What it's like to live on a tiny, 160-square-foot houseboat

He used various types of domestic wood.

The amateur woodworker wanted to keep the houseboat simple, and thus avoided lavish furnishings, instead opting for local woods such as Oregon myrtlewood, black walnut, and Port Orford cedar.

"When people step on board and see the interior, their eyes wander around and you can just watch the expression on their faces because they are surrounded by all this natural wood and beauty," said Elwood.

The tiny houseboat can fit eight people at a time, though it only sleeps around four.

"It has a lot of flotation," said Elwood. "You hardly even notice there are that many people, because it rarely affects the trim."

The houseboat is compact, yet has all the components of a normal home.

The WaterWoody has one bathroom, one bedroom, and a living room with a dining table that doubles as a second bed.

"A common comment I get all the time is 'I can live on this!'" said Elwood. "They certainly could."

When Elwood isn't living on the boat, he stores it in his shed, where it doubles as a guest room.

The WaterWoody is able to travel for up to a week at a time, thanks to the amount of food and water it holds. Two wood-fire stoves makes it perfect for any season.

In the wintertime, heat is supplied by two small, wood-burning stoves. In the summer, the boat stays cool since the interior is made almost completely out of wood, and features big, breezy windows.

The WaterWoody is also environmentally friendly.

"One of the unique things about [the boat] is that it has two small outboard motors that are powered by propane," said Elwood. "Propane also fuels the stove, oven, and a barbecue in the back."

Not only is this less expensive than other fuels, but it's also better for the environment.

The boat also is also equipped with LED lights that are powered by solar panels.

It even has running water and a warm water shower.

The WaterWoody carries up to 32 gallons of freshwater, has two foot-pump sinks, and collects rainwater that flows directly from the deck into a water tank.

"We also use a solar shower," said Elwood. "It's a bag that you fill up and hang on the top of the roof next to the solar panels. People can take warm showers right on the swim platform."

And a toilet.

Perhaps one of the most burning questions of living in a tiny, floating home is that of waste management.

The WaterWoody has one conventional toilet. "Sanitation is done by a composting head so it doesn't require a lot of pump outs all the time," said Elwood. "I only have to empty it at the end of the season."

It's cozy and homey, but clutter is a problem.

"The biggest struggle is just the clutter that happens in the boat. It's a small space so it's difficult to store things," said Elwood. Despite the boat being designed to be multi-functional and compact, Elwood says that storage is an issue because people bring too much stuff.

"People think they need to bring bag after bag when they come on the boat, when really all you need is a small little sack," said Elwood. "Everything you need is already on the boat."

Simplicity is key.

"There's a big focus on simplicity here," said Elwood. "The boat is appealing because people realize they don't need much to live in [the WaterWoody]."

Even though the boat is a mere 28 feet long, Elwood said living in the houseboat has been nothing but comfortable.

"It's like living in a big, beautiful wooden chest to me — like living inside a work of art."