small homes

In search of a Bay Area retreat, Jeff Waldman and Molly Fiffer purchased a piece of land on which to experiment and gain new skills, one task at a time.

Vancouver-based design firm Trim Studio recently completed this tiny home on an island off the coast of Vancouver for a young, newly engaged couple named Kris and Ali, who were excited to create a vacation home they could share with family and friends.

San Francisco–based Studio PLOW brought its sleek aesthetic from the big city to the redwood forest, transforming this weekend retreat from dark and dated to bright and modern.

The dark cedar-stained lanai is the cozy, attractive center of activity at Kūono .

Living Room from Loft. Tru Form Tiny

Shalina Kell is a graphic designer and a maker—and now she can add "tiny home builder" to her resume. The single mom lives with her teenage daughter in a lovely, light-filled, 350-square-foot tiny home in Sacramento that she built and designed herself.

Alpine Noir by Casework

Originally built in 1974 as a kit home, this A-frame cabin was saved from ruins by an ambitious couple who temporarily turned it into a home for five.

Instead of installing rooftop solar panels, Alqadi and his friend and partner in the venture, Hillary Flur, built a “solar tree” to provide energy.

The simple black box is broken by operable glazing, drawing the outdoor elements in.

The dwelling is raised on three marine-grade, aluminum-alloy flotation tubes, each with five sealed compartments for extra safety.

Mid-century designer Jens Risom's A-framed prefab family retreat, located on the northern portion of Block island, is bordered by a low stone wall, an aesthetic element that appears throughout the land.

West Facade

“This is a humanized landscape of meadows, walls, ash, streams, a small-scale landscape, minimal, almost domestic, and where absolutely everything happens in yellow,” the architects wrote in a statement. To that end, the only hint of color on the house’s otherwise natural exterior is a door painted a vibrant lemon-yellow hue.

"Amplified" Tiny House - Brazilian Abaco hardwood and corrugated metal siding

“What often happens in our relationship is I come to Funn with an idea and he makes it into something livable.” —Vincent Kartheiser