The 10 Teeniest Tiny Homes of 2023
Ranging from 143 to 270 square feet per person, these compact dwellings stretch the limits of small-space living.
As the housing crisis rages on, many people are reexamining where, and how they live—and tiny houses have never been more appealing. From backyard ADUs to compact cabins and micro homes on wheels, the smallest dwellings show that good things really do come in petite packages.
143.5 Square Feet Per Person: This Tiny Backyard House Hides a Kitchen, a Bathroom, and Two Closets Behind Pocket Doors
Masa Arquitectos designed this minimalist house in Montevideo, Uruguay, for a young family on a tight budget who wanted to do most of the carpentry themselves.
Photo by Leonardo Finotti
All of the furnishings are by Uruguayan designers. The wooden console and iron-framed sofa are from Estudio Diario, the black metal chairs are from Estudio Claro, and the round dining table is from Samic.
Photo by Leonardo Finotti
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144 Square Feet Per Person: This Compact Cabin in Austin, Texas, Was Built in 40 Days for $46K
Surrounded by oak trees and lush grasslands, the Field Cabin features a steeply pitched roof and an expansive glass door and decking on the front facade.
Photo by Ashley Henderson
The interior is outfitted with a birch plywood ceiling and limewashed walls.
Photo by Ashley Henderson
150 Square Feet Per Person: A Metal-Wrapped Off-Grid Tiny Home Embraces Canadian Winters
The tiny house and eco resort are set on generations-old family land that’s remote and completely private so guests can unplug and immerse themselves in nature.
Photo by Anthem Creative
White oak flooring, cabinetry, shelves, and ceiling beams add texture and warmth while referencing the wooded landscape.
Photo by Anthem Creative
160 Square Feet Per Person: Two Cozy Pods and an Oak-Covered Deck Comprise This Tiny Mississippi House
The deck is constructed from standard, treated two-by-sixes from the hardware store. The oak tree in the center of the deck provides the family with shade and cooler temperatures through the humid summers, and protects from the rain as well.
Photo by Ann Madden Photography
Blue Dot stools sit at the custom table. The sofa is from Joybird, and the kitchen lighting is from 143 Lighting.
Photo by Ann Madden Photography
161.5 Square Feet Per Person: This Floating Micro Cabin Cruises the Waterways of the Norwegian Wilderness
The 323-square foot rentable cabin sluices old logging routes of the Halden Canal, letting visitors bask in the region’s beauty.
Photo by Jan Khür + Abrakadabra Studio
The 360-degree fireplace is the functional and aesthetic centerpiece, serving as the heart of the home where guests can enjoy an early-morning coffee and a late-night chat.
Photo by Jan Khür + Abrakadabra Studio
169.5 Square Feet Per Person: A Tiny Timber Cabin Touches Down on a Private Island in Norway
The home is perched lightly on the site, and the landscape is integrated into the architecture through a form, materiality, and expansive windows. "We long for this untouched nature," says architect Line Solgaard of the site. "It brings us calmness—and maybe even helps us be more in touch with ourselves."
Photo by Einar Aslaksen
The clients wanted a summer home that would allow them to enjoy the landscape indoors and out—although the outdoor spaces needed to be protected from the often windy weather. "That’s why we have the outdoor space to the north of the building, so it’s protected," explains Line Solgaard. The protected deck area gets the evening sun until 10pm in the summer, and views to the water are framed by large windows and a glazed wall.
Photo by Einar Aslaksen
200 Square Feet Per Person: A Tiny Home on Wheels in Washington Brings Kids, Parents, and Their Parents Together
The tiny home on wheels that Tru Form Tiny designed and built for Judy and Dean Anderson is wrapped in white-painted pine and accented with ebony-stained cedar around the door.
Photo courtesy of Tru Form Tiny
The kitchen showcases quartz counters, white-painted cabinetry, open shelves, and a Prestige range with a hickory-covered hood.
Photo courtesy of Tru Form Tiny
200 Square Feet Per Person: An Artist’s Dream Home in Portugal
After months of waiting for approvals to build a house in Sintra, Portugal, artist Chris Saunders decided to pivot, commissioning a custom tiny home on wheels from architecture studio Madeiguincho.
Photo by Carlos Chavarría
The 200-square-foot house, with its honey-colored wood cladding and contrasting blond wood interior, suits Chris perfectly. "Since moving here, I’ve simplified not only my way of living, but also my mentality and work ethic," he says.
Photo by Carlos Chavarrí
215 Square Feet Per Person: A Curved Roof and Metal Cladding Define This $96K New Zealand Tiny House
The home is clad in corrugated iron coated with Zincalume. "We chose the cladding so we could curve the metal sheets and create barrel-vaulted roofs," says architect William Samuels. "The finish gives a natural reflection to the surface of the house, picking up on the colors of the surrounding bush and the changing daylight."
