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Small Home with a Big Garage (Floor Plan)


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If you’re like me you might also like thinkingĀ of ways to build tiny or build small while still meeting minimum local building and zoning codes. This small home with a big garage (floor plan) seems like it might be able to do just that.

I like to think of these ideas or designs as ‘loopholes’ towards building smaller than normally allowed by finding creative ways to do it. Now they might not always work, or even work at all, but there’s always a chance it can if you try to work with your local codes to get it right.

One loophole towards building tiny or small might be to do something like this, especially if you like having lots of garage space on your property. Pretty cool, right?

SmallĀ Home with a BigĀ Garage (Floor Plan)

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Alex

Alex is a contributor and editor for TinyHouseTalk.com and the always free Tiny House Newsletter. He has a passion for exploring and sharing tiny homes (from yurts and RVs to tiny cabins and cottages) and inspiring simple living stories. We invite you to send in your story and tiny home photos too so we can re-share and inspire others towards a simple life too. Thank you!
{ 83 comments… add one }
  • Korie Veidel
    May 7, 2015, 9:10 am

    This is great! I would probably keep the whole “house” part of it together for the purpose of flow, but the concept is creative and outside the box. I love the idea of having a large, multipurpose area that could be used for entertaining in most weather, storage, room for kids to play, yet wouldn’t significantly add to the building cost or heating and cooling costs.

  • Cahow
    May 7, 2015, 10:18 am

    GREAT rudimentary plan! Of course, everyone will want to *tweak* it to their own needs but the LARGE multipurpose area is fantastic.

    It reminds me very much of a home I rehabbed that had a massive central courtyard with open hallway around most of the courtyard; the various rooms had doors that opened to the hallway and courtyard.

    You could easily install a score of skylights in the multipurpose room with a wall of patio doors on the back side and multiple garage doors on the other side. This way, when the autos aren’t in the garage, you can use the entire area as a patio/play area/entertainment area.

  • TMM
    May 7, 2015, 10:31 am

    I immediately thought of the latest announcement from Tesla and their home batteries… or the Japanese company that was talking about using your car to power your home during an emergency…

  • Lake Lili
    May 7, 2015, 11:08 am

    Cahow’s right a couple tweaks and it would be perfect. I’d add a 2nd garage door making it a dog trot style. I’d then move the bathroom door so that it opened directly into the garage and turn the hallway into a pantry. I’d also add French doors on the kitchen, so that like the dining room the kitchen opens right into the garage.

    • Cahow
      May 7, 2015, 11:13 am

      Those are wonderful ideas you have, Lake Lili. I especially am fond of that GIANT pantry idea!!!! šŸ˜€ I’ve never lived anywhere in my life without a pantry…it’s a MUST HAVE!

      • RJ Hickey
        May 7, 2015, 11:49 am

        All doors between the garage & the living spaces need to be solid fire doors.

      • Jodie Dew
        May 7, 2015, 3:40 pm

        I got spoiled with a pantry abt 3 houses back too! My small home is going to have some storage under the stairs but not a lot because my water softner takes up a lot of room and the ws is a must have here…also my friend Sheldon us building me a 24″x24″x84″ pantry with sliding drawers.. a must have since I am only putting in 2 maybe 3 lower cabinets and not planning on any uppers at all…but some things change as we go…its either that or go crazy.lol we start drywall this afternoon!! So excited!! It is really starting to look like a real home!!.

  • Ed
    May 7, 2015, 11:10 am

    Ah!! A place for all my stuff!

  • Tom Reed
    May 7, 2015, 11:11 am

    IIRC, the main character in an old tv show lived in a place with garage, that was all open concept.

  • Shonda
    May 7, 2015, 11:30 am

    Great outside the box thinking! Agreed, with a few minor tweaks this would be great. Something to be aware of, most building codes prohibit bedroom (sleeping areas) doors from opening direction to the garage because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning/other fumes.
    I do love the kitchen with the French doors idea and the rooms surrounding a central courtyard/multi-purpose space!

