People have long argued about what makes a house a real-deal home. Opinions on what characterizes a permanent, full-time dwelling differ by taste, of course, but also by region and culture. The homes in this section have a few essential elements: sleeping quarters, a toilet of some sort, a place to wash oneself (if not contained within, then very close by), and areas for food preparation and storage. Eat, sleep, digest — that’s what it boils down to, and the dwellings here have that covered.
M att’s self-designed and self-built home is proof that it’s possible to fit many of the regular amenities of a more standard-size home into a tiny one. It’s one of my very favorite tiny dwellings on the scene and is just loaded with character. Wolpe, who co-heads (with partner Kevin McElroy) the design firm Just Fine Design/Build, managed to squeeze a full kitchen with a two-burner range, a greywater system, a full bed in a lofted area, a Dickinson propane stove, and more all into only 100 square feet. Though the bathroom is off-site, Matt hid an outdoor shower in the back, seeing as Oakland’s climate makes it a more desirable setup than it might be elsewhere. Aside from that, the house resembles a traditional home, albeit tinier. The budget was equally tiny. Overall, Matt spent only $5,500 on his home, which is impressive, considering the look and feel he was able to achieve within. Oh yeah, it’s also made with a huge amount of free, salvaged, and repurposed materials, so an extra nod goes out to Matt for that alone.
What I like most about Matt’s home is that it includes many modern conveniences without making the place seem cramped. By leaving a good deal of open living space, Matt has made his little home feel significantly bigger than it really is. Additionally, all of his hardwood furniture was hand-built, and his floors were taken from an old roller skating rink and given new life — a great conversation piece right there, never mind that this little house is just beautiful. Built-in furniture, it should be noted, is certainly something to consider in a small house or microstructure. Most standard couches, tables, ottomans, and benches don’t fit easily in a space so small, so you might want to consider custom-building your own pieces instead. They can be as fancy or as rustic as you’d like, any color you desire, and, well, built exactly the way you want . . . with a little elbow grease. You’ll probably save some money, and you just might have some fun, too!
O n a visit out to San Francisco to speak at a workshop for the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, I luckily found time for a side jaunt to Half Moon Bay to see the microresidence of Ella Jenkins. Ella’s self-built house is a prime example of how to make a home one’s own: she’s taken the time to design and arrange her living space and belongings to reflect her needs, routines, and tastes. For many, building a tiny house or microstructure, for any use, is a once-in-a-lifetime DIY task. It’s certainly one you’ll want to be proud of. So why not build it to suit your own needs and desires?
Little Yellow is based on a design from Tumbleweed Tiny House Company (their Fencl model at the time). Among her many adjustments to the original design, Ella eliminated the Dutch hip roof on the entrance end of the home to bring out the gable to the full trailer’s length. This yielded extra storage space in the secondary loft and, as an added bonus, made the roof much easier to frame. Fewer cuts, angles, and figuring often result in fewer headaches. A sleeping loft at the rear end of the house frees up living and cooking space below. This well-appointed home also features a composting toilet, a shower stall fashioned from a rather funky and fun-looking stock feed tank, and a bay window with a view (of a horse farm). There’s ample space for Ella’s large harp, the focal point of the main room, and a salvaged vintage school desk where she can sit and work on her handmade jewelry. She even has room left over to entertain guests, all within 120 square feet. Is it magic? Nope, just the result of a good dose of planning and knowing what one wants.
Overall, Ella’s Little Yellow has a more thoughtful and intentional feel than many of the homes I’ve set foot in — and there have been many. I love her choice of interior colors, which are vibrant without being overwhelming. Her combined dish storage and drainage rack (the rack hangs above the sink and drips right into it) is an excellent example of thrift and space efficiency. Also noteworthy is the post of her front porch. This thick, debarked manzanita bough, grabbed from the side of a cliff, tells the visitor from the very start, “You’re about to enter a pretty darn unique home.” The manzanita ain’t lyin’.
