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The raw edges of the antique teak wood shelves bring an organic touch to the the living area.

In the Dank Lounge, a film screen lowers in front of room-darkening curtains on movie nights. The deep sectional was built by Lizz and Isaac while the Blob coffee table is by Project Room, and the Scandinavian rya rug is vintage. The couple’s art collection includes works by many friends and local artists. A print by Alex Smith, along with drawings by Cammie Staros and Karl Haendel, hang in the lounge beside a painting by John Finneran and a photo by Lizz.

Streamlined birch plywood cabinetry and a maple butcher-block counter forms the kitchenette, which isn’t intended for extensive meal prep. The building is a blend of "a bedroom and camping," says Shaw, which means much of the cooking and cleaning happens outside.

The window seat can also double as a bed. "It's particularly long, which was so that an adult can sleep there, or two kids could comfortably cozy up and sleep there," says Shaw, noting that it’s tucked around the corner from the bed for privacy.

On the opposite side of the tree house, a small kitchenette comes complete with a sink, an induction hot plate, and a small fridge underneath. Other additions include fresh flowers from local florist Stilk & Stæsj, as well as soap from the Norwegian brand Fitjar Islands.

Built-in shelving in the ground-floor living area provides ample storage for books and records. “This is my favourite chair, where I like to sit and watch the fire or read a book,” says the owner.

Focusing primarily on the view, the residents decorated the master bedroom with succulents, books, ceramics, and little else. A blanket from The Citizenry lies across an Onto bed by Bensen.

A kitchen with a Siemems integrated oven.

Small spaces and tiny homes present some physical limitations, but they actually make room for imaginative solutions.

Inspired by Scandinavian and Japanese aesthetics, the modern Orchid tiny house features an interior clad in three-quarter-inch maple plywood.

Istanbul-based architecture firm SO? built the tiny cabin with plywood both inside and out, and also used birch plywood for some of the furnishings.

Lookofsky outfitted the bedroom with built-in pine plywood bunkbeds, walls, and a ceiling. The bathroom and a closet are also wrapped in plywood.

To keep costs low, architect Mark Fullagar fitted this compact cabin with hollow-insulated plywood panels that lend warmth and texture to the interior.

The cozy cabin is wired for electricity, with reading lamps above the bed.

When booking, you can select a queen or twin beds for sleeping arrangements.

A wood stove supplements the fire pit for cooking on windy days—or when fire bans take effect during the dry season.

OBY’s preliminary concept is a 576-square-foot ADU with two bedrooms, a bathroom/laundry room, a kitchen, and an open living/dining area. The exterior would be closely matched to the property’s primary residence.

OBY prefab ADU exploded diagram

Authors Geoff Manaugh and Nicola Twilley started writing Until Proven Safe, a book about medieval quarantine architecture, long before COVID-19.