Table of contents for Tiny Homes in Tiny Homes

CON | YOU CAN’T HOST INDOOR PARTIES Tiny houses often have a limited amount of space for guests to congregate, so throwing a party with lots of people gathered in the kitchen just isn’t practical—or desirable. Instead, many tiny housers decide to host their parties in the backyard, at a nearby park or at their favorite restaurant. PRO | CLEANING IS A BREEZE Tidying a tiny house takes just a few minutes compared to a “normal-sized” one, and because every item and belonging absolutely needs a specific storage place, it’s easy to stay organized. By the way, daylight is really important for making small spaces feel expansive, so be sure to wash windows regularly—in your small house, there won’t be that many to do! CON | ACCEPTING GIFTS ISN’T ALWAYS…

Why do writers and painters seem to live in the coolest places? From slope-walled garrets in Paris to cabins tucked in the mountains of Montana, creative hopefuls often find their way to dreamy digs that inspire the muse. That idea of making small spaces especially for would-be novelists and budding Van Goghs was the impetus behind the development of the Ecocapsule, a self-sustaining portable abode that can be easily transported anywhere, from a distant lake to a modest urban backyard. The prototype was created in 2009 by Slovakia-based Nice Architects as an entry to the Andes Sprout Society Idea Competition, a contest to design living quarters for artists. Although the prototype didn’t win at the event, it inspired the architects to form the Ecocapsule Company and devote their energies to…

“WE WERE DEFINITELY GOING FOR A MODERN FARMHOUSE STYLE, BUT AS SMART AS WE COULD AFFORD TO BUILD IT.”—NICK LAVECCHIA Before they broke ground on their new home, Nick and Molly LaVecchia liked to visit the site, a coastal Maine pasture. “We’d go out with lawn chairs and a tape measure,” recalls Nick. “We’d sit 15 feet across from each other—that being the width of the house. It felt extremely small.” As the house went up, their architect, Caleb Johnson, cautioned that they’d feel it was too tiny—and at other times too big—but once all of their furniture was in place it would be totally livable. When completed, the house beautifully fulfilled the LaVecchias’ dream of a 970-square-foot, energy-efficient home. “Caleb was definitely right,” says Nick. “It has more than…

When John Brackett and Robert Newton moved from San Francisco to a condo in Portland, Oregon’s Pearl District, they thought they’d found just what they needed. Portland was a smaller, more relaxed version of San Francisco, and the Pearl District offered sophisticated style in a relaxed environment. But something entirely different was waiting for them in the not-too-distant future. After several years of living in Portland, they began to look at getaway properties on the Oregon coast. As they searched, their perspective began to shift. “Our mindset changed from a weekend place to a permanent place,” says Newton. “We decided that what we really wanted to do was find a piece of property not too far away from the city, put a new house on it, and move entirely to…

Linda Bagley knows houseboats. As the owner of Special Agents Realty in the Seattle area, she has specialized in houseboats since 2006. She herself lives on a houseboat on Union Lake, where some 230 houseboats and floating homes are moored, and we thought she would be the perfect person to answer a few questions: What’s the difference between a houseboat and a floating home? A houseboat typically has quick disconnects for electrical and water and can be moved from marina to marina. They also have black water tanks that are emptied by wastewater pump-out services. Floating homes are in assigned spaces and are not permitted to move to different locations. They have permanent connections for sewer, electrical and water. Some also have gas connections. Both pay King County personal property…

The San Juan Islands are the jewels of the Pacific Northwest. Verdant, majestic and enchanting, they grace the western coastline of Washington state. These islands have long been havens for poets and painters who cherish their tranquility, abundant nature and stunning ocean views. They are also getaway destinations for the many who live and work on the mainland, especially those in the cities. Like others, Brett and Theresa Marl often traveled here for rest and relaxation away from the hectic bustle of life in Seattle. Those visits made them aware that waterfront properties were becoming increasingly rare, so almost 20 years ago they bought a 5-acre parcel on Orcas Island. “We had no desire or dream to ever build on it,” says Brett, “but it gave us a reason to…