O n a caffeine-fueled romp through the Berkshires and beyond, my brother, Dustin (aka “Dr. Demolition”), and I hit five unusual tiny cabins and dwellings in just two days, photographing and shooting videos of each along the way. It was our “Two Days, Three States, Five Locales, Nine Videos, and 47 Cups of Coffee” tour. Well, maybe not 47. The point is, it was a fun but tiring tour, and by the time we reached the 227, our last stop, I was in a let’s-just-get-this-last-shoot-over-with state of mind. Well, as we pulled up we were greeted by Jesse, one of the owners, who gave us fresh eggs and a look at a great new barn he had just designed. Then we saw the house. We were wowed by the appearance and layout of this very sparse and modern home. My mindset was changed instantly, and I was now excited (or coffee number 47 had finally kicked in!).
At 227 square feet the house is one of the larger structures covered in this book, but it’s still a far cry from the average-size home in not only the United States, where excess reigns supreme, but also worldwide. The team from the Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Warren, Vermont, did a pretty exceptional job with the layout of this mini-home, which, I might add, is on wheels. Charred shou sugi ban siding (a Japanese technique of sealing the wood with a blowtorch), recycled metal light and handle fixtures, crafty storage nooks and drawers, and high ceilings all go a long way in making this a very attractive little dwelling. The bathroom, with a large, custom sliding wall/door and almost 30 square feet in size, is rather luxurious by tiny-house standards. Borrowing from nautical design, the room is a wet bath, in which the shower, sink, and composting toilet are all in the same open space. Slatted floors ensure drainage, as no one wants to splash their way to a toilet when duty calls.
I can’t get enough of the steampunk-esque, pipe-fitting ceiling lamps of the 227. So many people overlook the simple concept of using raw-looking plywood as wall cladding. Not only can it look great, but it saves time, money, and materials, not to mention weight in cases where trailer loads are a concern. The variously textured bed drawers are good-looking and fun, in addition to providing a wealth of storage space. The polycarbonate wall panels also have a great look. These make for lightweight, easy-to-install walls with an almost space-age effect.
A rguably one of the harder-working dudes in the “tiny industry,” Joe Everson (plus Joe Sr., Chris Cole, and their team at Tennessee Tiny Homes) seems to have a zeal for construction and small space design that is surpassed by few. With over 15 years of building and framing experience under his belt, Joe decided sometime around 2011 to dip his toes into the world of tiny dwellings. Since then, he has built and designed numerous homes, both “groundbound” structures and travel trailers, each one very different from its predecessor.
Mendy’s Shoe Box, named for the client it was fashioned for, was one of Joe’s early projects and shows his team’s knack for interior style and design. One aspect I particularly love in Everson’s work is the incorporation of fold-down decks that stow upward in a locked position for road travel. These also provide security when the owner is away for long periods of time. With Joe’s creativity for finding storage in otherwise overlooked places, plus his team’s ability to work in some rather fun color schemes, this tiny house company should be around for some time.
Looking into Mendy’s Shoe Box from the front door, you immediately see its creative use of space.
Mendy’s Shoe Box has a great little entrance arrangement where a built-in couch — something you don’t see as often as you might expect in tiny homes — also doubles as a daybed and storage cover, and it’s conveniently positioned across from a wall-mounted TV. Joe somehow manages to stuff highly functional shower and bath combos into the smallest of spaces too.
T he Tumbleweed Linden is one of the better examples of space efficiency out there, even before factoring in the loft (which can fit a king-size mattress, with room to spare). I was lucky enough to get a tour of this place at the Sonoma County Fair as part of their Tiny Town exhibit. Upon entering, I was rather surprised at just how open this Tumbleweed felt. The Linden has the largest loft among Tumbleweed’s travel trailers. It’s one in a series of newer models, all with tree-related names, and is available with several different floor plans. This 20-foot-long home also boasts a second storage loft, one of the more useable kitchens I’ve seen in so small a home, and a real-deal, full-sized shower stall and composting toilet, which have been fit cunningly into the tiny bathroom. This is achieved by borrowing a sliver of space from the end of the kitchen, where one barely notices the loss — I didn’t. Add in dormers, a fairly sizable “great room” at almost 7 x 9 feet, and plenty of wall space for art and shelving, and it all starts adding up to an aesthetically pleasing and highly functional microhome.
