You’re scrolling online and -- gasp! -- there’s the cutest little house you’ve ever seen. It’s not just small; it’s tiny. It looks fun. And affordable. You just so happen to be looking for a budget-friendly place to live. You want to live simply. It would be great to be easy on the environment, too. You start googling “tiny home kits” and “tiny home design.” You’re in love. You are ready to join the tiny home movement!
You thought you heard the tiny home movement was on its way out. Some people say because 2020 made us stay home more, people want more space at home. But tiny homes aren’t going anywhere! Just look at all the Facebook groups related to tiny homes, the tiny home YouTube videos, and the tiny home blogs. That’s a big YES in your book.
So what do you do next? We have a few ideas that will help.
Tiny Home Design Tips
Think about how much space you need and how you will use it. As you can imagine, living in a small house has its pros and cons. But you can boost the advantages through design. For example:
- Think small. A shelter is considered a tiny house if it’s under 600 square feet. Some people would cap the size at 400 feet. However, tiny homes can be even smaller -- around 200 square feet. So, you need a plan to make the most of the space you have. In some cases, that means using wall space or a loft. Draw on paper, or mark it out on the floor or the ground.
- Maximize living space. Having a smaller living space usually means some areas will have more than one purpose. For example, your living room, bedroom, and office might be the same area. You can also use space outdoors. Cabinets, counters, drawers, and doors -- anything and everything can be multipurpose in order to maximize space.
- Decorate wisely. How you outfit and decorate your tiny home will affect how comfortably you live in it. Having windows and/or skylights that let in natural light and views can help keep you from feeling closed in. So can the use of large mirrors (a trick used in apartments), which gives the visual effect of doubling your space. Use light colors, which are more reflective than dark colors, to make your home seem more roomy.
- Wheels or no wheels? Figure out where to put your tiny home. This tip goes beyond tiny home design, but the wheel factor is big. Tiny homes mean freedom to many people, but you can’t place your tiny home just anywhere you like. If your tiny home has wheels, you might not be welcome in some areas that have regulations against what they consider to be an RV. Ironically, some RV parks don’t consider tiny homes to fit their idea of an RV and won’t allow them, either. Even if your tiny home doesn’t have wheels, you need to make sure local laws will allow your home. If not, your tiny home dreams will be no bueno.
Tiny Home Kits and Building Plans
All right - you’ve looked at tiny home design elements and the issues of living in a small space. What else? It’s time to start looking at tiny home kits or building plans.
If you are the ultimate DIYer who is skilled at building things, then tiny home plans will give you what you need to construct your home. You may even be able to customize the plans yourself. You can find tiny home plans just about anywhere - in books, magazines, and websites. (You can even find tiny home plans for free.)
However, if you aren’t Karl Champley, or don’t want to pay someone else to build your tiny home, then look for tiny home kits. There is no shortage of “best of” lists online that recommend various tiny home kits that provide everything you need to put together your home.
There are many styles of tiny home kits to choose from:
- Rustic cabins
- Container homes
- Log homes
- Geodesic domes
- Cute cottages
- A-frames
- Barn styles
The style you choose will depend, of course, on your personal taste, the size you want, and how it will hold up to the weather where you live.
The Perfect Tiny Home Kit
One style really stands out, though -- and it’s perfect. Is there such a thing as the perfect tiny home? Yes! The best tiny home style is the geodesic dome. These tiny home kits are durable, energy efficient, easy to put together, and do great in harsh weather. Their design doesn't use walls or columns, so there’s looooooots of open space. You won’t feel cramped at all.
Glamping Dome Store offers geodesic domes in six different sizes, from 211 square feet (19.5 square meters) to 804 square feet (78.5 square meters), so you can find the right size tiny home for you. Kits come with everything you need to put together a beautiful tiny home that is stylish, modern, and versatile. You can easily add decor like curtains, spaces like a bathroom or loft, and add insulation to your dome kit if you like.
If you’re looking to join the tiny home movement, check out the geodesic domes at Glamping Dome Store. Or contact us about how to make your tiny home dreams come true.