Undoubtedly, the most livable tiny homes are brimming with features and amenities typically found in average-sized houses. But it takes planning to squeeze in all the essentials without making an abode feel cramped. To solve the challenges of making the most of limited square footage, designers (and homeowners) have come up with lots of savvy tricks. From shape-shifting furniture to disappearing doors, these ideas will create space and help you live clutter-free in your small home. Make Standard Furnishings Do Double Duty Los Angeles-based interior designer John Linden suggests sticking to furnishings that can perform different functions. “If there’s a way a piece of furniture can be multipurpose, then adopt it,” says Linden. “For instance, invest in a sofa that doubles as a bed.” Pack It Up Foldable, free-standing furniture…

Back in 2000, architect and then-bachelor Erik Puljung, a principal at Hansen Architects in Savannah, Georgia, bought a beach house on Tybee Island and remodeled it with the idea that one day he’d have a family. “Aesthetically it wasn’t exciting, but the space was,” Puljung says about his first impressions. “I took it on as a challenge to make that space live large.” Built in the 1940s, the two-story, 1,100-square-foot house two blocks from the beach was one of three similar vacation cottages in the neighborhood. But at Puljung’s place, the windows on either side of the entry to the glassed-in front porch were closed up. Inside, the walls were covered in photo imagery paneling—“just a photograph of wood on MDF [medium-density fibreboard],” he says. Other less-than-desirable features: acoustic tile…

When it comes to creating good tiny-house design, Malia Schultheis credits her accounting background. “Architecture and accounting are very similar,” says Schultheis, who is the accountant, creative director and owner of TruForm Tiny, a tiny-house building company in Eugene, Oregon. “They’re both meticulous processes, with a lot of little pieces to keep track of. It’s definitely the same part of my brain when I’m doing accounting and when I’m doing tiny-home design.” With double-major degrees in accounting and fine art, Schultheis was well-prepared when in 2015 she and her husband, Jen Carroll, decided to roll the dice and start their dream business—designing and building tiny houses. With Carroll’s expertise in building science, the young team devoted themselves to achieving high standards of quality and innovation. Now, years later, Schultheis and…

The solar eclipse had a profound effect on me,” says designer David Latimer of the 2017 event that put on an exceptional show for his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. “It was one of the most magical experiences I ever had.” Latimer would dip deeply into that experience when he designed his 300-square-foot production home, The Orchid. Lighting, both natural and artificial, took center stage. And, eclipse-like, much of it emerges from the shadows of valances, recesses and even banisters. Happy owners use words like “enchanting” and “magical” to describe the way the lighting transforms the interior and makes it seem larger, with just the slide of a dimmer switch. The effect is intentional: “I love hiding the source of the light so you don’t see the light itself, just the…

It was love at first sight. Sarah Stanley spotted the whimsical wheeled hut on a property not far from her home and was immediately smitten by its rustic walls and curved, gypsy-wagon-style roof. When the owner agreed to sell the unused structure, Stanley and her partner, Andy Davey, bought it with the plan of transporting it to her farm in Cornwall, England, for use as a guest cottage. Once the hut was delivered, Stanley’s entrepreneurial instincts kicked in. As the director of Unique Homestays, a home rental service in the U.K., she knew that with some modifications, the hut could be turned into a one-of-a-kind vacation house. “The gypsy wagon set the scene for an abode with a nomadic soul,” says Stanley. “We wanted all the features within to reflect…

Cover Guillaume Dutilh 2-3 Aaron Fine Architectural Photography 4 Aaron Fine Architectural Photography 5 (upper) Kristin Hoshino/Swell Photography; (lower left) Ecocapsule; (lower right) TruForm Tiny 6-7 ESCAPE Tampa Bay Village 8 (upper) Jack Frog/Shutterstock; (lower) George Rudy/Shutterstock 9 (upper) Chris Pate; (middle) Mr. Nikon/Shutterstock; (lower) Roman Samborsky/Shutterstock 10 Resource Furniture 11 (upper) MK Lasek/Shutterstock; (lower) Resource Furniture 12 (upper) Scavolini; (lower) Bilanol/Shutterstock 13 (clockwise from upper right) Photology 1971/Shutterstock; bmphotographer/Shutterstock; BondRocketImages/Shutterstock; Scavolini 18-21 Ecocapsule 22 Guillaume Dutilh 23 aocemotionlo11/Shutterstock 24 (upper) technomolly/Shutterstock; (lower) Milles Studio/Shutterstock 24-25 (upper) Vitalii Matokha/Shutterstock; (lower left) Page Light Studios/Shutterstock; (lower right) Timbercraft Tiny Homes 26 Wheelhaus/Krafty Photos 27 (upper) davidaguerophoto/Shutterstock; (lower) Artazum/Shutterstock 28 (upper) Timbercraft Tiny Homes; (lower) Exeter_Acres/Shutterstock 29 (upper) Dragana Gordic/Shutterstock; (lower) Lisjatina/Shutterstock 30-31 Timothy S. Allen/Shutterstock 32-37 Aaron Fine Architectural Photography 38-43…