The cantilevered end of the kitchen counter (just a few overhanging inches) is a nice touch in the Tumbleweed Linden, as it enables you to use it as a bar counter if you were to pull up a stool. Little details like that are what set a home apart from others. The dormer lofts and window placement also promote a nice cross-breeze, as well as ventilation in what would otherwise be a very hot loft space. The bathroom’s full-shower-stall trick is so subtle most would never notice the stolen space from the kitchen. I’m also a fan of the front porch. With no railings, it becomes more open, usable, and flexible, and serves as a more gradual transition between the indoor and outdoor living spaces. The two front posts would also make for a great place to string up a temporary hammock.
M ichael Papillo and Jenny Yee own and operate a tiny-house bed-and-breakfast in Portland, Oregon, that they designed and built themselves. They ventured into this enterprise with a big sense of style and a very small budget. Repurposing materials for this backyard retreat not only saved them money but also set them far apart from the countless other B&Bs that dot the landscape these days.
“Sustainable design was very important to us,” says Michael. The trim and shelves were created from wood nabbed from an old shed formerly on the property, and the teak flooring, otherwise very expensive, and cedar shake siding were obtained as leftovers from several high-end construction jobs. Again, the result here is not only savings but also a dose of character that gives this little oasis a look that is so not “off the shelf.”
The Rustic Modern has a luxurious full bath, complete with a space-saving sink notched into the wall.
Table made from a piece of old door
In addition to the vibrant patches of color, such as the gold bathroom door, you’ll find many other elements of the Rustic Modern that immediately say, “This is no boxy ’n’ bland hotel room you’re staying in.” I really think the table made from a chunk of old door is a great idea, the orange couch adds a fun and almost punky feel to the room, and the dresser-style kitchen cabinets are unconventional yet look so at home. The loft, which houses a queen-size bed, is accessed not by a ladder but by real stairs, which many guests find much easier to use, and the rustic treads just look fantastic. It’s pretty hard for me to find anything I don’t like about this Portland rental.
T his micro-architectural brainchild of engineer Steve Sauer was born from an old storage room and speaks modernity to its very core. Steve, a bicycling enthusiast, artist, engineer, and minimalist at heart, has cleverly shoehorned so very much into so very little. The Pico is more than just minute; it’s also classy and brags a wealth of custom DIY touches. Recycled slabs of IKEA wood, for instance, have been reimagined into new tables, benches, and shelving. The custom metal work, be it railings or supports or the two elevated bed platforms, also gives this place a one-of-a-kind feel. Steps to the main sleeping loft (from the mid-level “cafe” or lounging area) double as additional seating, and the negative voids behind them become storage space in the office nook under one of the elevated beds. It’s all very well thought out, which is immediately evident when you first enter the space.
During my tour of the place Steve pointed out a feature in the bathroom: “This is perhaps the world’s most expensive soap holder. It’s made from laser-routed stainless steel, with inset containers from The Kitchen Store, and additional hardware welded on.” You quickly understand that this is a man who knows exactly what he wants.
The Pico’s layering, all within a space only 10 feet 4 inches in height, is pretty ingenious. Steve knew enough to allocate full-height spaces in select circumstances — his upright desk space beneath his bed, for instance — and when to negotiate less space and to layer certain living quarters. The latter is illustrated in a TV-viewing nook that challenges the notion that you need a lofty space to sit and watch television.
The fold-down dining room table, almost accordion-like, can hold up to six place settings and fits within a kitchen and living room space that never seems to feel cramped.
