How This Pilates Instructor Turned a Tiny Home Into a $23K Studio
If this pilates instructor turned is on your radar, this short guide cuts through the noise. Here is what is worth knowing, and how to put it to work today.
Key Takeaways
- How This Pilates Instructor Turned a Tiny Home Into a $23K Studio After her divorce, Melody Morton-Buckleair moved to rural East Texas and t...
- Today, the business pays for itself, and shows how even a small setup can bring in real income with just a few clients a week.
- Written by Ben Huber Last Updated: August 11, 2025 Home Side Hustles Side Hustle News Melody isn’t new to Pilates.
After her divorce, Melody Morton-Buckleair moved to rural East Texas and turned a tiny home into a part-time Pilates studio. Today, the business pays for itself, and shows how even a small setup can bring in real income with just a few clients a week.
Written by Ben Huber Last Updated: August 11, 2025Melody isn’t new to Pilates. She’s been teaching for over two decades and once ran The Good Space, a full-fledged studio in Houston.
💪 Side Hustle: Pilates studio Elmwood Place Pilates 💰 Revenue: $23,000 net/year 🗓️ Started: Since 2024Featured Quote:
“I didn’t start with a big business plan. I started with a certification, a few loyal clients, and a space that felt peaceful.”
But after stepping away from city life, she found herself looking for something simpler , a way to work at her own pace, on her own land, without the overhead of a commercial lease or full-time schedule.
The result was Elmwood Place Pilates: a boutique movement studio housed in a renovated tiny home, on her family’s land in Palestine, Texas, surrounded by gravel paths, gardens, and quiet.
What began as a personal reset has grown into a low-cost teaching practice that now brings in over $20,000 a year , enough to cover the property costs while giving clients something rare: calm, consistency, and space to breathe.
How She Turned a Tiny Home Into a Working Studio
Melody bought the tiny home back in 2017, well before tiny houses were trendy. At the time, it was just a quiet spot on family land , not part of any business plan.
“It wasn’t a business decision at first,” she said. “We lived in it full-time for a year during COVID, and it was part retreat, part classroom, part shelter.”
After her divorce in 2022, she started hosting occasional retreats and workshops on the property. Clients didn’t mind the drive , some came from 15 to 30 minutes away for the peaceful setting, the personal attention, and the sense of space.
“I wasn’t sure anyone would drive out into the country for Pilates,” she said. “But they do. They love it.”
In 2024, she added weekly classes and set up a basic website to handle scheduling and payments. With the equipment already on hand, the tiny home shifted into a full-time teaching space almost on its own.
“I already had everything from my Houston studio,” she said. “The real shift was building the infrastructure , the website, a booking system, the schedule.”
What started as a personal reset turned into a low-overhead studio that now pays for itself , no commercial lease, no signage, no staff.
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Startup Costs and What It Actually Took to Open
One of the biggest advantages Melody had when launching Elmwood Place Pilates was that she didn’t need to purchase equipment , she already owned four reformers, a Cadillac, a tower, and a full set of props from her previous studio in Houston.
“The machines were already paid for,” she said. “So I didn’t have to spend $10,000 to $20,000 just to get started.”
The tiny home cost about $40,000 when she bought it in 2017. Over time, she added thoughtful touches to the property , a gravel path, garden spaces, a yoga deck, even a small pond , but none of it was essential to getting started.
The studio’s back deck overlooks a pond and open pasture , one of numerous peaceful touches added over time.“The only thing I’m really paying for now is the electric bill and the note on the tiny home, which is about $350 a month,” she said. “The studio covers that easily.”
For anyone starting from scratch, here’s a rough idea of what a lean setup might look like.
Melody’s Setup- Tiny home: $40,000 (2017) + garden/yoga/pool upgrades
- Equipment: Owned , 4 reformers, Cadillac, tower, props
- Monthly expenses: ~$350 (loan + utilities)
- Booking system: Squarespace
Total: ~$44,000+ (plus upgrades)
Budget Studio Starter- Rented space: $20-$50/hr or $500 to $800/mo
- Equipment: $200 to $500 (or $3K+ for reformer)
- Monthly tools: Booking, insurance, utilities ($75 to $150)
- Booking system: Calendly, Acuity, or Wix
Total: $1,000 to $5,000+ to launch
Melody’s advice for someone starting from scratch? Don’t overbuild. Don’t assume you need mirrors, branding, or a polished aesthetic to start teaching. Focus on the space you do have , and make sure it’s legal and safe.
“Don’t teach out of your living room unless you really know your clients,” she said. “Renovate a garage, rent by the hour, or partner with someone who has usable space. Always check your zoning rules, HOA restrictions, and parking situation. And make sure you’re insured.”
Group and private sessions inside Elmwood Place Pilates, using the reformers and Cadillac Melody brought from her previous Houston studio.Zoning and occupancy rules vary by state and even neighborhood. For example, some cities prohibit more than a certain number of visitors per day at a home-based business, or require conditional use permits. Liability insurance and signed waivers are just the start , local compliance is what keeps your studio open long-term.
She also emphasized the importance of education , not just certification.
“Pilates isn’t a trend. It’s a system,” she said. “Respect it, study it, and learn how to cue, correct, and teach on all the equipment. That knowledge is your superpower.”
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How She Got Her First Clients
Melody didn’t rely on word of mouth or organic traffic to get her studio off the ground , she ran a simple Facebook ad targeting nearby towns.
“I had a professional set up a Meta ad for me,” she said. “Within days, I had over 50 responses.”
From there, the funnel was straightforward: people visited her website, clicked through her class schedule, and booked directly through Squarespace.
The ability to automate that process was a turning point.
“No more texting back and forth,” she said. “People could browse, pay, and book on their own time. That changed everything.”
For wellness instructors just starting out, booking platforms like Squarespace Scheduling or Acuity can also handle client intake forms and waiver collection. Digital waivers aren’t just about liability , they streamline onboarding and free you up to focus on teaching instead of chasing paperwork.
Most of her students now purchase 10- or 20-class packs or sign up for a monthly membership. She also offers private and duo sessions for a more personalized experience , something that’s hard to find in larger studios.
The tiny home now serves as a fully equipped Pilates studio, showing how a small, well-organized space can be transformed into a professional wellness setting.Instructors frequently choose class pack pricing because it improves client commitment without locking them into rigid contracts. The pricing range here is typical for boutique studios, especially when factoring in low overhead and high-touch service , but it can vary widely depending on location, class size, and whether you’re offering mat or equipment-based instruction.
What keeps clients coming back isn’t just the setting , it’s the relationship.
“Keep it personal. Know their names. Deliver results,” she said. “Make the experience so rooted and peaceful they don’t want to go anywhere else.”
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Her Schedule, Pricing, and What She Actually Earns
Melody teaches anywhere from 10 to 14 sessions a week. Some are small-group mat or reformer classes; others are teen sessions or weekend retreats, depen
Final Thoughts
Before you check out, double-check this pilates instructor turned against current offers and any coupons you can stack. Small habits like this add up to real savings over a year.
Originally published at dollarsprout.com.
Ben Huber
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