The term ‘tiny house’ once largely described a legion of ugly campers and extremely humble cabins, but as minimalist living becomes more popular, architects are working their design magic to create stunning small-scale structures. These 14 (more!) tiny house designs include chic and modern studios, workspaces, guest houses, saunas and other ‘backyard getaways’ as well as fully functional residences with all the basic amenities you’d expect.
Mineral House
(images via: cool hunter)
Measuring 480 square feet, the Mineral House is a highly unusual small structure in downtown Tokyo’s Nakano ward. Designed by architect Yasuhiro Yamashita, the house has a geometric shape with a number of large windows that fill the nearly all-white interior with natural light.
Banyan Treehouse by RPA
(images via: arch daily)
Functioning as a studio and guest house, this unusual little house is a modern, abstract interpretation of a treehouse, built around steel pylons resembling branches. The studio features an evocative butterfly-shaped roof, glass walls and a glass cut-out in the floor that gives inhabitants a view of the real live tree trunk that grows below it. The house is set on a pond in Los Angeles’ Nicolas Canyon, and even has a totally private outdoor shower.
TUTU House
(images via: this small house)
Built in 2004, the TUTU House is a great example of how Japanese architects are making small residences work in cramped downtown Tokyo. The tall, thin volume fits three stories into a lot that measures just under 300 square feet, and its bright, clean interiors make it seem eve larger than it really is.
Wheelhaus Wedge Cabin
(images via: tiny house blog)
Wheelhaus cabins are a modern interpretation of manufactured park model homes, taking these small residences from blocky and uninspired to welcoming and visually interesting. This model, called the Wedge, has an angled roof that enables a line of narrow windows along the top of each wall to let in lots of natural light. The whole house can easily be placed on a truck trailer and hauled to a new location. It retails for about $75,000.
OfficePod Concept
(images via: tiny house blog)
A dream retreat for people who work from home, the OfficePod is a self-contained backyard getaway with a modern look. Measuring just 6 feet 9 inches square for a total living space of 196 square feet, the OfficePod has just enough room inside for a working environment with a desk and chair.
Prefab Shipping Container Home
(images via: tiny house talk)
Imagine being able to move your entire house across the sea as cheaply as a shipping crate. When you build your house out of a shipping container or make it the same size and shape, it really is that easy. This modern container house by One Cool Habitat has lots of windows and just enough room inside for use as a guest house, an extra bedroom or a studio space.
