Cute and compact: 12 of the best small houses

Genista Jurgens Genista Jurgens
Greenmoxie Tiny House, Greenmoxie Magazine Greenmoxie Magazine 房子 木頭 Wood effect
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Reducing the amount of objects you have in your home and rethinking the amount of space you actually need to live comfortably is not as daunting as it may seem. The process can be as easy as clearing out your cupboards and throwing away things you haven't used within the last 3 months (you really don't need those stacks of plastic kitchen containers with ill-fitting lids, or empty glass jars!) If you stick to this strict guideline, you will fast realize you can live in a space at least half the size of what you are used to. 

And it's this realization that hundreds of other people are also making, all around the world. Hence the rise in popularity of prefabricated buildings, refurbished container homes, compact city apartments, portable cabins, and innovative, transformative houses. Forgoing a huge floor plan, today's architects are designing smarter and smaller. By thinking outside the box, they save you not having to spend your life living cramped inside of one. 

Sliding glass doors, expandable rooms, collapsible walls, folding tables, multi-use areas – they are just a few of the techniques designers use to make the most out of small spaces. And in the end, you don't just have a small house, you have one that is more intelligent, attractive and easy to use (not to mention much cheaper to run). Here are twelve of the best. 

1. Small and sustainable.

Designed by ECOSPACE ESPAÑA, this understated country home not only looks good, but also does good for the world. Constructed with locally sourced materials and built with sustainability in mind, this is the right way to build new homes!

2. Downsizing.

A small house can still keep the features of an 'ordinary sized' one – just like this compact home with vertical corner windows and gabled roof finished with thick terracotta tiles. Just shrink it all down!

3. Making it modern.

This home by Milan architects STUDIO FERLAZZO NATOLI may be the size of a stuffy grandma flat, but with some suave styling and subtle colors, it is instead a stylish studio apartment. Funky details like plastic dining chairs and a kitchenette that folds away make it modern and innovative. 

4. One cute cabin.

Looking almost like an over sized child's dream playhouse, this cabin is absolutely adorable. Painted in white with dark trim, burgundy colored roofing and a black deck, you would be crazy not to want to spend time in this home.

5. Inexpensive but indulgent.

Able to be built for under £75,000 (around 92 thousand US Dollars) on an existing property or plot, the One Bedroom Wee House is an ideal candidate for first home owners, busy professionals, or lovers of minimalism. The rear of the house even has beautiful French Doors that open up onto a paved patio.  

6. Deceptive design.

Coming in at under 344 ft², this creatively designed dwelling is fashionable with it's patchwork exterior, glass doors, wooden decks, and landscaped garden. Surprisingly, there is even enough room inside for two separate bedrooms!

7. Open plan.

Designed by MEIUS ARQUITETURA, this is a beautiful example of the versatility of a container home. All sides are able to be opened up and folded out, doubling the interior space. The bed folds up into the wall, as does the dining table and a collapsible bench space. 

8. Artwork on wheels.

Inspired by the tiny house movement, this design by artist group THE UPCYCLIST is the perfect mobile guest house or backyard sleep out. While it doesn't have full amenities, it has more than enough style and street cred (it's made from 95 percent recycled materials). 

9. Meals on wheels.

Showing off some real design prowess, this teeny tiny home is only 20 m², but has a fully functioning kitchen, a lounge area, and a bedroom in the 'loft'. Inside is well lit, and well designed, never feeling too small. And to top it all off, it's fully transportable, and run on solar power! 

10. A cozy cinema.

Casa2020, MapOut MapOut 庭院

Painted in an eye catching orange, this home is small, stylish and stunning. Inside has a cozy mezzanine bedroom with elevated views, a fireplace and – get this – a home cinema! 

11. More than a garden shed.

homify 車庫/遮陽棚

This self-contained garden annex built by BLANKSTONE is all that most people really need, including plenty of privacy. Large glass doors open up right onto the garden, making the bedroom a scented sanctuary. 

12. A mini, mobile ranch.

For the last of our tiny homes, we have to show you all three angles, because it's just too impressive not to! We love this design by Toronto based company GREENMOXIE. Not only does the deck fold down, but the overall style (especially the interior) is surprisingly stylish. 

Walls are painted completely in white, with dark floorboards and a chocolate brown kitchen counter, creating that feeling of a bonafide country ranch.

Small houses are not only suited for the country, here's a tiny city apartment that is just as impressive

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