The next session of Tiny Transition and Downsizing, the 8-week e-course, begins on March 1st, 2015. You can register for the class and see all the details here!

Tiny Transition + Downsizing is the 8-week course that fundamentally changes your relationship with stuff and helps you de-clutter, downsize, and clear out your home and mind, in a step-by-step zero-overwhelm environment. Registration is open for the session beginning on March 1st. Preparing to transition into a tiny home, RV, trailer or cabin? Just want to clear your space and get some sanity in your current home? This is for you.

8 Week Downsizing Course with Mariah

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Have you ever thought, “I’d like to scale down my life, live simpler, smaller”? Or maybe you have some rural land where you relax on weekends and holidays. And it wouldn’t hurt if you helped the environment as a bonus, right? Well, check out the Containers of Hope affordable housing unit, designed by architect Benjamin Garcia Saxe.

It’s hard to believe the house was constructed from two 40-foot shipping containers, connected side-by-side, split by a “hallway” with a raised ceiling. This clean and open design, along with the brightness of the home’s many windows, creates an impression of spaciousness in the small, but incredibly functional home.

Affordable? Absolutely! The original house was built in 2011 for only $40,000! You will be amazed at how functional this small “green” home can be! Please enjoy and re-share below. Thank you.

Containers of Hope Affordable Housing

Images © Andres Garcia Lachner

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The Halo Home located in Göteborg, Sweden was built by a team of students for entry in the Solar Decathlon China. Halo is named after the shining circle around the sun. This little home is completely sustainable and powered by the sun. Pretty cool, right?

The core is the heart of the home and contains the kitchen, bathroom and technical room, which features a compact air handling unit with up to 95% heat recovery. The small home also comes equipped with four sleeping platforms and a semi-enclosed deck, that includes thermally treated wood. There’s also a dining room that was designed to combine both natural daylight and energy efficient LED lighting.

Students rotate in and out of the Halo Home four at a time and share the small space so that they can learn sustainable habits from one another, which will be brought to their next home, making it even better than before. Please enjoy and re-share below. Thanks.

Solar Powered Halo Home Built by Students

Images © Halo Team Sweden

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Situated on a beautiful lake in Kalvsvik, Sweden this beautiful lakeside cottage was built in 1934 and renovated in 2008. The gorgeous 538 Sq. Ft. cottage features an open kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, bed loft and a large patio. The kitchen is open and airy and is connected directly with the living room so that you can cook and converse with your guests at the same time. The interior is stark white making it feel fresh, open and airy. The door in the living room opens up to a large outside patio with amazing views of the lake, perfect for entertaining.

The cottage’s master bedroom features an open wall that will allow you to feel as though you’re bringing the outside in; the bathroom features a space saving shower that has two swinging leaves that you pull out to form a shower enclosure when needed and can close for additional space when not in use. All in all, the cottage is a masterpiece!

538 Sq. Ft. Cottage in Sweden

Images © Sotheby’s

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Close your eyes and imagine living on the beautiful coastline of Pescara, Italy. Hearing the waves, smelling the salt water day after day. Now imagine that the house that you’re living in is a tiny beach house perched up high on stilts above the sand. Sound like a dream? Think again!

The amazingly built Trabocco beach house designed by studio zero85, is a simple 4.5 meter space which doubles as a living room /bedroom combo and also comes equipped with a kitchen in the back of the beautifully laid out floor plan.   The inside of this beach house is beautifully designed however, the best feature of this tiny house is the exquisite timber wrap-around deck, which provides additional living and entertaining space.  Set up a patio table, chairs and umbrella and you’ve got yourself a perfect space to enjoy with your friends and family.

The ocean view alone is enough to sweep you away into a dreamland, but imagining yourself sitting on that perched deck with your favorite glass of vino (or other beverage) in your hand is enough to get you giddy with joy. We applaud studio zero85 for the stellar work they’ve done on this beautiful tiny beach home.

Little Stilt Beach House in Italy

Images © Sergio Camplone/StudioZero85

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Chris Page’s tiny house on wheels is based on the Minim design by Brian Levy, of Minim Homes. And thanks to Kai Rostcheck of I Love Tiny Houses, you’ll even get a video tour and interview with Chris (below).

Inside this cabin there’s about 11′ of width and about 22′ of length. Not bad for a tiny house on a trailer, right? I believe the extra width makes this tiny house technically a park model.

There’s a wonderful open kitchen with plenty of space, a dedicated couch with built-in storage, large windows throughout to bring in lots of natural light, and a pull out bed that stows away under the elevated office area of the house. And yes, there’s even a closet for your clothes. Pretty awesome tiny house design, right? I’d love to read your thoughts about it in the comments. Please enjoy and re-share below. Thank you.

Chris Page’s Minim Tiny House on Wheels

Images © Christopher Page

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This tiny LOFTY cottage is a guest post by Pamela Putnam

What a cozy, romantic escape for couples! The LOFTY cottage near St. Ives Bay, Cornwall, United Kingdom, offers a relaxing luxury break in the peace and tranquility of the verdant West Country away from the hubbub of daily life.

Enter through the front door into the bright and open living /dining area, comfortably furnished for curling up with a good book by the fire or enjoying a romantic dinner by candlelight.

The large ground-floor bedroom has a king-sized bed made with luxurious linens. The doors off the bedroom lead into the private sunny garden, which welcomes the outside in. It is the perfect spot for some al fresco dining or a coffee with the papers.

You can add extras to enhance your self-catering holiday, including fresh picnics, afternoon teas, seasonal wine selections, beautiful fresh flowers, selective caterers, and so much more.

Cozy and Romantic LOFTY Stone Cottage

Images © Unique Home Stays

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Tiny homes often face challenges related to codes and zoning, but some are conventionally permitted and totally legal. Alex and Allison built their striking, modern 320-square foot home legally as an “accessory dwelling,” a type of small house that shares a lot with a larger, primary dwelling. But in their unique case, they bought an empty lot, applied for permits to build a primary and accessory home, and then built the accessory first.

They’re in the process of building a larger (but still modest) primary home, but meanwhile, they’ve been happily living full-time in their accessory dwelling in the quirky and cool small town of Yellow Springs, Ohio. Both share an interest in sustainable design, and in the ways that small housing can contribute to healthy, livable communities. Their drive to build small came partly so architectural designer Alex could design and build an entire, energy-efficient house. One interior plywood wall separates the public living area from private spaces like the bathroom, and the bedroom that’s lofted above it. Though it’s just “one big room,” the high ceilings make it feel much more spacious than its floor plan would suggest.

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Couple Sharing 320 Sq. Ft. Modern Tiny House

Images © Billy Ulmer

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