Small on size, big on charm.
Let’s face it—sometimes more really isn’t more. Especially when it comes to houses. I mean, do you really need all that square footage to fill (and clean!)? Enter the tiny home. (Purists of the tiny house movement define a tiny house to be no larger than 600 square feet, but a more relaxed definition raises that number to around 1,200.) Whether you’re looking to downsize your primary residence, build a vacation cottage or cabin, or add a backyard guest house that can even be used as a “granny pod,” a tiny home could be just the answer. little houses
Not only are tiny houses just so darn cute to look at, but along with the tiny home lifestyle comes a smaller price tag, a reduced environmental footprint, and a simplified way of living. And, as more architects and design firms embrace these smaller homes, the design options for modern, cottage, farmhouse, and cabin style tiny homes continue to grow. (You won’t believe the amount of style you can fit in to less than 1,000 square feet!). Below, we’ve rounded up our favorite tiny and small (they’re practically tiny!) homes to give you lots of inspiration to get you dreaming of or actually planning your own tiny house to build or buy. Many of the featured houses even have plans available for purchase or are sold as ready-to-assemble kits. And, if you love the romance of a tiny home but aren’t ready to commit to permanently downsizing, you’ll even find several houses that are available as vacation rentals. So, go on, get started on that tiny home dream today!
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With the help of his dad and brother, homeowner Landon McAfee spent 15 months renovating his 1940s-era, two-bedroom, one-bath,800-square-foot cottage in Tennessee. His green thumb inspired his happy color choice for the front door and window trim (Bunker Hill Green by Benjamin Moore). In front his four-season, ode-to-the-South garden included hydrangeas, azaleas, and abelia.
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Maine homeowners Lili Liu and Blake Civiello turned a grouping of tiny 100-year-old clapboard structures—including a guest cottage, roadside shed, and fishing shack—into their unconventional “home.” The largest building—the cottage—measures just 700 square feet and includes 2 bedrooms and 1 bath. Another small building that used to be the lobster pound now houses a summer kitchen.
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Named “Sea Roost,” this 1940s Montauk, New York beach cottage of Matt Albiani and Ron Brand is filled to the brim with vintage nautical finds from their shop Mate Gallery. Measuring in at just1,000 square feet, the shingled house is one of the last few original fisherman cottages in the town’s Hither Hills area. Bonus: yes, it’s rentable!
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A top-to-bottom renovation turned this 1,000-square-foot circa-1870s farmhouse into the sunniest little house ever. A new galvanized metal roof gives the simple white structure a modern edge. Inside, white shiplap lines ever wall and restored wood floors add warmth to every room. But, the star is the canary yellow cabinetry in the 98-square-foot galley kitchen.
This tiny, single-story Maine camp was built in 1950 and abandoned for years before the current homeowners brought it back to life. Inside, the home’s 950 square feet got a cheery makeover by removing the drop ceilings and painting all the existing dark brown paneling a warm white. Not only did it brighten the space, but it also helps the tiny home feel much larger.
Who says your tiny home has to be on land? When Lyndsay Caleo Karol, the creative director of The Brooklyn Home Company, and her father spotted a Lord Nelson tugboat while cruising across New York’s Canandaigua Lake, she became smitten with the idea of having her own. Enter Lucy...her 49-foot floating home away from home. With white beadboard walls and ceilings and lots of blue and white textiles, it has all the charm of a country cottage.
Designers John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon of Madcap Cottage looked outside the “home box” for their upstate New York tiny home. In just 858 square feet, their happy converted 1840s schoolhouse features at least a dozen paint colors, just as many patterned fabrics and wallpapers, and ample antiques behind its No. 2 pencil-colored door.
Nestled in a valley surrounded by towering sycamore trees, Bambi and Frank Costanzo’s tiny (996 square feet!) 1920s bungalow stands tall thanks to its handsome dark exterior. The front porch originally extended all the way across the house, but Bambi co-opted one half to get extra room for a new library inside.
When building a house with a small footprint, you have some unique “lot” options, like this converted boathouse of designer Gary McBournie. To make the most of the 880 square feet, Gary used clever space-saving design ideas like wall sconces instead of lamps and a built-in banquette for seating.
The Duckworth family saved this tiny two-room Folk Victorian cottage from the wrecking ball and transformed it into the dreamiest little 635-square-foot tiny home ever. As if the petite front porch isn’t inviting enough, the wallpaper-clad kitchen boasts a vintage mint-colored enamel range!
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When renovating their tiny 700-square-foot 1920s cottage, architect Greg Dutton and his wife, interior designer Liz Dutton, kept the focus on retaining the home’s original architecture (Shaker-front cabinetry, clapboard siding) while freshening up the palette and furnishings.
A large front porch tucked under the sloped standing-seam metal roof, adds extra living space to this 1,000 square-foot Texas farmhouse. Painting all the interior walls and ceilings a warm white keeps the whole house feeling airy.
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Abby and Joe Albers turned their 800-square-foot Michigan lake cottage into a this nostalgia-rich retreat filled with vintage collections. Inside, all white walls keep the small space feeling open and airy, while also serving as a clean backdrop for all of Abby’s camp-style collections.
Architect Bobby McAlpine designed this tiny rural retreat for country music superstar Thomas Rhett and his wife Lauren Akins. designed to be a seamless transition from the surrounding country to the interiors, the home incorporates natural materials and a warm, woodsy palette. Inside the open floor plan includes a tucked in bed nook and a small, but well-appointed kitchen.
Antiques dealer Amy Kleinwachter transformed a 14-foot-round grain silo into this quirky one-of-a-kind 1,000-square-foot guesthouse. Besides the silo itself, the home feature numerous other salvaged materials such as weathered beadboard, sheet metal, window frames, and even an old metal awning.
So it’s admittedly a little unconventional, but this tiny home concept really makes the best of indoor/outdoor living. Built by Lockhart-based Reclaimed Space and affectionately dubbed “Bee Camp,” the butterfly structure forgoes walls and windows in favor of an open-to-the-elements approach. Under the metal roof structure is the open-air kitchen and living room (equipped with a big screen for movie nights!) and the vintage Airstream provides the sleeping quarters. A full bath sits in the middle.
Saltboxes and Cape Cod-style cottages have historically been small in size and offer lots of information on how to live big in a compact space. Seasoned with coastal character, this historic home of designer Jennifer Vaughn-Miller and her family packs ample seaside charm into its tiny 1,000-square-foot footprint. A highlight of the tiny home is the narrow 28-foot-wide hearth perfectly sized for the cozy living room.
In 2005, Jewel Pearson began downsizing, eventually transitioning into an apartment and, now, her beautiful tiny house with wood tones and touches of red. The 28-foot-long home has a garden path, porch, and fire pit for ample outdoor entertaining, too. View a video of the interior! BUY THE PLAN
Marek and Ko are the adorable couple behind Living Tiny with the Bushes, their YouTube channel chronicling each other’s lives and the renovations of their equally adorable tiny house. Whether chatting about the pros and cons of tiny-house living or being featured on Good Morning America, Marek and Ko are a must follow for tiny-house enthusiasts.
WATCH LIVING TINY WITH THE BUSHES
This upstate New York picturesque perch, owned by Treehouse Masters’ Christina Salway, is constructed from roughly 75 salvaged windows.
Jennifer Kopf is the Executive Editor of Country Living. She also covers antiques and collecting.
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