Ideas for Tiny Homes

Tiny homes are becoming an increasingly popular trend. This type of home is typically under 50 square meters and is associated with cozy living spaces for between one to three people. Tiny homes are ideal for people seeking to live in cost-effective and eco-friendly housing. The homes are associated with many other benefits such as relatively lower utility bills and maintenance costs.

Small homes do not occupy large spaces and are therefore more pocket friendly to acquire land and build. The maintenance is also easier since there is less to do and less ground to do so when cleaning, repairing, or improving sections of the house.

Here are a few planning and design ideas for the modern small home.

Color scheme

The color you chose for a small house is more important than you may initially suspect. Lighter tones make spaces appear larger than they are, and warm color tones make the different zones feel cozier. Industry experts also recommend using different colors on opposing walls to make narrow spaces feel and appear wider.

Also, you can use optimally placed mirrors to make spaces near walls appear larger and feel more open. Mirrors can also have the effect of emphasizing a bold color tone, and reflecting natural light into secluded spots of choice.

Minimalist Kitchens

A minimalist kitchen design is an innovative and appealing way to declutter living spaces and wall spaces. A minimalist kitchen offers a sleek and premium look that makes small home areas appear larger and less cramped.

 Consider using monochrome color schemes on kitchen surfaces and modern cabinets and appliances to better hide the lines that distinguish different placements.

Hidden Storage Spaces

Storage spaces often consume tons of room, especially on walls, cabinets, and the corners of living areas. Small homes can benefit from hidden storage compartments that recede into other surfaces that serve other functions. Some good examples include under-bed storage, mantels, slide-out drawers on the stairs, and bench seats on window nooks.

Multipurpose staircases are a particularly dominant trend in small house design. This is because staircases occupy a lot of space and are relatively underused considering the room they take up. Modern interior design specialists use innovative ideas like converting spaces under each step into pull-out drawers with handles that are flush with the surface and largely imperceptible.

Multifunctional Furniture

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Furniture occupies large areas in any living space, and having furniture that can be moved or folded away with ease is invaluable to the effective use of space in tiny homes. Some ideas include fold-down tables for workstations and extra counter space in the kitchen. There are modern dinner sets that retreat into the table to use up much less space than they typically would.

Other rooms in a house that can benefit from flexible furniture include bedrooms. These can benefit from collapsible tables and chairs that can be put away at a moment’s notice in a way that does not clutter the space.

Another innovative idea for open house plans and small bedrooms is space-saving beds that fold away into the wall, a shelf, or into a couch that occupies less space. The advantage of this mechanism is that you can have a mid-sized or large bed that does not take up significant room when not in use.

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Cabinet beds have emerged as a popular trend, given how well they can be color-matched to suit the décor and background color scheme of any bedroom. These compact sleep solutions are often fitted with drawers below or above the main space where the bed retreats into. They are a suitable accompaniment to the minimalist lifestyle.

Adding beds to a tiny home does not have to be expensive or occupy a large space. Industry experts suggest trundle beds that are pulled out of a raised floor. Another popular option is a floating bunk bed that folds down from the wall and can have accessories stuck to it to compliment the wall function when folded away.

Transformable furniture is generally available in a variety of configurations that broadly differ according to the price and execution of their structure by manufacturers. A particularly interesting example is the bookshelf that can be converted into a table after a few folds.

Lighting

Lighting is a key aspect for small homes in particular. This is because lighting and space form a central part of luxurious settings in a home. A good idea for small homes is to install skylights which provide plenty of natural light and the illusion of more space. Remember that skylights can be tricky to install, but the effort is worth it since it is a great addition to small homes.

You can use tall windows in a small home to utilize the daylight that floods in. Also, you can browse a selection of recessed lights to obtain fixtures that seamlessly blend into your home. You can also use lights creatively to emphasize key dimensions, some examples being wall lights near corners and recesses. Another interesting implementation is using long pendants to emphasize room height, which is particularly impactful for high ceilings.

Outdoor options

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A small home is easier to design, finish and decorate, granted the dimensions of both the interior and exterior of the structure. For the exterior, you can consider retractable shades and awning, or shade sails if you find them to your taste. These options can help you maximize the usable space within your home.

It is also easier to connect the interior of a small house to the exterior. A good example is using full-length sliding metal doors that can be opened during the day to make the landscape a backdrop for your home. 

Conclusion

In the recent past, small homes were seldom considered. Today, more people are realizing the possibility and vision of building small and luxurious homes that suit their needs. There is an entire industry of ideas for how to make a small home feel more comfortable.

The central idea behind the tiny home trend is to allow people to live in a more sustainable and eco-friendly way. While it is becoming a more popular trend in housing, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to tiny homes. Consider the above tips and check out some of our small house plans and home design ideas to see what works for you.