When HGTV’s Design Star featured Tumbleweed Tiny Houses, it marked a significant moment for the tiny house movement. The episode challenged three finalist contestants to design the interiors of Jay Shafer’s 99 square foot Box Bungalow tiny houses—bringing small-space living to millions of mainstream viewers.
The Challenge: Design a 99 Square Foot Home
Photo courtesy of Tumbleweed Houses
The Design Star contestants worked on the interior design of three Box Bungalow units, each just 99 square feet inside. The tiny houses came equipped with basic kitchen and bathroom infrastructure, leaving the contestants to maximize every inch of the remaining space.
About the Tumbleweed Box Bungalow
The Box Bungalow was one of Jay Shafer’s designs for Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. Unlike the company’s more traditional gabled designs, the Box Bungalow featured:
- 99 square feet of interior living space
- Clean, modern aesthetic with a flat or low-slope roof
- Efficient layout designed for full-time living
- Built on a trailer for mobility
Why This Episode Mattered
This Design Star episode reached an audience of over 3.5 million viewers—many of whom had never heard of tiny houses. It demonstrated several important things:
- Professional validation: Trained interior designers tackled the unique challenges of tiny spaces
- Mainstream interest: A major network dedicated prime-time coverage to tiny living
- Design possibilities: Even in 99 square feet, there are countless ways to create functional, beautiful spaces
The Benefits of Going Smaller
As the episode highlighted, living in a smaller space offers real advantages:
- Fewer bills and lower expenses
- More financial freedom
- Reduced environmental footprint
- Potential for backyard guest houses or rental income
- Housing options for loved ones
Even if not everyone is ready for 99 square feet, the tiny house movement encourages people to reconsider how much space they truly need. Going from 2,000 square feet to 1,200 is still a meaningful change.
Watch the Full Episode
Want to see how the designers transformed these tiny spaces? Check out our full episode overview:
Related: More on Tumbleweed and Jay Shafer
This episode was a turning point in bringing tiny houses to mainstream awareness. What do you think—could you live in 99 square feet? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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Alex
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I think they’ll be surprised that anyone would really want to live full time in one!
Hey Timaree you were right. They seemed really surprised. Two of them weren’t even able to make the designs practical enough to live in!