  • Nancy Barnes
    May 7, 2015, 11:31 am

    Where’s the bathroom?

  • Mary J
    May 7, 2015, 11:33 am

    great idea having a large area available for a multitude of uses. I hate the idea of having to go across such an expanse from the master bedroom to use the loo at night so would definitely bring those rooms on the right over to meet up with the rest of the home and place the multipurpose room at the side. Another thing I don’t like is bring the car in under the house roof as such. It might be okay as people move into electric cars but the idea of starting and warming up your car in the house really doesn’t make sense as far as clean air and breathing are concerned. My house has an internal double garage and the car stays outside. The garage is used for our home business instead which is a great use for such a space. As my family prepares to move into a small house the plan is to create car space under a carport, an area that will be also able to be used for outdoor entertainment or leisure interests.

    • M
      May 7, 2015, 5:14 pm

      Mary J. I will assume the J = Jo, Jane, Jean or some other variant? I am also actually a M.J. but just get tired of typing out the whole name. :~/\

  • Diana
    May 7, 2015, 12:10 pm

    Uh, its weird bc you have to go through the garage to the bathroom. Really impractical.

    • Susan
      May 7, 2015, 12:22 pm

      I agree. Who wants to go through the garage every time you use the bathroom.

    • M
      May 7, 2015, 5:11 pm

      An L shape configuration for the living spaces might work better and with some wall adjustments could eliminate several of the doors to the garage itself. That way the “house” portion could be made visible to the front or public view and the garage portion placed more out of view. That way the bathroom could be moved to be between the two bedrooms and still have room on the end for a pantry which I’d have open to/from the garage so that you could unload the supplies from the car right into the pantry. Another plus for this idea is that the garage could be built first and even lived in while constructing the other. In some instances you can get away with only a ‘garage’ on a property for some years time before you have to have a ‘house’ placed. This will allow for spreading out the build for those with financial constraints. Also, garages can be quite fancy these days with cupboard systems and decorative rubberized floors so that it can double for recreational or craft area as well. Not sure who came up with this one (Alex?) but I think it would serve a nice chunk of population quite well.

    • mary
      May 7, 2015, 9:40 pm

      yea needs a second bath also did I miss it I don’t see a pantry unless you are talking about the garage

  • kenji Takahashi
    May 7, 2015, 12:17 pm

    I am interested in buying one Tiny House,
    Do you register as Home or Vehicle?

    • Alex
      May 7, 2015, 2:12 pm

      Normally you register tiny houses on wheels as an RV or trailer.

  • AVD
    May 7, 2015, 12:25 pm

    Having vehicles parked in an enclosed space connected to living quarters is not healthy. The double doors connecting to the habitable space can not be properly sealed to prevent vehicle exhaust fumes from finding their way into the house.

    This is just a totally absurd solution.

    AVD

    • Dean
      May 7, 2015, 3:21 pm

      AVD – Ask yourself how many houses have been built in the past 50-60 years with connecting garages.
      Same situation as you see here.
      However, I too am concerned about the impracticality of having to pass through the garage every time I want to use the bathroom.
      My solution for that inconvenience is (looking at the floor plan seen in the article) to place the garage door on the other side and build a hallway between the living room and the bathroom.
      The new hallway would then turn and run parallel with the bedroom and bathroom.
      The existing hallway that connects the bathroom with the other bedroom can then be walled off and it will become a sort of “mechanical room”, housing the laundry facilities, water heater and breaker panel for the house (oil/gas central heater for the house too, if you wish).
      Of course, this means walling off half the garage by about 4 1/2 feet, however this should make the house more practical and eliminate the need to walk through the garage.
      If you don’t have the garage space to spare, you can “push” the garage so that the side where the door is now, will line up with the outside wall of the master bedroom. This should create enough room on the other side to create that hallway between the living room and the bathroom.
      Also, if you’re pushing the minimum limits of your city/county building codes, the added width will create about an extra 90 sq. ft. of space.
      Call it a “buffer”, so you don’t get slapped by whatever building authority rules your area.

