Small House Bliss

Small house designs with big impact

Tag Archives: United States


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The Diagon Alley passive house by WorkshopL

Diagon Alley, a small passive house by WorkshopL

This small house in Steamboat Springs, Colorado combines modern design and a cutting-edge super-insulated building envelope with a traditional exterior appearance. As its name suggests, the Diagon Alley house sits just off the lane at the rear of its lot. Designated as an accessory unit under Steamboat Springs’ zoning bylaws, there will eventually be a second house built at the front of the lot. The Diagon Alley house was designed by architect Erik Lobeck of WorkshopL, a Colorado firm focused on ultra energy-efficient design and construction.

The house has a simple gable-roofed building form. It is clad in an attractive combination of reclaimed boards and metal siding. Besides the aesthetic appeal, the metal also serves a functional purpose. Skirting the bottom of the house, it protects the wall from the splashback of roof run-off hitting the ground.

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A tropical island escape in the city

An island-style cottage in Seattle

This colorful cottage looks like it might be on one of the Caribbean islands, but it actually sits in the middle of north central Seattle, Washington. Using wide board paneling, buckets of paint and a lot of imagination, someone transformed this small dwelling into their own tropical paradise. It is complete with a thatched tiki-style shelter in the yard for enjoying a rum punch in the shade.

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The Hailey Residence, a small modern house by Richard Neutra

The Hailey Residence, a small modern house by Richard Neutra

This small house in the Hollywood Hills was designed in 1959 by legendary modernist architect Richard Neutra. The home has either been very well maintained through the years or lovingly restored, appearing like a time capsule from the 50′s. It contains signature Neutra elements such as a wall of glass, low-slung built-in furniture and a large open masonry fireplace. Neutra had a reputation for paying close attention to his clients’ requirements and for producing very practical designs that combined aesthetic appeal with function and comfort.

The street side, sitting only a few steps from the roadway, is mostly closed with just a window for the kitchen and a line of clerestory windows that bring natural light into the home’s two bathrooms. The other side, with a view of the Hollywood Hills, is largely glass with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall running the entire length of the main living space. A large roof overhang provides shade for those south-facing windows. A similar roof cantilever at the front forms an open carport just off the street.

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River Road House, a beautiful timber frame dwelling by Nir Pearlson

River Road timber frame, a sustainable small house by Nir Pearlson

© Michael Dean Photography

River Road house is a small timber frame dwelling in Oregon designed by Nir Pearlson, Architect Inc., a small firm with an interest in green design. They were asked to create a comfortable and energy-efficient home built from sustainable materials. The clients, a couple nearing retirement, also wanted a home that would work for them as they aged, hence the decision to build a single-story house.

With an efficient layout that maximizes views between spaces, the small house feels deceptively large. In reality it is only 800 ft2 (74.3 m2), and that includes two good-sized bedrooms. Vaulted ceilings contribute to the perception of space and openness.

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AnnaMarie’s Cottage

AnnaMarie's Cottage

Reader Steve Vandewalle has sent us photos of the small cottage he built for his wife. He was able to take a lot that was considered “unbuildable” and carve out a building area just big enough for a compact one-bedroom home…chalk up another advantage for small houses! Steve is a real craftsman; the fireplace, the kitchen cabinets and a couple of light fixtures were all hand-built by him. We’ll let Steve tell you more……

AnnaMarie’s Cottage

After rebuilding two older homes, the idea of building from the ground up was very appealing. We bought the land at the end of our street and I set out to design and build MY idea of the perfect cabin. Building the cabin was such a positive experience that when the lot across the street from our home became available we bought it—cheap, because it was “unbuildable”—too small to install a septic system and the required 100% reserve area. But, the view was awesome. We had to tear out and move a driveway, re-arrange things, and ultimately ended up with a 20′ x 20′ building site.

The structure had to comply with ‘green building’ standards, wildland fire resistive construction standards, seismic, wind, snow load, and slope challenges too. Toughest standard of all—the entire design had to be my wife AnnaMarie’s idea of the perfect cottage.

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A modern farmhouse by FAB Architecture

A small modern farmhouse by FAB Architecture

To kick things off in 2013 we have this small modern farmhouse in Austin, Texas. With three bedrooms in a fairly compact floor plan of 1,531 ft2 (142 m2), this is a small house suitable for a family. It is located in Austin’s Agave neighborhood, a subdivision development of moderately-priced modern houses.

Austin firm FAB Architecture designed the house with the simple lines and utilitarian detailing of an agrarian homestead. The house is long and narrow, essentially a one room wide layout with a saddlebag bumpout to one side for the stairwell. The narrow plan is an advantage in Austin’s climate. Having windows on at least two sides of the major rooms allows for effective natural cross-ventilation. The straightforward plan and simple roof form should also be economical to build.

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The Wedge, a small cabin by WheelHaus

The WheelHaus Wedge cabin

The Wedge is a small transportable cabin designed and built by WheelHaus. It is a park model trailer, built on a trailer chassis and registered as a recreational vehicle (RV). A park model trailer is typically used as a vacation cottage or small retirement home, but would also make an affordable home for a young single person or couple. Although they can be moved occasionally, park models are primarily designed to be left in one location and hooked up to utility services there. Because they are legally registered as RV’s, they can be placed in RV parks and mobile home parks. Park models in the United States are restricted by federal regulations to a maximum of 400 ft2 (37 m 2).

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The E.D.G.E., a small prefab house by Revelations Architects/Builders

The E.D.G.E., a small prefab house by Revelations Architects/Builders

Following the 2006 housing market crash in the United States, Revelations Architects/Builders set out to design a small house alternative to the bloated McMansion that had become so prevalent there. They aimed to distill housing down to the basics of providing space for eating, sleeping, bathing and socializing, while making efficient use of resources.

The result was the E.D.G.E. (Experimental Dwelling for a Greener Environment). It consists of two modules containing the service areas of the house, with the kitchen in one and the bathroom in the other. The modules are intended to be prefabricated, ensuring that the plumbing, mechanical and cabinetry work is done in a controlled setting. Once those modules have been put in place, the space between is filled in with walls of glass to enclose the living/dining area. The whole structure is covered by a butterfly roof (one that slopes towards the center), facilitating rain-water collection. Utilities are housed in a small bump-out at one end of the house.

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