COLUMBUS, Ohio — For Mansfield native Nils Root, less is more.
The 2007 Mansfield Senior graduate has discovered the beauty and benefit of living a “simple” lifestyle, one that isn’t fixated on acquiring as many possessions possible.
“I don’t own a lot of things and that’s definitely intentional,” Root said. “There’s not a lot to dust, not a lot to pick up and move with you…”
Given the small quantity of items in his possession, he didn’t think it was necessary to live in a spacious home, so he ended up buying a 442-square-foot condominium in the Short North of Columbus.
“It doesn’t feel that small to me, but I know a lot of my friends would never choose to buy a place that small,” he said. “But I think it’s, if I dare say, really cool, cute and adorable.”
Not long after signing the contract for the house, Root received a phone call from HGTV asking if he’d be interested in being on the show “Tiny House Hunters.” The show follows home seekers across the country who are searching for small homes.
“I’m in video and I thought it would be really fun, so I said I’d try it,” Root said.
He and his friend, Channing Centeno, spent five days filming a segment for the show.
The crew followed the two around the Short North, stopping at different places Root likes to frequent, including the Tasi Cafe and Short North Tavern.
“They spent some time with the Bookbag Video team, which was really cool,” Root said. Bookbag Video is a video production company that specializes in using real people to tell stories. Root, who works as a video producer for the company, said, “We’re called that [Bookbag Video] because all our gear fits into a bookbag.”
His workplace is just two blocks from his condominium, “which I am totally spoiled by,” said Root, who enjoys walking and biking to places.
Root first moved to Columbus right out of high school to attend The Ohio State University.
“My older brother [Christian] went to OSU and stayed in the city after he graduated, was doing cool things here and made it seem like a cool place to be so that’s why I stayed in Columbus, as well,” Root said.
Prior to moving into his current place, he rented different apartments year after year. “And I had reached a point where I knew I wanted to stay in Columbus, and once I got to that point I thought, ‘Well, my monthly expenses wouldn’t change if I was paying a mortgage instead of paying rent, so why not just get a place if I know that I want to be here.’ And that’s how that decision was made,” he explained.
The 26-year-old said he enjoyed being a part of the “Tiny House Hunters” show. “It was a lot of fun. I think it’s something that I will definitely appreciate in like 10 years. Looking back, I’ll be glad that I did it.”
His episode is set to air the night of Oct. 20.
Root said he didn’t realize what a large following that the show has, “so I thought I’d just kind of slip through the cracks and maybe a few people would say they saw it, but since I’ve told people I’m going to be on it, almost every person is like, ‘Oh my God I love that show,'” he said.
“I don’t own a lot of things and that’s definitely intentional,” Nils Root said. “There’s not a lot to dust, not a lot to pick up and move with you…”
