by Steven Harrell of Tiny House Listings
Having been in the tiny house business for several years now, one reaction I hear alot from folks who are new to the tiny-living concept goes something like “there’s no way I could live in a house that small” or “I have kids and we’d be too cramped.” Understandable. I personally could live full-time in a teardrop camper if it were just me but to each is own.
An argument I’ve made to folks is that I believe there are two driving forces behind the tiny house movement…Solutions and Inspiration.
So having said that, I thought that creating a website that features beautiful and small (not tiny) homes around the world for folks wanting a little extra inspiration and a little extra room (you know, folks with kiddos and such) might be a good idea. So I recently launched a website called Small House Swoon.
It’s very similar to another website I run called Tiny House Swoon except that the homes are small and unique, not tiny and unique.
A small home in Seattle, Washington. Photo courtesy of Ninebark Design Build.
So that’s it, my effort to provide you a centralized space where small house eye candy will be featured for your viewing pleasure. You can also follow the site on Facebook here.
Thanks to Kent for being a driving force behind the tiny house movement and thank you for reading.
I have been waiting for this!! Small is so much more practical and possible for the majority of us. Thank you!!!
AGREED!!!!!!!!
Do you know anybody, who might be willing or able to build a small house on my lot in LA county.
I will pay a good price for it – thanks!
Hello,
I may be interested if you are building the right project. Here is a link to my tiny house in Portland, Oregon. Please give me a call or an email and we can talk about it. I love talking about all things ADU and tiny house. 🙂
Happy Holidays,
Michael Papillo
503.740.7736
*I live in LA but have an Oregon #.
http://tinyhousepdx.tumblr.com
Michael…I checked out your little Oregon Treasure! AWESOME! Very nice job! The reuse of so many items is ingenious and tastefully done adding to the comfy, yet not crowded, overall feeling! It definitely made my “bookmark” list. Thanks for the share, Angela
They seem enormous by comparison…
😉
Excellent idea. Many times I’ve wished for precisely this type of site. The resolution and size of the pix are great as well.
Thank you! This is perfect for my needs. Tiny is too tiny for me, but small is just right.
As the resident/owner of a (576 sq foot) circa 1948 bungalow for 19 years, I am very familiar with both the joys and the pitfalls of living in a small space. I have to agree that “tiny” isn’t for me. I am more and more enchanted with small contemporary houses that are built with accomodations for lifestyle and STORAGE in mind. Thanks for adding the small home category for those of us who need fresh ideas and who love to dream.
Thank you SO much for creating a place of solutions and inspiration for “small” homes. Because music and dance are so much a part of our lives, tiny is out, but small is very much where we’d like to aim for. Many thanks!
Thank you SO much for directing me to your Small House Swoon site. I’ve been following and drooling over the Tiny Houses, but as an ardent pianist, I have to have a home that will fit my small Steinway. The Small House Swoon homes work much better while still keeping the “small footprint” concept alive. I will be looking for ideas for my ideal small home. Thank you. Thank you.
Agreed. Nice to see beautiful homes built to more realistic proportions. Also a musician and singer with a Steinway (Model M), extensive jazz record collection (some out-of-print), sheet music and books, distributed audio with some large-size speakers. To find something where I could have all that, plus regular-sized furniture, in a small-footprint structure that uses recycled building materials and is energy-efficient is just the perfect step from my 1-bedroom rental apartment. Now, if only I could find some cheap land in New Jersey…
How small/large? Will there be a sq ftg limit?
Thanks, Steve. As a long time appreciative reader of tiny house blog, thanks for this next step. A small house place for cool design is a great addition to the resources of the less is more movement!
Thank you! I was hoping someone would focus on small houses!
Looking forward to following your new site. I too, favor the idea of a small home as opposed to a tiny home that requires a resident that is totally dedicated to minimal living. Many folks, especially us “mature” types prefer a bit of comfort and a sense of space in our homes. For over a year now, I have been working on a design for a 450 SF “modular” style micro home that incorporates state of the art systems, for either conventional or off-grid living, that anyone can build by following comprehensive drawings, videos and specifications, using standard materials from the local lumber yard such as Home Depot. I hope that sometime in the near future, you will post photos of the prototype on your site 🙂
Cheers,
John
Hi JCP… I’m very interested in your December 2013 post that referred to a 450 sq ‘ micro house… able to be self built, sourcing materials from standard big box retailers. Please send me any info ? Thanks. Richie
I didn’t see the price of this small house ? TM.
