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The 10 Teeniest Tiny Homes of 2024View 80 Photos

The 10 Teeniest Tiny Homes of 2024

Ranging from 52.5 to 330 square feet per person, these micro dwellings show that good things do come in small packages.
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Even though interest rates finally started to dip in 2024, big houses still come with big mortgages—and the tiny home movement shows no sign of slowing down. From off-grid cabins and flexible ADUs to experimental dwellings focused on affordability, these small spaces squeeze the most utility out of every square foot.

52.5 Square Feet Per Person: This $5,880 Tiny Home Prototype in India Serves a Family of Four 

This tiny house in Indore, India, is designed to accommodate a family of four. It occupies a minimal footprint of 210 square feet.

The interior consists of a large, open space that can adapt to various daily needs.

The Portuguese firm Madeiguincho designed a trio of tiny homes for a regenerative agriculture farm in Alqueva in southeast Portugal.

A massive oculus frames views of the epic landscape.

The tiny house, clad in a black composite material by NewTechWood, is situated at the rear of the property. "There are truly beautiful views," says Fritz Tiny Homes co-owner Kevin Fritz. "It looks to the hills of Silver Lake and the mountains beyond."  

Poured-in-place concrete counters complement rift-cut white oak flooring and cabinetry in the kitchen.

Jeff Waldman and Molly Fiffer built this 200-square-foot cabin on the site of their 10-acre property in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Their previous cabin, which they also built by hand, was destroyed in a forest fire in 2020.

A small woodburning stove near the living area keeps the cabin cozy.

To pick a place for the buildings, homeowner Matt Uniac used his drone to scan the site and then Daybreak created a 3D model to test out layout options.

To pick a place for the buildings, homeowner Matt Uniac used his drone to scan the site and then Daybreak created a 3D model to test out layout options.

"Barbecue season never ends," says homeowner Liz Graham, explaining how they live with such a small kitchenette. "We even made a cake out there."

"Barbecue season never ends," says homeowner Liz Graham, explaining how they live with such a small kitchenette. "We even made a cake out there."

The home is positioned along on the eastern coast of Nova Scotia. Architect Peter Braithwaite says the two elevated volumes offer a bird’s-eye view of the area’s trails and surrounding forest.

The living space is warmed by a Stuv woodburning stove. To balance the raw hemlock, Braithwaite added industrial touches like Edison bulb light fixtures set at varying heights on fabric wire.

The solar-powered refuge is made from glass, wool, and steel—and it teaches people to "live like animals," according to designer Felipe Lüer.

The plywood panels that line the interior were cut to fit off-site and then carried in for assembly—no bulldozers or trucks entered the worksite. The roof is made from steel; the insulation is wool, a material commonly used in Patagonia for construction.

On a garden plot they lease just 20 minutes from their apartment in Warsaw, Magda Grabowska-Wacławek and Grzegorz Wacławek built a tiny house in a striking red-blue colorway.

The raspberry-red bedroom and living area has a cobalt-blue desk by Noke Architects, a red chair by Hay, and a Groovy Chair by Pierre Paulin.

After reading about landscape designer Ryan McWhirter’s firm in a local paper, architect Karin Scott reached out about working on a lot in San Antonio, Texas, where she and her husband were building their new home.

The little house has a firepit surrounded by a steel bench that McWhirter designed, and the couple grow vegetables in raised beds. For the corrugated steel fence’s patina, McWhirter says they "sped up the process a little bit" by applying a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, and salt.

One of the benefits of building into the hillside is that the homeowner, Catherine, and her dog, Lydia, are able to access the home’s rooftop deck.

One of the benefits of building into the hillside is that the homeowner, Catherine, and her dog, Lydia, are able to access the home’s rooftop deck.

The concrete flooring is complemented by maple plywood walls, creating a warm, neutral interior.

The 10 Teeniest Tiny Homes of 2023

143.5 Square Feet Per Person: This Backyard Tiny House Hides a Kitchen, a Bathroom, and Two Closets Behind a Pocket Door

Masa Arquitectos designed this minimalist house in Montevideo, Uruguay, for a young family on a tight budget who wanted to do most of the carpentry themselves.

All of the furnishings are by Uruguayan designers. The wooden console and iron-framed sofa are from Estudio Diario, the black metal chairs are from Estudio Claro, and the round dining table is from Samic.

Surrounded by oak trees and lush grasslands, Field Cabin features a steeply pitched roof and an expansive glass door and decking on the front facade.

Surrounded by oak trees and lush grasslands, Field Cabin features a steeply pitched roof and an expansive glass door and decking on the front facade.

The interior is outfitted with a birch plywood ceiling and limewash-painted walls.

The tiny house and eco resort are set on generations-old family land that's remote and completely private so guests are able to unplug immerse themselves in nature.