Photo: Simon Devitt
The interstitial space between the two modules holds laundry, a wardrobe, and a storage cupboard.
Photo: Simon Devitt
270 Square Feet Per Person: A Tiny Home Takes Root in Northern California's Wine Country, Giving Extended Family Space to Thrive
One of the first Dwell Houses, built by Abodu, was installed at Leslie Scharf’s vineyard home in Healdsburg, California. Norm Architects led the design of the 540-square-foot prefab, which is wrapped in Real Cedar siding.
Photo by Mariko Reed
Abodu managed the build and delivery of the turnkey one-bedroom ADU. "The cost is up-front, transparent, all-inclusive—excluding taxes, fees, and custom site-specific work—and locked in before construction begins," says cofounder Eric McInerney. The kitchen includes a full suite of Bosch appliances.
Photo: Mariko Reed
The Tiniest Homes of 2022
64 Square Feet Per Person: An Australian Tiny Home Built From Recycled Materials Reaches New Heights
The compact house is sheathed in cypress, glass, and copper and features an expandable roof.
Photo: Derek Swalwell
Salvaged ironbark floors in the living room step down to the adjacent kitchen and dining space, creating a built-in seating area.
Photo: Derek Swalwell
64.5 Square Feet Per Person: Work and Play Figure Into a Family’s 258-Square-Foot Tiny Home in Portugal
The wood-wrapped tiny home features a deck pierced by a tree trunk.
Photo by João Carranca
Inside, a built-in bed features large storage drawers and cubbies.
Photo by João Carranca
65 Square Feet Per Person: A Tiny Off-Grid Cabin in Italy Is as Easy to Take Apart as It Was to Build
Llabb Architettura created an experimental retreat made entirely of plywood in the mountain town of Tartago.
Photo by Studio Campo
"It’s simple, yet it’s expressive," architect Luca Scardulla says. "We don’t like excess. We don’t like when you enter a space, and everything is immediately declared, everything is clear. We like discovery and complexity."
Photo by Studio Campo
66 Square Feet Per Person: A Tiny Home in Washington Captures the Serenity of the West Coast
Elizabeth and Matt Impola of Handcrafted Movement designed and built a 264-square-foot tiny house on a lush property in Battle Ground, Washington, where towering trees, a large pasture, and abundant wildlife create a cinematic scene.
Elizabeth French Creative
A floor-to-ceiling white ceramic brick fireplace sections off the living room from the main-floor bedroom. Mint-green pocket doors slide up or down, providing both privacy and openness.
Elizabeth French Creative
68.5 Square Feet Per Person: This Light-Bending Micro Apartment Will Make You Look Twice
The micro apartment in Paris that Miogui Architecture designed for a couple as an office/pied-à-terre lives much larger than its 137 square feet.
Photo by Philippe Billard
The architects removed layers of finishes from the walls, exposing rough concrete columns and beams that lend texture and a historic note.
Photo by Philippe Billard
72 Square Feet Per Person: A Family of Four Joins Hands to Build Two Tiny Homes in Washington
Upon relocating to the Methow Valley, a family found their compact cabin to be a little too cozy—so they roll up their sleeves and break ground.
Benjamin Drummond
Cast Architecture provided plans for the compact dwellings, and the family of four constructed them with the help of family and friends.
Benjamin Drummond
91 Square Feet Per Person: This Off-Grid Tiny Home Is One Retiree Couple’s Permanent Vacation
The wood-clad tiny home opens in the rear and connects to nature.
Photo by João Carranca
The glass double doors can be propped open or closed for privacy.
Photo by João Carranca
96.5 Square Feet Per Person: A Roaming Couple Settle Down by DIYing a Tiny Cabin for Less Than $10K
The cabin is clad in corrugated metal panels. The rectangular window is positioned over the kitchen to let in light and air.
Eugenia Diaz and Pepe Romero
The barn-style front doors stay open during warmer months, giving a view of Eugenia’s garden. A floating desk, Hay Design coffee table, and separate couch offer additional seating in the downstairs area.
Eugenia Diaz and Pepe Romero
87 Square Feet Per Person: 260 Square Feet of Tree House Is All a Portuguese Family Needs for the Summer
The tree house features a rooftop deck and a steel slide beside the entrance staircase.
Photo by Joāo Carranca
The kitchen showcases birch plywood cabinetry and counters.
Photo by Joāo Carranca
100 Square Feet Per Person: A 200-Square-Foot ADU Packs a Playful Punch With Murals and Curved Motifs
Furniture designer Ash Dipert transformed three disused structures behind his parent’s craftsman home in Bakersfield, California, into a fun and functional ADU.
Photo: Benjamin Rasmussen
The main living space was previously two separate volumes with different floor and ceiling heights. To make the queen-size Murphy bed clear the kitchen cabinets, Ash had to cut a curve into the corner of the mattress.