Love the idea, we were in great need of this….Thanks
Finally! A lot of us who Tiny House Swoon are partnered with lovely people who don’t and somehow agree on sub-1500 sq. ft. homes. We need a central resource for ideas and inspiration on how to make this work in a society where you simply “can’t live” without 3000 sq. ft.
Brilliant!
I very much look forward to it! As enamored as i am with tiny houses there is much about me that makes them a bit impractical…though my time and research into tiny houses has given me so much inspiration that my 4-600 sq ft small home will be quite luxurious and filled with clever ideas from these pages.
I am a firm believer that downsizing is very healthy for everyone, owning less stuff, financial freedom, stability regardless of markets or jobs, and so much more…being closer with your children is probably the best result in downsizing though it may take a bit of convincing!
Americans took the idea of grander housing too far, we lost a lot when we gained square footage in our homes. If you can’t see or hear your children in your own home all the time then you’re doing it wrong.
Developing close bonds and social skills are a great side effect of living closely…both are sorely lacking in many American families.
Where does a disabled woman who left a drug infested low income apartment complex now being slandared by this complex with no where to go but my daughters here. Get a scholarship to go to a seminar I am trying to get to the seminar in Sacramento CA in Jan with another disabled woman who used to build. We are trying to learn all we can to build one for myself so I have a place to live. Where are there any good places to have build me one and where do I put it after I get it. I might have enough after for some property but will they just let me park it. Where do I get my water and electric, I plan on having it solar optional. I can’t afford to put it in a park I’m on perm disability. I have great ideas for one or several for disabled people. I desire a community of them. How do I go about getting that off the ground? Need some direction here, where do I start. and yes I agree in dining together and not in front of a tv. Taught my daughter that and she still loves it. Plans to bring her newborn baby up that way, and yes that is why I have to move I need a place to move,they had a baby. I’ve always had my own place until now. Feeling like a fish out of water and would be so happy to have a place to call home. I’ve thought to start collecting things to help bring the cost down too. Looking every night for ideas,and supplies and appliances etc. I need something a bit bigger than a 150 sq’ and a ladder, my back won’t do a ladder either,and I’m putting in cork floors as well. Any input or direction would be greatly appreciated, so far I’ve heard nothing and everyone thinks I’m crazy for wanting to live like that too. Thank You Tracie in the foothills in Nor/Cal and yes I’m single if anyone is intersted in dating a woman with an empty nest and a 5lb dog, yeah I got the tiny dog to go with it. Who dreams of living like this drop me a line at capoppy47@yahoo.com.
Excellent DIY project. It’s sad that several cities doesn’t allow to build homes less than 2500 sq.ft. or unattached homes in the same lot. Unless it is a guest room, which doesn’t have the essentials of a house, it is going to be hard to build something like this in several places due to county regulations.
Yay! Steve, I’m so excited! I’m a huge fan of tiny, but my family just isn’t willing to go that small. I’m so excited to look at small.
Can’t wait to meet you in April @ The NC workshop. Be Well, K (yurt girl)
This is FANTASTIC!
THANKYOU!!! I have 2 children, 2 cats and a dog. Small is great for us, tiny is NOT!
Yay! I love tiny houses for their beauty and ideas, but I have 5 acres of pinyon-juniper forest and want a small house just under 500 sf. I am now collecting stone from my property and want to start building in spring. I like bigger kitchens because I garden and put food up. Didn’t quite finish my root cellar but it is about 120 sf. Quail coop coming!
At what square foot measurements do you go from calling your house Tiny to Small!?! We built and live in 480sf home. I say it’s small, my friends and family say it’s tiny LOL
This is great news! Firstly, I have to say I simply LOVE your original site (regardless of home size) “Tiny House Swoon”. The set up is clean, easy to navigate, & not overwhelmed with packs of ads & T.M.I. (“too much informtaion;)!
I look forward to joining you on your new endevour, in sharing with us “SMALL House Swoon” 😉 I will be sharing the site with many in my other social media arenas–especially on Google Plus! There is actually alot more Tiny House talk, groups, & “Alternative Architecture” “Communities” there, than people I think, even realize. I hope to see you over there promoting these wonderful sites as well. KUDOS, Jeanine from Canada
I am looking for one of the first Small House you showed. It is in Seattle I think. The owner is a single retired lady who loves music and has a granddaughter. The house is on her daughter’s property. It is beautiful and I am interested in the design for myself. Also a single retired lady.
If you know the one I am talking about could you please re-post or send me the info.
Thanks so much.