White oak flooring, cabinetry, shelves, and ceiling beams add texture and warmth and reference the tree trunks of the wooded landscape.

Madison points out that the pod concept would make it easy to add an extension if necessary. "We see it as a house that can grow with us—and that we can pay for as we go along."

Blue Dot stools sit at the custom table. The sofa is from Joybird. Kitchen lighting was sourced from 143 Lighting.

The cozy, 323-square-foot cabin is a cozy retreat amidst the vast landscape it inhabits.

The cozy, 323-square-foot cabin is a cozy retreat amidst the vast landscape it inhabits.

The 360° fireplace is the functional and aesthetic centerpiece, serving as the heart of the home where guests can enjoy an early-morning coffee and a late-night chat.

The 360° fireplace is the functional and aesthetic centerpiece, serving as the heart of the home where guests can enjoy an early-morning coffee and a late-night chat.

The home is perched lightly on the site and the landscape has been integrated into the architecture through a sympathetic form and materiality, and the expansive windows. "We long for this untouched nature," says architect Line Solgaard of the site. "It brings us calmness and maybe even helps us be more in touch with ourselves."

The clients wanted a summer home that would allow them to enjoy the landscape from both inside and outside spaces—and the outdoor spaces needed to be protected from the often windy weather. "That’s why we have the outdoor space to the north of the building, so it’s protected," explains architect Line Solgaard. The protected deck area gets the evening sun until 10pm in the summer, and views to the water have been maintained through large windows and the glazed wall.

The tiny home on wheels that Tru Form Tiny designed and built for Judy and Dean Anderson is wrapped in white-painted pine and accented with ebony-stained cedar around the door.

The kitchen showcases quartz counters, white-painted cabinetry, open shelves, and a Prestige range with a hickory-covered hood.

200 Square Feet Per Person: An Artist’s Dream Home in Portugal

After months of waiting for approvals to build a house in Sintra, Portugal, artist Chris Saunders decided to pivot, commissioning a custom tiny home on wheels from architecture studio Madeiguincho.

After months of waiting for approvals to build a house in Sintra, Portugal, artist Chris Saunders decided to pivot, commissioning a custom tiny home on wheels from architecture studio Madeiguincho. The 200-square-foot house, with its honey-colored wood cladding and contrasting blond wood interior, suits Chris perfectly. "Since moving here I’ve simplified not only my way of living, but also my mentality and work ethic," he says.

The home is clad in corrugated iron coated with Zincalume. "We chose the cladding so we could curve the metal sheets and create barrel vaulted roofs," says architect William Samuels. "The finish gives a natural reflection to the surface of the house, picking up on the colors of the surrounding bush and the changing daylight."

The interstitial space between the two modules is a low height space which becomes the storage and services zone, including laundry, wardrobe and storage cupboard. 

One of the first Dwell Houses, built by Abodu, was installed at Leslie Scharf’s vineyard home in Healdsburg, California. Norm Architects led the design of the 540-square-foot prefab, which is wrapped in Real Cedar siding.

Abodu managed the build and delivery of the turnkey one-bedroom ADU. "The cost is up-front, transparent, all-inclusive— excluding taxes, fees, and custom site-specific work—and locked in before construction begins," says cofounder Eric McInerney. The kitchen includes a full suite of Bosch appliances.

The Tiniest Homes of 2022

64 Square Feet Per Person: An Australian Tiny Home Built From Recycled Materials Reaches New Heights

The compact house is sheathed in cypress, glass, and copper and features an expandable roof.

Salvaged ironbark floors in the living room step down to the adjacent kitchen and dining space, creating a built-in seating area.

Salvaged ironbark floors in the living room step down to the adjacent kitchen and dining space, creating a built-in seating area.

The wood-wrapped tiny home features a deck pierced by a tree trunk.

Inside, a built-in bed features large storage drawers and cubbies.

Llabb Architettura created an experimental retreat made entirely of plywood in the mountain town of Tartago.

"It’s simple, yet it’s expressive," architect Luca Scardulla says. "We don’t like excess. We don’t like when you enter a space, and everything is immediately declared, everything is clear. We like discovery and complexity."

Elizabeth and Matt Impola of Handcrafted Movement designed and built a 264-square-foot tiny house on a lush property in Battle Ground, Washington, where towering trees, a large pasture, and abundant wildlife create a cinematic scene.

A floor-to-ceiling white ceramic brick fireplace sections off the living room from the main-floor bedroom. Mint-green pocket doors slide up or down, providing both privacy and openness.

The micro apartment in Paris that Miogui Architecture designed for a couple as an office/pied-à-terre lives much larger than its 137 square feet.