      • Dean
        May 7, 2015, 3:24 pm

        OOPS – forgot to mention that the extra 90 sq. ft. of floor space would be created by widening the entire structure by the 4 1/2 feet needed to house the part of the new hallway that would connect the other bedroom, the bathroom and the new mechanical room.

    • M
      May 7, 2015, 5:42 pm

      Unless you pull the car out of the garage to let it warm up. Most garages have at least one door from the house to the garage – as did the one I grew up in – and I’m still alive and breathing. IF someone did actually put in all the doors shown, there would have to be some sort of air cleaning/elimination system involved to minimize fume traffic.

    • Marcy
      May 8, 2015, 7:11 am

      I’m with you. Not only is the layout ridiculous, I cannot imagine having a huge space for cars and a small space for humans and animals. Huge garage in the middle of the habitable space? The meta-message: cars are valued more than people.

      • Charmaine
        May 8, 2015, 2:42 pm

        My husband Loooves this house…!!! Me too. Then I’ll see more of him.

  • Michael Crooks
    May 7, 2015, 12:46 pm

    This is horrid.

    • Marcy
      May 8, 2015, 7:12 am

      What he said, times two.

  • alice h
    May 7, 2015, 12:46 pm

    I like this idea but with a workshop space in the middle. You can get amazing garage doors now that have lots of window, plus add some skylights to keep it nice and bright. Just because you build a garage doesn’t mean you actually need to bring a car inside, or you could make a double garage with one section well sealed off for a car and another area for a workshop, or art/craft/dance studio or indoor picnic area or whatever. You could also build a tiny house enclosed by a greenhouse. If I’d had the money I would have built an attached greenhouse/hot tub room on my log place that would have almost doubled the square footage. The hot tub would help heat the greenhouse and add a lot of moisture. The house had a wood furnace that could take a water heating system for the tub.

    • Andy
      May 7, 2015, 1:50 pm

      I love your ideas, particularly the hot tub. I can imagine being surrounded by greenery, in a hot tub, all year round. Very smooth. Hopefully you don’t mind if I try and steal that idea…you know, someday…

    • M
      May 7, 2015, 5:46 pm

      Cool idea Alice. Skylights make any room seem brighter and more expansive. I can now visualize hydroponic all-season gardening in the garage which would help clean the air of any toxicity with the right plants and turn that area into a combo car/plant garden courtyard. A roof with a pitch and plenty of skylights could also lend itself to some catwalk type loft space for the plants or storage or art studio, yada, yada.

  • Andy
    May 7, 2015, 1:46 pm

    This makes me want to chuckle maniacally. To whoever is able to pull this off I just want to preemptively say “well played, sir or madam”. Good luck all.

    • Alex
      May 7, 2015, 2:10 pm

      Lol love it Andy

    • Cahow
      May 7, 2015, 3:28 pm

      Andy: you brought a BIG chuckle to me, today. I adored the “well played, sir or madam” line. šŸ˜€

    • Rich
      May 7, 2015, 9:48 pm

      Andy I agree it would be delicious to get this concept past a zoning board or sub-division snobs.

      But the building & safety code violations evident from this plan are not laughable: 1) No exits except thru the garage 2) bedrooms opening directly into the garage.

      Not clear from this plan but another code requirement would be a floor slab of the garage lower than the adjoining living space and fire-rated partitions and openings.

      These are just a couple reasons why building and safety codes are necessary and should not be ignored.

  • Karen R
    May 7, 2015, 2:22 pm

    My husband’s dream home! Need a bath on each side, tho.

  • Karen R
    May 7, 2015, 2:24 pm

    Since I never enter his garage, there would have to be a veranda or Skywalker joining the two sides.

