The tiny house movement has gained a lot of traction in the last decade, appealing to those who wish to downsize their homes and live with less. Usually defined as a house with a maximum of 37 square metres, tiny houses present a very interesting challenge to designers and architects who need to make the most of the very limited space available. In tiny houses, there is no room for extravagance – everything needs to be well-designed and functional, without compromising on aesthetics. If you’re thinking of building your own tiny home, or you’re interested in picking up some tips for effective downsizing, you’ve come to the right place!
Tiny houses need a lot of natural light
One of the best ways to make a tiny house look bigger is through clever and abundant use of natural light. Using large windows and lighter interior colours can visually open up the space and make a humble living area feel as though it’s just as big as a regular-sized home.
Of course, a tiny house also needs light fittings for nighttime and on darker days. For this, it would make the most sense to consider installing a few well-placed downlights, as these are unobtrusive, while still providing necessary light.
Tiny houses need clever storage spaces
No matter how much you want to downsize, even the essentials need to be stored somewhere. Kitchen appliances, clothing, and extra pillows all need a place to live. The problem is that this can be difficult to achieve without some very thoughtful planning.
Cupboards hidden in the walls can make spacious storage spots, as well as drawers at all levels from ceiling to floor. The key to making this work is installing handles that blend into the environment. This isn’t to say that you can’t express your personality, but in tiny houses simplicity is the top priority.
Tiny houses need more than one bed
It may seem counterintuitive, but a well-designed tiny house should have a spare bed for guests. Conventional tiny houses – if they can be called conventional – will generally have the main bed on a higher-level loft in order to save space.
This presents a potential issue: if you have a guest staying over or if you are injured and are unable to get up to the loft, what do you do? The best way to approach this is to have a spare bed on the ground floor level. Most people achieve this by having a couch that folds out into a spare bed. You can still be a good host even with the most minimalist lifestyle!
Tiny houses need to have multipurpose rooms
Arguably the most essential feature of a tiny house is the flexibility of its spaces and rooms. Living in a tiny area means that your kitchen bench might also need to turn into an office space during the day, and become a coffee table later at night.
It’s therefore imperative that tiny houses implement thoughtful layout decisions and furniture choices which make the space fluid. It takes some consideration to find the balance between having structured space and versatile living options, but it makes for incredibly efficient homes when achieved.
Tiny houses are becoming ever more popular as society looks to live more simply and sustainably. Whether you’re interested in buying your own tiny house or are happy with more regular-sized dwellings, there are definitely lots of tiny house ideas that can be implemented in everyday homes too!