The architects removed layers of finishes from the walls, exposing rough concrete columns and beams that lend texture and a historic note.

Upon relocating to the Methow Valley, a family found their compact cabin to be a little too cozy—so they roll up their sleeves and break ground.

Cast Architecture provided plans for the compact dwellings, and the family of four constructed them with the help of family and friends.  

The wood-clad tiny home opens in the rear and connects to nature.

The glass double doors can be propped open or closed for privacy.

The cabin is clad in corrugated metal panels. The rectangular window is positioned over the kitchen to let in light and air.

The barn-style front doors stay open during warmer months, giving a view of Eugenia’s garden. A floating desk, Hay Design coffee table, and separate couch offer additional seating in the downstairs area.

The tree house features a rooftop deck and a steel slide beside the entrance staircase.

The kitchen showcases birch plywood cabinetry and counters.

Furniture designer Ash Dipert transformed three disused structures behind his parent’s craftsman home in Bakersfield, California, into a fun and functional ADU.

The main living space was previously two separate volumes with different floor and ceiling heights. To make the queen-size Murphy bed clear the kitchen cabinets, Ash had to cut a curve into the corner of the mattress.

The Tiniest Homes of 2021

35 Square Feet Per Person:  This Norwegian Wood–Wrapped Tiny Home Was Built for Freedom

Norske Mikrohus’s spruce-clad Tind tiny home was inspired by the mountains and woods of Norway.

The open-plan kitchen and living area are outfitted with birch veneer walls, and the flooring is ash.  

Rast is a 174-square-foot-home that promises to get you closer to nature.

Designed by Jeanette Reiss-Andersen of Norske Mikrohus, Rast is a 174-square-foot tiny home clad in dark-stained Norwegian spruce.  

Designed by Jeanette Reiss-Andersen of Norske Mikrohus, Rast is a 174-square-foot tiny home clad in dark-stained Norwegian spruce.  

The blackened timber–clad cabin that Arba designed in Longueil, Normandy, France, is marked by large glass doors, layered with wood slats that slide open and connect the home to its lush landscape.  

The open-plan ground floor allows the communal spaces to flow into one another. A wooden ladder accesses the lofted bedrooms.

"The composite structure is extraordinarily durable," says Haus.Me CEO Max Gerbut. "Its yacht-inspired exterior is created from fiberglass, stainless steel, and teak."

Whether you’re looking to hit the road or build a backyard ADU, the Microhaus offers mega convenience in a pint-sized package.

Delo Design’s compact holiday cabin packs a kitchen, bathroom, bed, and storage into 120 square feet.

Delo Design’s compact holiday cabin packs a kitchen, bathroom, bed, and storage into 120 square feet.

The Cabin is furnished with Delo Design’s TRU chairs in cream. The bed is nestled beneath a large window that frames the landscape, and a small kitchenette sits opposite the dining zone.

Fatigued by skyrocketing housing costs and the modern world’s waning connection to nature, Lee Loewen and Payam Shalchian of Canada-based Instead create an off-grid-capable tiny house called Project 01. The 262-square-foot cabin is clad with black-stained pine that helps it to meld with the natural landscape.

The interior of the micro-cabin is finished with pine plywood that provides pattern and an organic quality. In the kitchen, stainless-steel cabinetry, counters, and appliances lend an industrial aesthetic that balances the materiality of the wood.

Pin-Up Houses transformed a 20-foot shipping container into an off-grid tiny home in just three months. The eco-friendly escape is powered by solar panels and a wind turbine—and it even includes a full bath.

The design team sprayed the metal structure’s inner walls with thermal insulation. Then they framed the interior with studs and clad it in spruce plywood.

Nikki Adcock and Rick Hill designed and built the Hideaway, a 162-square-foot cabin, to be a weekend retreat. It’s sided with Japanese cedar and features a matte black, corrugated steel roof that references traditional backcountry huts.

In the cabin’s living area, a built-in plywood bed cantilevers above a storage area and a plywood bench padded with cushions.

Inspired by the idea of a living organism, Madeiguincho’s 188-square-foot cabin collects, stores, and reuses rainwater and produces food and energy.

The interior of the cabin is outfitted with a living space that converts to a sleeping area and an open kitchen. Birch plywood wraps the space, lending warmth and texture.

Nestron’s latest tiny home, clad with steel and fiber-reinforced plastic, measures 376 square feet and is available in a one-bedroom or two-bedroom configuration.

Built-in furniture preserves floor space for the tiny home. The designers outfitted the dining area with a built-in table for two and created a sleek built-in sofa for the living space.

Check out more Tiny Homes and Small Spaces stories.

Laura Mauk
Laura Mauk writes about architecture and design for Dwell, Wallpaper*, the San Francisco Chronicle, Interiors and Luxe.

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