  • Johnny
    May 7, 2015, 2:57 pm

    This is for those of us who treat our car/truck as one of the family.
    I can kick back in my easy chair and watch the evening news with my 1971 Chevy pickup at my side….I LOVE IT

  • Frank
    May 7, 2015, 3:09 pm

    Why so much area for the vehicle….a house is for living…..not storage….its a house divided by a oversized garage…..if I was showcasing my expensive cars….then this would be the way to build….but in all honesty…..as others mentioned…..it’s an unhealthy eye sore….we are supposed to be moving towards less area with more functionality

    • Dean
      May 7, 2015, 3:30 pm

      Remember Frank, this is TINY House Talk. The garage is likely a standard 2 car garage.

      • Frank
        May 7, 2015, 5:20 pm

        from the drawing….it appears likely that 4 to 5 cars can fit in the garage area…..it is also dividing the main area from a sub area…and to make things worse…..on the extreme end of the sub area is the bathroom…..so if I am sleeping in the master bedroom….and have the urge to use the bathroom during the night…..I have to go past the large garage area…..if this is in Florida in the summer time….most garage areas are not air conditioned….I would need two sets of climate control units which would be inefficient…..no matter how small the house is…..so I pass on this one

    • M
      May 7, 2015, 5:50 pm

      Which is why I opt for ‘rejoining’ the two house portions in an L shape and still realize the potentials for the garage.

      • Dean
        May 7, 2015, 6:49 pm

        Sorry Frank, I minimized the garage space in my mind. I see what you’re getting at now. Yes, that is quite large.
        I did offer a solution farther up the page, in response to AVD’s comments about CO poisoning and the fact that one has to cut through the garage to go from one part of the house to the other.
        I will repost it here, so its easier for you to find.
        My response read as follows (this was actually a 2 part response. I’ve edited into one for your convenience)….

        “AVD ā€“ Ask yourself how many houses have been built in the past 50-60 years with connecting garages.
        Same situation as you see here.
        However, I too am concerned about the impracticality of having to pass through the garage every time I want to use the bathroom.
        My solution for that inconvenience is (looking at the floor plan seen in the article) to place the garage door on the other side and build a hallway between the living room and the bathroom.
        The new hallway would then turn and run parallel with the bedroom and bathroom.
        The existing hallway that connects the bathroom with the other bedroom can then be walled off and it will become a sort of ‘mechanical room’, housing the laundry facilities, water heater and breaker panel for the house (oil/gas central heater for the house too, if you wish).
        Of course, this means walling off half the garage by about 4 1/2 feet, however this should make the house more practical and eliminate the need to walk through the garage.
        If you donā€™t have the garage space to spare, you can ‘push’ the garage so that the side where the door is now, will line up with the outside wall of the master bedroom. This should create enough room on the other side to create that hallway between the living room and the bathroom.
        Also, if youā€™re pushing the minimum limits of your city/county building codes, the added width will create about an extra 90 sq. ft. of space.
        This extra space would be created by widening the entire structure by the 4 1/2 feet needed to house the part of the new hallway that would connect the other bedroom, the bathroom and the new mechanical room.
        Call it a ‘buffer’, so you donā€™t get slapped by whatever building authority rules your area.”

  • Sparrow
    May 7, 2015, 3:17 pm

    So….say you’re sleeping in the Master Bedroom and you have to go potty. Guess what! You have to go THROUGH THE GARAGE to reach the bathroom.

    No thanks!

    • Frank
      May 7, 2015, 9:23 pm

      The only solution for this problem…..is to make this a two story structure…..garage on the bottom….and the rest on top…and switching the master bedroom area with the bathroom to keep the amount of piping close….and the lower level garage area can be divided into two parts….the garage for two cars…..and a large entertainment area with a guest bathroom and small kitchenette area to serve meals and drinks…..this would provide a smaller foot print and maximize the livable area….would do you think Dean

      • Marcy
        May 8, 2015, 7:23 am

        Frank, you solved the problem. And also turned this in to a whole different home. Everything about how one might envision a life here is different. It makes me think of home/business structures of the olden days – business on the bottom, home on top. Maybe I wouldn’t have such an issue with this if it wasn’t a huge garage – if this ground floor space is where someone works and creates, not just houses their transportation that takes them away from the home.

