Tiny

To make the two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath dwelling look and feel as large as possible, Sundius and Ichiki maintained sightlines from one end to the other. "We didn’t want to disrupt the flow of the stepped ceiling as it runs the length of the building,

Want a peek at the future of prefab design? Meet the Cube One—a 156-square-foot dwelling with built-in furnishings, voice-controlled tech, and a galvanized steel shell that can withstand extreme heat and natural disasters. Singapore-based Nestron will ship the Cube One anywhere in the world, and it’ll be ready for move-in the day it arrives.

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.

The rear facade of the steel-clad tiny home has a large window that provides ventilation and an indoor/outdoor connection.

The 500-square-foot home is designed for empty backyards in Silicon Valley. Abodu imagines the units serving as rentals, or housing for recent graduates or aging loved ones.

Whereas others might look at a board-formed cement wall in a basement and see, well, a concrete wall, Jess and Jonathan Taylor, the design duo behind the L.A.-based firm Taylor + Taylor, were inspired. The couple had purchased a virtually untouched 1952 house in east L.A. and that concrete wall became the backdrop for a new guest kitchen in the basement. "It was really the starting point of the whole design," says Jess Taylor. "As designers, our goal is to always try to incorporate the existing surroundings whenever possible, utilize them in practical ways, and be inspired by them."

The Japanese "no-brand" masters of minimalism unveil the first single-story design in their line of prefab homes.

Designed for young, low-income individuals, the green-roofed container homes will be painted a variety of colors to complement local architecture, including the neighboring Serpentine project.

Dark gray vinyl siding wraps around the exterior of the Kingfisher tiny home.

Gijsbert Schutten and Gijs Coumou of Liberte Tiny Houses designed a 182-square-foot tiny home on wheels in the Netherlands to mimic the shape of a folded leaf. "The window shutters give the effect of the way light scatters through the forest," Schutten says. On one side of the ThermoWood radiata pine-clad home, floor-to-ceiling glass walls make it seem as if there’s no boundary between the house and the natural surroundings. "Those big windows give an unobstructed view of the outside world," Schutten adds. "You almost forget you’re inside."

This house has an exterior of black panels and clear-grain cedar tongue-and-groove siding, and a rooftop deck that lets its owners enjoy the outdoors.

Texas. The Cricket Trailer, made in Houston, can sleep up to two adults and two children. With integrated fresh water and greywater tanks along with a water heater, campers can live off-the-grid in the easily towable unit.

With a small budget, an open mind, and perhaps a little help from your friends, there’s nothing stopping you from building your own tiny home.

Whether you desire a simple storage shed, a yoga studio, a mountain home, or a guest retreat, the customization allows you to define your own EscapeSpace.

The 4.9-foot overhanging eaves shelter the walkway and shade the interiors in the summer.

“I love the contrast of the white siding with the black metal roof and the Scandinavian-style wood accent around the door,” says owner Amber Estep. “It takes the exterior of the home to the next level.”