into curtains, and a bamboo stick as a curtain rod.
They also created a few hanging baskets that hold some of their fruits and veggies after watching tutorials on how to make them off of Youtube. The interior of the van is warm and inviting, mostly birch wood and rattan, and the whole vehicle gives off a very natural vibe. The outside of the van is painted a nice olive green color which was the inspiration behind its name.
Max is a 6’4″ tall man and, while he is about 6″ taller than the top of the van, he makes it work.
The pair have created a home that is aligned with their values and allows them to travel when and wherever they want. They get to cuddle up at night and watch movies on their iPad, and like to spend their days reading and playing frisbee. While it may not be what most people are used to, for Max and Nici, it is home.
Check out a tour of the “Little Ollive” microvan in the video below!
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