Eco-Design Tiny Homes Top 10 Tiny Homes of the Decade From a futuristic pod and a romantic treehouse to a stunning RV and a duo with a sunroom, these creative tiny homes were our most popular over the decade. By Melissa Breyer Melissa Breyer Twitter Editorial Director Hunter College F.I.T., State University of New York Cornell University Melissa Breyer is Treehugger’s editorial director. She is a sustainability expert and author whose work has been published by the New York Times and National Geographic, among others. Learn about our editorial process Updated December 23, 2019 Share Twitter Pinterest Email Escape / Canoe Bay (Top L), Politaire / André Boettcher (Top R), Herrle Custom Carpentry (Bottom L), and Craig Williams / VIVA Collectiv (Bottom R) Eco-Design Tiny Homes Architecture Interior Design Green Design Urban Design It has been a decade of many things, not the least of which has been the tiny home. Whether because of unaffordable housing, the desire to downsize and simplify, or the general call of freedom, this was the decade that anti-McMansions went big, figuratively speaking. We have covered loads of tiny homes over the last decade; among those, the following were the most popular, starting with number 10. 10. College Students Keep Nature in Mind Politaire / André Boettcher Two undergrads hatched an innovative plan to build a super eco-friendly cabin in the woods of Finland; the result is a marvelous minimalist cabin of 280-square-foot, in which respect for nature was taken into consideration with every decision. Read the story HERE. 9. Alaskan Mom Gives Her House's Plans for Free Alaskan blogger, stay-at-home mom and self-taught carpenter Ana White, who's best known for her DIY blog that offers free plans for building furniture, created this lovely tiny home in a remote part of Alaska. Read the story HERE. 8. Little House Has Closet Space and Room for Guests Enthusiastic campers who love to throw a good party, this couple decided to simplify their lives and build a home with a full-size fridge, decent closet space, and enough space to entertain. Read the story HERE. 7. Sustainable Ecocapsule Can Go Off-Grid Bratislava-based Nice Architects introduced the very nice and very boat-like Ecocapsule, "a low-energy house packed into a compact form. It merges an energy efficient shape, compact volume and off-grid capabilities with the luxuries of a warm bed, running water and a hot meal." We keep dreaming of all the place this portable pod could go. Read the story HERE. 6. 221 Square Feet, but No Concessions Needed Tiny House Build One of the owners of our 6th most popular tiny home said this of her petite chateau: "To our surprise we have not felt, at any point, that we have had to make any compromises or sacrifices in our self-designed and -built home. Not once have we felt that our space was too small, that our needs weren’t luxuriously met, or that we didn’t have enough space to run our home business, entertain, cook, bathe, watch movies, play guitar, wrestle with our dog, or store our clothes and belongings." Read the story HERE. 5. Oregon Tiny Home Influenced by Japanese Design Constructed by builder Chris Heininge, a former Christian missionary, this tiny home was inspired by Heininge's time spent in small but well-designed Japanese dwellings. Among many interesting features, to facilitate transporting the house, the loft's walls and ceiling panels can be folded down, so that structure can fit on a 20-foot flatbed trailer. Read the story HERE. 4. 2 Tiny Houses Connected by a Sunroom Craig Williams / VIVA Collectiv There’s some real magic in the idea of a courtyard house; a house in which the main rooms surround a secret open space. Of course for anyone living tiny, there wouldn’t be enough house to enclose a courtyard – but The Ohana might be the next best thing: Two tiny homes with a spacious sunroom in between. Read the story HERE. 3. RV Looks Like a Charming Cabin in the Woods Escape / Canoe Bay This delightful tiny home was designed by Kelly Davis and tops out at a comfy 400 square feet. Conceived as a high quality cottage and inspired by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the Escape doesn't feel like an RV at all. Read the story HERE. 2. Affordable DIY Homes Built From AirCrete First there was foamcrete, then there was papercrete and hempcrete, and now we've got AirCrete, a foamy mixture of air bubbles and cement that is cheap to make, waterproof, fireproof, and DIY-friendly. While this isn't about one specific tiny home, the dome homes by DomeGaia featured here have proven to be a perennial favorite among our readers. Is it any wonder? Read the story HERE. 1. Forest Home Built in 6 Weeks for $4,000 Herrle Custom Carpentry And our number one tiny home of the decade is this rustic tiny house "built with plenty of love and on a small budget." Bravely plunging into the unknown, David Herrle decided to build the house of his dreams, hoping to lead a more Waldenesque self-sufficient life of simplicity. Best of all, his fiancée also was of the same mind, so Herrle set about building their future home, keeping the footprint small but functional, and using salvaged materials whenever he could. The result is this beautiful treehouse tiny home love nest. Read the story HERE.