Book: ‘From a Dream Home to a Ready-to-Move-In Home’: PLANNING A TINY HOUSE (A Look at Chapter 6)
For many years, Chris & Caro have been talking about townhouses and more on their podcast ‘tinyon’. Now the pair have published their first book. Readers of the NEW-HOUSING website can read regular excerpts from the book.
“PREFABRICATED TINY HOUSES ARE WELL-DESIGNED. YOU’RE SURE TO FIND ONE THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU.”
Here’s what you should keep in mind during the planning process to ensure you’ll feel comfortable in your new home for years to come.
People’s expectations for their favorite place are as varied as the people themselves. On the following pages, you’ll learn more about proven tiny house concepts and where it makes sense to adapt them to your personal needs.
Many tiny house manufacturers have told us that they had a different intention at the start. They envisioned a standardized house model that, fully thought out, could be sold like a new pair of shoes at a fixed price. To be honest, we, too, had this idea at the start of our journey. But the more deeply you engage with the topic of tiny houses—and especially with your own expectations for a primary residence—the clearer the individual demands become that a consciously minimalist lifestyle places on living space.
In a compact living space, it becomes extremely important that every inch is utilized in a way that aligns with the residents’ daily routines and habits. So the fact that an “off-the-shelf” tiny house perfectly meets your individual needs is more a matter of chance than good planning. Manufacturers have now come to realize this as well, so you’ll increasingly find price ranges or at least base prices (which can rise quickly due to customizations) on websites and in brochures for tiny houses. Customizing existing models is therefore often not only possible but is also actively offered by many companies. Nevertheless, you should be clear about the following basic features in advance, as manufacturers can only deviate to a limited extent from their existing models in these areas:
Wheels or no wheels: How mobile should your home be?
One or two stories: How accessible should the house be?
Flexibility of spatial design: Should it be possible to reduce or expand the living space later on?
We often aren’t aware of many of the everyday needs and routines related to our living situation. To gain a clearer picture of them and better understand them, we took a close look at our past living situations to identify the essential requirements our tiny house must meet. This has resulted in the following guide for you. We have marked ideas for using the tiny house with multiple people with “(1+)”.
1. Room Layout
Which rooms in your previous home did you use the most?
Were there areas you rarely entered? Why was that?
Was your previous kitchen functional and comfortable? What aspects bothered you?
What was indispensable to you in the bathroom?
How could you optimize or adapt the use of these rooms in the Tiny House?
Our tips for your tiny house:
Identify the areas you need (e.g., cooking, sleeping, personal hygiene, working, quiet time—but also: gaming, yoga, plants, etc.).
Consider how an open kitchen affects other living spaces (e.g., noise and odors).
Plan for visual and acoustic separation of rooms, especially the bedroom, to create spaces for privacy.
Consider a bathroom design that is both functional and comfortable (e.g., a bathtub-shower combination).
Allow for enough space to move around the room, even when furniture is present.
(1+) Use different levels (e.g., a sleeping loft) to make the space feel larger and create distance.
(1+) Consider a modular design that allows the tiny house to be expanded as needed (e.g., for a children’s room).
2. Privacy
Did you have enough private spaces in your previous apartment? Where did you relax most often and most comfortably?
What situations used to cause tension, and what do you attribute that to?
What kind of room dividers would you like to have in your Tiny House to ensure privacy?
Our suggestions for the Tiny House:
Install a door that clearly separates the room from the rest of the house and provides a place to retreat.
Plan window coverings or curtains for rooms that are visible from the outside to maintain privacy.
(1+) Consider where a visual separation using room dividers or a curtain is sufficient to create both privacy and an open, airy feel.
3. Daily Routines
Which daily routines come easily to you in your current home? Where do you encounter difficulties?
Have you used a specific area for working or relaxing?
How much flexibility did you have in using rooms for different activities? What would you change in the tiny house?
Our suggestions for the tiny house:
Designate fixed spots for items you use regularly.
Opt for furniture with wheels that can be quickly moved as needed to use the space flexibly.
Plan the space so it can be easily reconfigured when necessary, e.g., for additional sleeping arrangements or other temporary uses.
When designing, also consider possible future uses or adjustments to the space.
(1+) Create separate work areas or use coworking spaces so you don’t have to use the tiny house as an office all the time.
(1+) Make sure work and living areas are clearly separated to avoid stress.
[In the book itself, you’ll find more reflection questions and ideas on the following categories]
4. Organization principles and multifunctionality [...]
5. Surfaces and lighting [...]
6. Flexibility in interior design [...]
7. Exterior spaces [...]
These considerations will help you reflect on your past living situations and identify your essential needs. The results of this reflection will not only give you a great overview of your needs, but will also provide the tiny house planner with a solid foundation to build upon professionally and support you as best as possible in the individual planning of your mini-house. [...]
You’ll find out how to meaningfully incorporate your individual needs into the house planning, how to find the right provider for you, and how to make the right decisions regarding foundations and transportation in Chapter 6 of 10. This chapter is contributed by Anika Falke, an experienced product designer who has already overseen over 60 projects in production and planned more than 180 custom homes.