  • Daryl B
    May 7, 2015, 3:19 pm

    This is a fantastic idea! A glass partition could be put between the sitting room and the garage to make your car piece art.

  • Kate
    May 7, 2015, 3:27 pm

    Guess no one will be going to bed and wondering if the garage had been closed. lol I agree that the space could be used for anything. That would be great for large group visiting. Have a huge screen door across with something behind to catch the winds and save on a/c. I would be having to stay in the guest room to have handy access to the bathroom however…I know, just build another bath off the master. I do like this idea where a small part of the house is available for the everyday routine and flex room for entertaining a few times a month.

  • Abby Jensen
    May 7, 2015, 3:33 pm

    For those interested, this is a more practical design with a large garage:
    http://www.houseplans.com/plan/881-square-feet-2-bedrooms-1-bathroom-farm-house-plans-3-garage-20854

    I would use the two car garage as a workshop and the far garage bay as a place for a car.

    • Alex
      May 7, 2015, 5:25 pm

      Thanks Abby, that’s a really nice and practical design

    • Dean
      May 8, 2015, 11:06 am

      But isn’t the idea to get around some zoning laws, by making the garage part of the living space?
      This way you register the structure as a garage, but it’s actually your house.
      Its like the old TV show “Vegas”, where Dan Tanna lived in the garage he kept his car in.

  • Nolan
    May 7, 2015, 3:41 pm

    I’m a car guy and I love having a large space to work on my car and various projects but even for me this is kind of rediculus. I mean, who wants to have to walk across the garage from your bedroom to use the bathroom? Plus you’d pretty much have to heat the entire garage space all the time. Pull your car out in the winter and there goes all your heat. Having a single entry door and having to go through the garage isn’t very safe or legal either. The only way this type of design could work would be if you had a collection of really really nice cars, motorcycles or whatever that you wanted to live with and stare at all the time and rarely use. Large garages and shops are great but keep all the living space together so you don’t have to go through the garage as a hallway and you don’t need to heat it when you aren’t using it.

  • alice h
    May 7, 2015, 3:45 pm
  • Rue
    May 7, 2015, 4:11 pm

    I assume the purpose of this floor plan is to meet minimum square footage requirements, but sticking a garage in the middle of the house – with its attendant vehicle fumes and various fluids – doesn’t seem like an attractive solution (unless the garage space is never actually used as a garage).

    Instead, why not put the living space above the garage?

    Awhile back, the Bungalow Company had plans available for 2-car garages with living quarters – essentially, tiny homes – above the garage space. Seems like a much more practical solution.

    • Marcy
      May 8, 2015, 7:28 am

      Or if meeting minimum square footage, just make the living space bigger? Having a larger space that is LESS livable doesn’t make any sense.

    • Dean
      May 8, 2015, 5:56 pm

      Rue – That’s style of structure is called a “Mother-in-law”.
      Its fine if you wanna deal with a lot of stairs, but as one gets older, stairs make less and less sense.
      I think the idea here is not to have a living area around the garage, but rather, to actually live inside the garage.
      It makes more sense if you look at the floor plan in the article and mentally remove the wall and doors that segregate the master bedroom, the kitchen and the living room from the area where the car is parked.
      Now you have one large room that just happens to also be where you park your car.
      Like I said before, if you remember the TV show “Vegas”, its kinda like Dan Tanna’s house, where he pulls the car inside the place and he’s instantly in his living room.

  • jimmy bee
    May 7, 2015, 11:02 pm

    Face it the car will not be in the garage once someone moves in. it is the American way to fill up the garage until the car can’t fit. i’m not walking all the way across the garage to the toilet. The bedrooms are too small and no closets. This person only worships their car who made this one.

