Small Apartments

Sleeping Cabin at sunset.

When OSSO Architecture first began renovating this loft in a Brooklyn paper factory, it hadn’t been touched since the 1980s. Owner Malik Ashiru says the project achieved his goal of “a big, open space where people could come in and not feel cramped.” The formerly constrained spaces in the 1,400-square-foot, two-story apartment have been reconfigured into an open-plan living space with an office on the first floor and a loft guest bedroom above. On the second floor, the primary bedroom and bath open up to a rooftop terrace. Level changes delineate different spaces in the open-plan first floor, which is stylishly furnished with Ashiru’s midcentury furniture and artwork collected from his travels around the world.

Bambi—long a nickname for Airstream’s light, single-axle offerings—launched this year as a family of approachable travel trailers.

The fixed-gear bicycle hanging above the couch serves as an art piece; Chen no longer rides the bike. Le Corbusier Projecteur 165 pendant lights hang in the corner.

Jason lounges in one of two armchairs by midcentury designer Milo Baughman in the parlor-floor living room. The wood block coffee table is by Eric Slayton, a friend of the couple, and the modular Carmo sofa is from BoConcept. A 1952 piece by French industrial designer Serge Mouille, the Three-Arm Floor Lamp—widely referred to as the "Praying Mantis," for its looming trio of arms—is a nod to the couple’s love of Parisian interiors; a branch-like chandelier by Los Angeles–based artist Gary Chapman hangs overhead.

The 31-foot cabin includes a four-foot spire.

“It’s the biggest one you can get,” says Patrick Powers of the shipping container he revamped and moved to Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Steel frames hold ample glazing, including a pair of custom 2,000-pound sliding doors.

Rolling Huts | Olson Kundig

Alpine Noir by Casework

Under the Roof by FLCA

Mathieu Vinciguerra reads in front of his apartment’s signature storyboard shelves.

Dortheavej Residence by Bjarke Ingels Group

In Texas, where everything is bigger, Ryan McLaughlin is placing his bets on something small. Specifically, a simple 160-square-foot cabin that he hopes city-dwellers will book to get away, find some focus, and reconnect with nature. The result is a laidback, pitched-roof cabin in which every inch of space is thoughtfully allotted so that guests can spend the maximum amount of time outdoors.

Tiny homes and shipping containers have inspired many homeowners to seek out home office ideas for small spaces, like the one pictured here. A clever loft makes the perfect home office space without overcrowding this diminutive abode by New Zealand–based company, Build Tiny.

Prefabricated and stackable, Kasita's high-density units may be a solution to America’s affordable housing crisis—with tech-enabled, high-quality design to boot.

Affordable, adorable, and in many cases, transportable, these tiny homes made a big impact on our readers this year.

Take it from the experts—we asked 10 tiny home owners what they wished they'd known before downsizing.