Photo: Benjamin Rasmussen
The Tiniest Homes of 2021
35 Square Feet Per Person: This Norwegian Wood–Wrapped Tiny Home Was Built for Freedom
Norske Mikrohus’s spruce-clad Tind tiny home was inspired by the mountains and woods of Norway.
Aksel Jermstad
The open-plan kitchen and living area are outfitted with birch veneer walls, and the flooring is ash.
Aksel Jermstad
43.5 Square Feet Per Person: This Tiny House on Wheels Will Take You Anywhere You Want to Go
Rast is a 174-square-foot-home that promises to get you closer to nature.
Aksel Jermstad
Designed by Jeanette Reiss-Andersen of Norske Mikrohus, Rast is a 174-square-foot tiny home clad in dark-stained Norwegian spruce.
Aksel Jermstad
53.75 Square Feet Per Person: A Tiny Cabin in France Makes 215 Square Feet Feel Nearly Boundless
The blackened timber–clad cabin that Arba designed in Longueil, Normandy, France, is marked by large glass doors, layered with wood slats that slide open and connect the home to its lush landscape.
Jérémie Léon
The open-plan ground floor allows the communal spaces to flow into one another. A wooden ladder accesses the lofted bedrooms.
Jérémie Léon
60 Square Feet Per Person: This Futuristic Prefab Tiny Home Is Now Available for $50K
"The composite structure is extraordinarily durable," says Haus.Me CEO Max Gerbut. "Its yacht-inspired exterior is created from fiberglass, stainless steel, and teak."
Photo courtesy of Haus.Me
Whether you’re looking to hit the road or build a backyard ADU, the Microhaus offers mega convenience in a pint-sized package.
Photo courtesy of Haus.Me
60 Square Feet Per Person: A Tiny Timber Cabin Takes Root in a Russian Forest for $13.4K
Delo Design’s compact holiday cabin packs a kitchen, bathroom, bed, and storage into 120 square feet.
Arsenii Brodach
The Cabin is furnished with Delo Design’s TRU chairs in cream. The bed is nestled beneath a large window that frames the landscape, and a small kitchenette sits opposite the dining zone.
Arsenii Brodach
65.5 Square Feet Per Person: This $118K Micro-Cabin Is as Elegant as It Is Efficient
Fatigued by skyrocketing housing costs and the modern world’s waning connection to nature, Lee Loewen and Payam Shalchian of Canada-based Instead create an off-grid-capable tiny house called Project 01. The 262-square-foot cabin is clad with black-stained pine that helps it to meld with the natural landscape.
Brooke Stephenson, Found My Thrill
The interior of the micro-cabin is finished with pine plywood that provides pattern and an organic quality. In the kitchen, stainless-steel cabinetry, counters, and appliances lend an industrial aesthetic that balances the materiality of the wood.
Brooke Stephenson, Found My Thrill
66 Square Feet Per Person: A Shipping Container Is Transformed Into an Off-Grid Tiny Home for $23K
Pin-Up Houses transformed a 20-foot shipping container into an off-grid tiny home in just three months. The eco-friendly escape is powered by solar panels and a wind turbine—and it even includes a full bath.
Jakub Zdechovan
The design team sprayed the metal structure’s inner walls with thermal insulation. Then they framed the interior with studs and clad it in spruce plywood.
Jakub Zdechovan
81 Square Feet Per Person: A New Zealand Couple Build a Tiny, Cedar-Clad Cabin for $72K
Nikki Adcock and Rick Hill designed and built the Hideaway, a 162-square-foot cabin, to be a weekend retreat. It’s sided with Japanese cedar and features a matte black, corrugated steel roof that references traditional backcountry huts.
Erica Boyd White
In the cabin’s living area, a built-in plywood bed cantilevers above a storage area and a plywood bench padded with cushions.
Erica Boyd White
94 Square Feet Per Person: The Ursa Off-Grid Tiny Cabin Is as Sustainable as It Is Stylish
Inspired by the idea of a living organism, Madeiguincho’s 188-square-foot cabin collects, stores, and reuses rainwater and produces food and energy.
Junior Carranca
The interior of the cabin is outfitted with a living space that converts to a sleeping area and an open kitchen. Birch plywood wraps the space, lending warmth and texture.
Junior Carranca
94 Square Feet Per Person: A New $98K Prefab Tiny Home Sports a Space-Age Aesthetic
Nestron’s latest tiny home, clad with steel and fiber-reinforced plastic, measures 376 square feet and is available in a one-bedroom or two-bedroom configuration.
Photo courtesy of Nestron
Built-in furniture preserves floor space for the tiny home. The designers outfitted the dining area with a built-in table for two and created a sleek built-in sofa for the living space.
Photo courtesy of Nestron
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