S till quite small in its footprint of 262 square feet, Chris Haynes’s tiny house was based on a set of Bodega plans from California’s Tumbleweed Tiny House Company and underwent quite a bit of tweaking to suit Chris’s tastes and conform to local codes. While many of the microstructures in this book exist in an off-the-radar, don’t-ask-don’t-tell manner (which is why some of the locales aren’t ultra-specific), Chris’s place is 100 percent legal — fully permitted, fully inspected, and fully fantastic. While the sleep loft offers an additional 64 square feet of living, not to mention a good deal of storage in the eaves, it’s the cathedral ceiling, only interrupted by the long run of a woodstove flue, that makes this home feel larger than it is. Yes, its main room is only a little over 150 square feet, but it has an impressive height of close to 15 feet. Hoops, anyone?
Chris’s house is also off-grid and solar and boasts a TV entertainment system with a 50-inch projection (onto his living room’s white wall) that runs on a mere, almost unheard-of 18 watts. This system, a combination of a Roku Box and a Brookstone mini projector, works very well.
Like the majority of the homes in this book, I had a chance to see Chris’s firsthand, and I especially loved his rustic screened-in porch. This long, thin room overlooking a swamp provides a second sleep space in warmer weather. Come the colder months Chris has little to worry about, as the walls of his cozy little home are superinsulated, both inside the stud cavities and on the exterior. The house could almost be heated with a birthday cake.
Chris Haynes’s kitchen cabinets are semi-genius in that they appear to have little depth or storage room to them on first glance, but once you open them, you realize that Chris has recessed them into the wall-stud cavities. He gets the same effect with a hollowed-out spot for his medicine cabinet in the bathroom.
H al Colombo, tinkerer by day, musician by night, is the purveyor of one of the more unique B&Bs I’ve ever stayed in — and I’ve stayed in some very unusual places. How does ole Hal manage to squeeze everything you need for a cozy night’s stay into an inn of Lilliputian proportions? Well, the man has quite a few tricks up his sleeve. The bathtub (yes, there’s a full bathtub), for example, is set into the floor of the room and accessed by a large wooden hatch. Other creative uses of space include his phone-booth-like wet bath (a shower and toilet stall in one) and his tiered storage and counter area that doubles as steps leading up to both a sleeping loft and a sitting area on a living “green roof.” Most impressive, though, is his ingenious repurposing of an automatic garage-door track and motor, which, at the push of a button, lowers the queen-sized, padded sleeping platform on the wall from a vertical to a horizontal position. It’s possibly the world’s first Garage Door Murphy Bed. Hal, go patent that thing!
Hal’s Uber-Funky Micro Guesthouse just oozes charm and clever quirkiness. I love Hal’s space-saving “van-ity” mirror in the bathroom (an old side-view mirror from a van), his vintage Smith Corona typewriter guest log, and the pipe-railed loft with a view of the city. Hal’s main home is just as bizarre, complete with a manhole cover in the floor that connects to his workshop below, a dizzying display of vintage kitsch and odd collectibles, light-up stairs, and, to top it all off, a secret bookcase entrance to his bathroom. Batman would be proud.
L aunched as an ecotourism retreat in 2013, Blue Moon Rising and its eclectic collection of rental cabins has quickly grabbed attention in the tiny-living scene due to the eye-catching design work of hired gun Bill Thomas, founder of the company Hobbitat. Lisa M. Jan, the head of Blue Moon Rising, envisioned “a built environment that preserves the existing surroundings” while integrating vacation rentals with educational courses on sustainability. One cornerstone concept of Blue Moon Rising is that nothing goes to waste, and they certainly walk the walk when it comes to choosing to team up with Bill. These lovely little lodges, wild in name (the Funkomatic 513, for instance), vary in size and style, but all of them dance in the microhome range and are shining and inspiring examples of what custom owner-built and -designed dwellings can look like. This gaggle of cabins did not fall off the assembly line of some colossal cabin kit company, that’s for sure.
I love the recycled, distressed wood in the Luna Bleu. I also love that the Thomas-Jan team opted for both a cozy little sleep loft for the more aerially daring of overnighters and the bunk bed nook down below. The oil can ceiling lights are also a fun, simple, homemade touch. Little details like this go a long way.
