Cash-strapped Idaho architect Macy Miller wanted a place of her own without the burdensome <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/mortgage-free-living" target="_blank">mortgage</a>, so she decided to build a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/tiny-house/‎" target="_blank">tiny house</a> from the ground up. Miller says the idea of building a micro home came to her in a dream in 2011, and she's doggedly pursued the vision ever since. She put the finishing touches on her tiny 196 square-foot home early last month - read on for a look inside!

Dissatisfied by the lack of construction training at school, Miller seized upon the DIY <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/designbuild/‎" target="_blank">design/build</a> dream as both an educational and cash-saving opportunity.

"Once I started talking to people who were curious about the same things as me, I got more confident that it is possible and that it is the right path for me," she writes on her website <a href="http://minimotives.com" target="_blank">MiniMotives</a>.

Miller fit building her micro home in between work and her social life. She says that the construction process began in December 2011, and it took much longer than anticipated.

She attributes part of the reason to her dedicated use of sustainable building materials - in particular, the time-consuming process of turning <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/recycled-pallets/" target="_blank">recycled pallets</a> into siding.

Miller's shower became fully operational recently.

Miller is currently in the process of purchasing property to park her micro house, which was built on the bed of a 24-foot long, 8-foot wide flatbed trailer.

She intends to operate her home completely off the grid in the future.