Making Off-Grid Living Look Cool

In most Amish Mennonite homes, electricity is as taboo as a selfie stick at a barn-raising. They go off-grid, keeping things refreshingly low-tech and (surprisingly) chill. While this means fewer bills to pay—score!—it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re living in total darkness. Instead, they light up their evenings with kerosene lamps that give off a cozy, nostalgic glow, as if every night’s a candlelit dinner.

Gas-powered refrigerators keep their milk cold sans the electric hum we’re so used to hearing. Of course, they’re not entirely against electricity—they use it for emergencies or when it’s necessary. Talk about using power wisely!