  • Merryl
    May 8, 2015, 7:29 am

    Well, I give someone credit for “thinking outside the box”. Aside from that, I don’t like anything about it. Surprising how many of you do. Just because homes have been built with attached garages for decades, does not mean they are healthy. What a waste of space. Tiny house kitchen with no window, one non-central bath. Hopefully regulations will evolve so e don’t need to distort practicality like this. We can do better.

  • LC
    May 8, 2015, 10:51 pm

    Here’s some great news…… The municipality where I live just removed the minimum square foot rule! Long way to go, but it’s a start.

  • Hugh
    May 9, 2015, 1:42 pm

    Reposting my thoughts from the Facebook post…

    For all the nay-sayers…
    Have any of you thought that we’re heading into the age of the electric car, thus no fumes. The roof area is greatly increased over the typical 120 or so sq ft tiny house on wheels allowing the placement of solar panels for electrical generation… probably more than needed thus another source of income. And yes there are a few of us old dinosaurs around that love our vehicles. Several folks mentioned bicycles, crafts, woodworking… the list is endless. Not everyone wants to give up their life’s interests just to find an alternate location to do what they love. Yes the plan need some refining as its scattered but it’s an idea that just might draw some out of their McMansions to a more logical alternative. End of rant, step down off the soapbox and place it in the garage amongst my collection of Mini Coopers

  • Dean
    May 9, 2015, 3:14 pm

    Thank you, Hugh.
    I think most of us who’ve commented didn’t think about the electric car aspect.
    I include myself with those people.
    While maybe not the most practical form of transportation (yet), but for a HYBRID owner, this now makes a lot of sense.
    I would prefer the space without the wall that sections the rooms from the “garage” (with exception to the bedrooms and the bathroom) and I think the “hallway” seen on the right would be better used as the “mechanical room” I aluded to in an earlier post.
    Also, incorporate all the rooms INTO the space (as opposed to the master bedroom, which appears as a “tacked on” room).
    Once you get there, I think you’ll have a winner.
    Without your foresight, an idea such as this would’ve never occurred to me, so thank you for sharing with us, your ability to see what others don’t.

  • Robert Olson
    May 10, 2015, 11:37 am

    Even with electric cars, lots of lawn chemicals etc get stored in a garage that should not be connected to living quarters. I like to study environmental health, and going 100% green means a detached garage.

    Right now I have a two car attached garage. knowing what I know now, I wish it were detached.

    • Hugh
      May 10, 2015, 11:53 am

      That means there are a lot of folks living in a potentially dangerous situation which in a perfect world our government health/housing agencies should have noticed and warned of the problem and made it right… Oh wait there simply self serving bureaucracies paid for by you and I… sad isn’t it.

      • Robert Olson
        May 10, 2015, 7:35 pm

        Some people are living in unhealthy situations with attached garages. Depends on what they are storing in their garage.

        For 52 years my parents collected various chemicals on shelves in the garage which covered an entire wall. Weed killers, solvents, fertilizers, you name it. These all off-gas and were connected to the house. I found a 40 year old can of motor oil from the days when you open them with a sharp punch. It had never been opened, but was dead empty. Yes it evaporated from a sealed can.

        The garage smelled like a chemical factory.

        People inhale between 3000 and 6000 gallons of air each day depending on size and physical activity. What we inhale mixes with the blood and goes to every cell and organ. If its in the air, its now in you and me.

        One of the most devastating things in life is to receive a cancer diagnosis. I would strongly urge folks to clear out products like this from attached garages, and those looking at building or buying a home give serious consideration to a detached garage.

  • Tom Luong
    May 10, 2015, 8:37 pm

    I think this tiny home plan is perfect for the car lovers! Brilliant idea and a new creative way to live small but have a huge garage. Thanks for sharing the idea. I think in about 2o years I will build a home just like this one. Thanks much.

  • Hugh
    May 10, 2015, 8:55 pm

    Robert what you’re saying sounds like good advice. I remember my parents garage… lots of different yard along with automotive products. Interesting your comments about breathing in what’s in the air as I work at a Home Depot and have never liked spending any time in the fertilizer aisle. Are there any websites where I might learn more?