You’re downsizing your life, making moves toward more freedom and less worry. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little splurge along the way, especially when it comes to your culinary and laundry necessities. If you’re looking to put a smile on your face every time you step into your little kitchen, check out these fine appliances made especially for small spaces. MINI BUT MIGHTY Packing an entire kitchen—and laundry!—into less than 10 linear feet, the small kitchen suite from Bosch has everything a tiny houser could want, including (from left to right): a 24-inch-wide 800 Series washer and dryer duo that can be controlled by a smartphone app ($1,649 each); a 24-inch-wide Series 800 bottom-freezer refrigerator ($2,999) for all your perishables; the 24-inch-wide Series 500 gas cooktop ($949)…

A change in the city of Seattle’s zoning codes was perfect timing for homeowner Kate Lichtenstein, who wanted to convert a tiny, dilapidated shed on her small property into a music studio that could also be used as a guesthouse. The updated rules would allow her to create an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). “It would also allow her to legally rent the space as a separate dwelling unit if she ever wanted, and it would give her more flexibility regarding what we’d be allowed to do in terms of height limits,” says Tim Hammer, principal of CAST Architecture, who designed and built Lichtenstein’s ADU and is active in the ADU movement. Lichtenstein’s main house, a 650-square-foot Craftsman-style cottage, was built in the early 1900s. The studio/ADU is about 550 square…

It’s a tall order for any house: Capture great views, accommodate at least four guests and be energy-efficient. By taking its cues from the region’s Low Country architectural traditions, this 1,144-square-foot home hit all its marks. From the 1700s onward, Low Country homes found ways to provide comfort in a hot, humid climate. When asked to design a home located on a scenic marsh a stone’s throw from the May River, architect Michael Gentemann of G2 Design in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, put those time-tested features to work. The raised plinth foundation, true to the type, circulates cooling air and meets the demands of flood insurance. Porches give the interior cooling shade, and tall windows—and even taller ceilings—help to keep things cool. All combine in the pleasing symmetry that…

A tiny home on wheels (THOW) is born to ramble, at the very least from its point of origin to that place it will call its home. To make the journey, a THOW can’t be too large; it must safely navigate the roads. And it’s not just the journey that presents challenges—it’s the destination, too. Will your THOW be welcome or run afoul of local codes? Here’s a primer of what you need to know about houses on the move. Sizing Things Up In order to safely clear bridges, a THOW’s height shouldn’t exceed 13.5 feet, measured from where the rubber hits the road to the ridge of the roof. That typically allows safe clearance on major highways. Some THOW builders even like to top out at 13 feet 4…

Maureen Marcenko was ready for a change. As an empty-nester living by herself in a “big house” in West Seattle, she felt the time was right for downsizing. But checking out typical urban possibilities—condos and apartments—proved to be uninspiring. Then a colleague mentioned he was going out of state and that a houseboat he’d been renting on nearby Lake Union would be available, and Marcenko’s life took a turn. “I didn’t want to live in a little box,” says Marcenko, “and I thought a houseboat would be interesting. I’d barely been on a boat in all my life, so it was sort of a leap of faith.” As it turned out, it was just the kind of leap she needed to take. “Once I discovered that I didn’t get motion…

This is my happy place,” Melissa Lipe says about the Hawaiian islands. “It’s my perfect ideal life—the sun and sand and breeze.” While most folks would certainly agree with that assessment of the 50th state, Hawaii holds a special place in Lipe’s heart. She spent her early childhood on the island of Oahu, where she often visited her grandparents’ cattle ranch. (Fun fact: Lipe’s grandfather Martin Knott was inducted into Hawaii’s Paniolo [Cowboy] Hall of Fame.) Although Lipe would settle in the Seattle area and raise a family there with her husband, Kyle, it was small wonder that the islands still called to her. Unable to resist, she and Kyle searched for a getaway and investment property that would give them extra incentive to bask in Hawaii’s charms whenever they…