11 Tiny Houses We Love

With a shed roof and corrugated siding, this off-the-grid cabin, beautifully sited on an island off the coast of New England, runs on solar power. A rainwater tank with an instant hot-water heater provides drinking and bathing water, while rolling exterior door panels protect the home in inclement weather. It may be tiny, but this house can stand tall all on its own.

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In San Antonio, TX, Poteet Architects added doors, windows, HVAC and an innovative green roof to a steel shipping container, ingeniously transforming a utilitarian unit into a cozy space for living. Bamboo floors and a cool wallcovering bring the interior design to life. Small and modern, but undoubtedly a home.

To test the boundaries of small-footprint living, interior designer Jessica Helgerson moved her family to a 540-square-foot cottage of her own design 15 minutes north of Portland, OR. By using mainly reclaimed materials to construct her miniscule maison, and by adding a moss-and-fern green roof, Halgerson completed the project for less than anticipated, and it requires little energy to heat and cool.

This 28-foot-square design by MN-based Wee House features a bright blue exterior and a lively yellow interior, but its striking color palette is not the only reason that this little lodging stands out. Constructed of two modules, the units seamlessly adjoin with the help of a large exterior porch; bug screens with magnetic catches keep insects at bay on summer nights.

Brad Kittel of Tiny Texas Houses believes there are already enough building products out there, so why buy new? His small structures use 99% salvaged materials, including doors, windows, siding, lumber, door hardware, flooring and porch posts.

The folks at Jamaica Cottage Shop offer a kit for their 16’ x 20’ Vermont cottage, a 'roll your own' residence that takes two people roughly 40 hours to construct. The interior can be outfitted a number of ways; a sleeping loft can be added for maximum efficiency.

In only 65 square feet, the XS house from Tumbleweed Tiny House Company (profiled here) manages to squeeze in a bathroom, kitchen area, built-in desk and sofa, as well as a sleeping loft. It costs roughly $16 per square foot for a DIY version, $39 per square foot readymade. Built on a 7’ x 10’ utility trailer, the whole thing can be towed, making "home" anywhere you go.

Up in Massachusetts, Derek Diedricksen applies a “can do” attitude to tiny-house construction. Making creative use of household cast-offs like a broken front-loading washing machine door (repurposed as a porthole), his tiny structures cost only about $200 a piece.

The Boxhome from architect Sami Rintala is just 205 square feet, but amazingly there’s room inside for guests—the seating platform in the living room becomes a bed! Taking cues from Finnish summer houses and Japanese cooking traditions, the design offers a cultural mix.

Nestled in the woods in Hilverstum, Netherlands, this house designed by Piet Hein Eek plays on the theme of traditional log cabins. Instead of notched log beams, cross-cut sections make up the exterior, an aesthetic touch that helps this little getaway blends into its surroundings.

A former Catskills hunting cottage is remade in a romantic Victorian style by owner Sandra Foster. Doing much of the carpentry work herself and using a variety of salvaged elements, she’s created a cozy hideaway filled with books and lit by a crystal chandelier.