Hefty 224 Sq. Ft. Little House Doesn't Feel Tiny at All

Be they salvaged trailers, gypsy-style caravans, modernist or Japanese inspired, we've seen a real diversity coming into the once quaint world of tiny homes. Built by tiny housers Shelley and Joshua, here is one 224-square-foot tiny abode that looks almost like a regular-sized house, thanks to a few decisions that they made before starting: like keeping a regular-sized fridge, having a generous countertop, and installing a lovely floating stair instead of a ladder.

Being enthusiastic campers who love to throw a good party, Shelley and Joshua of Tiny House Basics decided to simplify their lives and began planning their new small home back in June 2014. But they had a few things they would not part with: a full-size fridge, decent closet space, and enough space to entertain. With the help of friends and family and the crew of Tiny House Nation, they were able to construct their home in a lightning-fast seven days.

The couple's 32-foot by 8.5-foot home is built on a custom-made 28-foot by 8.5-foot extra-wide trailer. Since it was built in Washington state, it comes with electric brakes on both axles, a good idea for a hefty little house such as this. The lofts on both sides cantilever out 24 inches. The home runs on solar, and is heated with an "Unforgettable Fire" Kimberly stove.

The living room features a large love seat that they found on Craigslist, which looks like it can double as a guest bed, and sits right in front of the entry door. A narrow coffee table from IKEA doesn't take up too much space, but can be easily moved out of the way.

There's a lot of shelving in the kitchen to store the couple's plates, cups, and liquor for their cocktail parties. There's a full-size, four-burner stove.

Another great idea is the grand "eating bar" area, which is paired with a large window opening, with 8-foot by 3-foot accordion-style bi-fold windows that open out to the patio.

The bedroom loft looks much larger than other lofts we've seen and has carpet tiles to make it more comfortable. One clever trick was executed here to give more headroom: the king-size mattress is actually sunken into the floor! A secondary loft on the other side of the house serves as the closet and dressing room.

The bathroom is also pretty big and holds a regular-sized, washer-dryer combo machine and a shower that looks positively enormous compared to other tiny house showers we've seen.

As for the land, Shelley and Joshua just moved to a new, rented spot in Northern California. They had this to say about how they found a better site:

When searching for land for our Tiny House we desired to use our skills to be caretakers for the land in lieu of or in addition to rent depending on the setup. When searching for the land we designed postcards to share information about us and what skills we have to offer. All that effort we put forth has landed upon our absolute dream setup. We have amazing landowners and we have an incredible property to live on. In addition to taking care of some of the landscaping and weed control, My mechanic skills have been useful here also maintaining the tractor and ATV.

Shelley and Joshua's tiny house journey shows that not all tiny homes have to be minuscule and that downsizing can be a comfortable process rather than one of self-deprivation. Thanks to their insistence on keeping a few things regular-sized, this tiny home feels larger and spacious than most and is perfectly set up for relaxing parties. The couple is aiming to offer plans of their tiny house online soon; in the meantime, they are also working as representatives for three trailer manufacturing companies and can be contacted by anyone who's interested in finding a custom trailer for a tiny home.