    • Robert Olson
      May 10, 2015, 10:56 pm

      Hi Hugh, Thanks for your reply.

      Yes there are websites about this subject. I have been studying this issue for so long I don’t have a specific website recommendation. My best recommendation is researching each product of concern individually. Most of my research has been in personal products like perfume, air fresheners and fabric softeners, etc. but it has also crossed over into automotive, and building products.

      Knowing what I know now I would not buy a brand new car, But rather wait until its 3 years old or older.

      I understand what you are saying about the fertilizer isle at Home Depot. It can be a little hard on the lungs. So I can’t imagine stacking a few bags of fertilizer in the garage and living in a connecting bedroom.

      By the way, I care for my aging mother who now has dementia. While I have no proof of what caused her dementia, I sometimes wonder if all those nasty chemicals I cleared out of her garage and laundry room cabinets had anything to do with it. 50 years of living with that couldn’t be good for anyone.

  • debbie
    May 11, 2015, 2:13 pm

    I don’t get it. no closets, wasted space with the hall, vanity in bath room, what size are the rooms, what does this look like outside

  • Bridget from Cali
    May 20, 2015, 3:09 am

    Always great to see a two car garage in small house design, but I agree with all the folks who said the garage ought to be switched with the second bed and bath area so that it sits at the back of the house instead in the center. Even if I had a high profile Tesla, I would not want to pass by it every time I had to go to the loo or to the kitchen! I would also wanna flip the bath and the second bedroom too, so the bath is between the two bedrooms. I’m also old school when it comes to storage. I like closets in all rooms as well as an extra large pantry. I would rather save on gas and number of trips to stores, by buying in bulk and when things go on sale. Those super size TP packages take up a lot of space as do those big bags of pantry staples. How about a place to tuck seasonal clothes for those people that live in places that actually have 4 seasons (or for those of us who can easily drive to these different locales with weather extremes)? What about folks who have all kinds of sports equipment? Or, who love to cook and bake like myself? Take a page out of famous chef Julia Child who crammed a lot of cluck for her buck in her highly efficient small space!

    • Dean
      May 20, 2015, 6:13 pm

      Bridget – maybe the way to look at this is a “proof of concept”, of sorts. As another poster mentioned, this would be an interesting approach to someone who’s hobby was automobiles. Thus, the house is used to showcase that hobby.
      You seem more of a cook/baker, so in your version of this type of place, the garage would be replaced by a kitchen/pantry area.
      See what I’m getting at?
      It may not be the most practical of concepts, taken literally, but if you look at it more as a “pattern” for which you can use to create your dream home, this floorplan suddenly becomes much more useful.

      • Bridget from Cali
        May 21, 2015, 6:00 pm

        Dean: I am certainly a proponent of adapting untraditional spaces for home living, but when it comes to creating something from scratch this design is a bit off base. Besides, someone here already made a valid point about temperature control in such a fractured layout. How about sound separation as well as air pollution?
        Now, I’m sure such a floor plan appeals chiefly to men who would love to sleep next to their ride. In fact, it makes me think of the million dollar home in Beverly Hills that has an elevator to bring one of the tech billionaire’s sexy muscle cars up into the living area and rotate like a modern day showroom. You’re right that a car will never have that sort of elevated status with me.
        Of course, I am interested in ways to circumvent building codes that restrict smaller builds and that includes designs that create a home and garage combo. I simply believe the home shouldn’t be chopped up with a garage.
        As to my other statements about storage, a lot of houses don’t have clever storage for practical every day things that ordinary people actually use. Unfortunately, it tends to be even worse in micro living. One big pet peeve is the addition of interior barn doors. They can look very handsome (and are on trend), but pocket doors are infinitely smarter in small spaces and allow you a chance to add storage. Another major annoyance (unless it is an en suite) is having to walk through a bedroom to get to the only bathroom. These are just my personal rants, but others here agree about the importance of having a pantry.

