Could you live in a home that’s barely wider than a large sports utility vehicle? Two entire families manage to fit into this one – and it measures just seven feet across. It helps that this micro house in Tokyo, built to make the most of a very small lot, is two stories tall and much longer than it is wide. But living in such a narrow space requires some innovative solutions for stairs, lofts and furniture arrangement.
House K by Hiroyuki Shinozaki Architects rises 29 feet into the air, enabling higher ceilings on each floor for an open, airy feel. The house is actually larger than its narrow dimensions suggest, at 1,700 square feet. The main, narrow wing contains kitchens, bathrooms, closets and a small bedroom. A second, wider portion accommodates larger bedrooms and living rooms.
An open floor plan makes the interior feel larger, with most of the spaces within the home having just three walls. Though there are two separate kitchens and living rooms – one for each family – the home is not divided. The families essentially live together in one large, open space.
Spiral staircases, loft bedrooms and lots of white paint help the home fit in lots of function without feeling cluttered. The photos don’t give us a look inside each bedroom and the inevitably tiny kitchens in the narrow wing, but we can imagine that they must be fairly minimalist, with some interesting space-saving tactics to make them livable for that many people.