M eet Jay Austin, small in stature but big in style when it comes to his very unique tiny house located at the Boneyard Studios compound in Washington, D.C. Parked on a triangular sliver of land with two other tiny houses (those of Lee Pera and Brian Levy) and overlooking a local graveyard (hence the name) dotted with magnificent oak trees, Jay’s boxy home stands very modern by comparison to its city surroundings. Inside, however, he has deftly joined modern and rustic accents in a very successful way. Clay-based walls, a welded steel loft, a countertop covered with real-deal moss, and a large collection of magnetic spice jars and chrome containers are just some of the usually opposing but now harmoniously cohabitating items you’ll find. Jay makes it work, and he’s employed a few other clever tricks around his small house too. For instance, he keeps his stowable, steel loft ladder from slipping by using strong rare-earth magnets to lock the ladder against the loft edge.
Jay’s Matchbox is one of the coziest and most appealing homes I’ve set foot in. It’s small but feels spacious and has plenty of windows, but not so many that you feel exposed or solar-cooked. His thin steel loft saves about 2 to 3 inches of headroom that the bulk of 2x6s would have otherwise taken up, and his bathroom walls, which are not load-bearing, are mere 3⁄4-inch wood slabs, saving 3 inches or more in horizontal space compared to 2x4 wall framing. It’s a simple trick, but every inch counts. The only thing I might change (which I hear might be Jay’s intent already) would be to add some sort of overhang above his front door to make the face of the home feel less two-dimensional and to serve as a dry place to fumble for keys in a rainstorm.
T he V House, or Versatile House, is one of Nelson Tiny Houses’ signature designs. Seth Reidy and Tobias Gray build their tiny houses to suit the needs of the client — in this case, a simple but comfortable living space for one or two people. After moving this little gem into position with a crane, Seth and Tobias built a large wraparound deck and an accompanying tiny bathhouse, which features a classic claw-foot bathtub and doubles as a space for privacy and meditation. In the near future, a folding lid will be installed over the bathtub to turn it into a comfy couch when not in use for bathing. Versatile, indeed.
This particular V House is 8 feet wide and 121⁄2 feet long and has plenty of storage, including a cold box (storage vented to the outdoors) recessed into the floor. It also features a bucket composting-toilet system, concrete countertops, and reclaimed solid-fir trim. All of Seth and Tobias’s houses incorporate reused and reclaimed materials. The roof of this V House is even made of old road signs.
What’s not to like? The V House has lean lines, a secret storage compartment or two, and, while the bathhouse is a separate building, it’s only a mere four steps away. I’m also a fan of the bold, natural window trim and the shallow kitchen shelves. While they offer less storage depth, shallow shelves prevent you from having to reach over items, reshuffle things, and risk knocking the cans and glasses at the front just to get to one item stuck at the very back of a cupboard. Open and visible storage also forces you to maintain necessary minimalism and not overbuy, overstock, or overshelve unnecessary items.
I n terms of style, interior flow, and decor, the tiny house on wheels that is home to Guillaume Dutilh and Jenna Spesard would easily rank as one of the best I’ve seen. Perched on a 20-foot trailer, their dwelling-on-the-go (they’ve towed it around the entire US and much of Canada, blogging about their journey) is only 135 square feet, but with several space-saving and visually appealing tactics, they make it feel like you’re walking into more.
This home’s shiplap siding was reclaimed from a 75-year-old barn in Wisconsin, complete with buckshot scars, and the unique circular storage loft window was trimmed from a solid stump of alligator juniper.
The Giant Journey’s interior layout features an affordable and appealing solution to one of the frequent concerns in the tiny house scene: “But I don’t really want to climb up and down a ladder to access my bed!” Well, with a few repurposed furniture items, some salvaged crates, and even a small keg, this pair was able to build a homemade version of what the Japanese call tansu steps. The stairs are hollow, providing storage beneath, so almost no space is wasted. In addition, the initial step has been set at a height such that it can double — make that triple — as a seat. Other space savers in Guillaume and Jenna’s home include magnetic cutlery storage, burlap counter curtains with storage pockets, dormers for increased loft space, a drop-down table that doubles as a chalkboard, and even basket-style seating that can be moved around into different configurations for lounging or for dinner guests.