      • Dean
        May 21, 2015, 10:46 pm

        Bridget – So what you’re saying is this exercise would come off a lot better, if one were to plan it, initially, as a 4 or 5 bay garage, then keep a couple of bays for the cars, and wall off the rest of the space and build that as the home….correct?

  • Sue.G.
    May 20, 2015, 3:22 am

    Why not just make the garage partially underground, and build the tiny house as a 2nd story? Putting the garage below ground would insulate it, and prevent the need for as much outside wall finishing. You could also use part of the garage for a water cachement system, water heater, composting toilet cleanout, etc. Part of the garage roof could even serve as a deck.

  • July 5, 2017, 8:33 pm

    Your drawing is getting all kinds of buzz right now since it was picked up by Taras Grescoe. Just thinking there should be credit where credit is due!

    http://www.businessinsider.de/diagram-inefficient-city-roads-2017-6?r=US&IR=T&utm_content=bufferc60fe&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin.com&utm_campaign=buffer

  • James
    July 19, 2017, 10:28 am

    You know, this won’t work for most places because minimum requirements for building is livable space, which garages aren’t unless you plan to heat/vent the whole thing LOL!

  • Antonio Santos
    September 25, 2017, 4:49 pm

    Dear TH,
    Wonder if someone would help with a floor plan on a tiny house pyramid form? I’m searching forever on the internet and so far haven’t see N thing like it? Realy, appreciate!!
    Warm regards, Antonio Santos

  • Kay
    September 26, 2017, 5:11 am

    I love the idea of a central large space, just not as a garage. I’d probably “sell” the whole thing to the building dept as a detached garage. I’d move the rooms around on the left so that there is no “dining room” but rather a master bedroom with an attached bathroom. Then the kitchen, and the living room would become a movie watching room with a wired streaming device off the Internet and in the “garage” at that location would be the Internet connection. Then instead of a second bedroom on the right side, I’d create a private meditation place with its own spa bathroom. I’d put in lots of skylights in the open space. I’d put in a large walk-in soaking tub in the bathroom as that is good for creativity. Then I’d use the central space as a large workshop/studio/dance/workout room/gathering room. In my implementation, the large central area would be a yurt. There is something very magical about having a circular space.

    I love how much creativity this brought up for me. Thanks for the idea of a large central space. I could put garage doors on both the front and the back to make it into a breeze way on hot days. Lots to think about.

    • Alex
      September 26, 2017, 6:15 am

      Love this Kay, glad we were able to help spark those cool ideas you shared w/ us šŸ™‚

  • Erin
    September 26, 2017, 9:17 am

    RN here. Worrying about gas fumes in the house, toxic! Electric cars would be ok. Also, this requires the garage to be insulated, heated and cooled, so some increased costs. LOVE the idea of extra storage. As a homeowner in an area of mostly empty lots, I worry about people building tiny homes near me. One home near me has just kept adding 10 x 12 sheds hodgepodge over the property. Looks terrible and decreases my property values. We rolled retirement $ into our dream. We don’t need to make a profit but we do need to not have our investment ruined. There are codes to protect others. I don’t think people realize just how tiny tiny is until they have to live in it over time.

  • Dianne
    September 26, 2017, 6:39 pm

    Not my cup of tea. Obviously everybody’s garage is not like my garage ,I don’t just park the car in there, I have lots of things stored… it’s kind of dirty and that’s where I do woodworking ,painting and it’s where I keep the lawn mower. I would not want to walk through all that especially at night trying to get to the bathroom and the hallway section seems just like wasted space . Also I would have a bathroom in the master bedroom.

  • Ken R.
    October 16, 2017, 2:17 am

    Wow, Even a quickly drawn plan intended to provoke thought could have been so much better.

  • Linda
    December 3, 2017, 10:36 pm

    Needs a bathroom with the Master bedroom in my opinion.

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