Rise | We've Done the Research
Lessons Learned from Two Years of Tiny House Living
The average master bedroom size in the United States is around 224 square feet, and that doesn’t even include the added walk-in closet and master bathroom. How is it then that Austin and Heidi Thompson, along with help from the Tiny Home Builders Team in Florida, came up with a plan to build a 204 square foot tiny home that feels every bit as spacious as a regular-sized home? Their lofted tiny house is only 24 feet long by 8.5 feet wide, but every square inch of the home is imaginatively and skillfully custom designed to maximize the amount of interior living space.
From the outside, most onlookers might doubt that the interior of this home could include a kitchen with a full-sized refrigerator and electric range and stove, a wraparound sofa couch, a washer and dryer combo, a large shower with a glass door, and a large, lofted bedroom with an enormous amount of light. The Thompson home offers an enormous wealth of wisdom on maximizing space in tiny houses to reduce your home's ecological footprint while not sacrificing comfort.
Details of Austin and Heidi’s Home
Instead of simply settling for a mass-produced tiny home model manufactured by the hundreds of tiny home building companies around the country, Austin and Heidi were adamant that they wanted a custom-built home tailored to their individual needs and preferences. One of the main attractions to the house is the large accordion window, which opens up entirely to the outside. This large window essentially allows Austin and Heidi to feel as if they are outside on the connected deck even when they're inside the home. When open, the window offers an abundance of fresh air to the entire house and cuts back on the need for additional air conditioning during the summer.
Table of Contents
Next to the front door, a washer and dryer combo is located in a small closet attached to a wraparound bench seat, which offers a comfortable lounging and living room area. A movable table doubles as office space and a larger dining area for when the Thompsons have guests over for dinner.
The bathroom includes a toilet, bathroom sink, and a standard-sized tiled shower that includes a butterfly glass door. Another strategy for maximizing the feeling of spaciousness within the home's main living areas was through incorporating an industrial look for lighting. Underneath both lofted areas, track lighting was installed to increase the home's brightness and “glow.”
Tobias Roberts
Tobias runs an agroecology farm and a natural building collective in the mountains of El Salvador. He specializes in earthen construction methods and uses permaculture design methods to integrate structures into the sustainability of the landscape.
