Scott and Tania’s “Pint-Sized House” | Architrix Design Studio

October 12, 2013

Though looking very much like a restored Edwardian worker’s cottage from the early 1900’s, this small house was actually completed just last year. It is the home of Tania and Scott, a newlywed couple who were offered a building spot for a laneway house in her parent’s backyard. With a floor plan of just 485 ft² (45 m²), they refer to it as their “pint-sized” house.

The small dwelling was designed by Architrix Design Studio and built by Smallworks Studios/Laneway Housing. Although technically a laneway house, it has a street frontage because it is on a corner lot. That makes it feel more like a regular house and allowed them to have more windows on the side than a typical laneway house.

The ground level living space is an open room with the kitchen built along one wall. To make the most use of the small living area, Scott and Tania decided to combine the sitting and dining functions. They commissioned a coffee table that can be raised to dining height and corner banquette seating that is high enough for dining but low enough for comfortable lounging.

The upstairs bedroom is a good size with a bit of room for a chair or two by the patio doors that open to a nice roof-top deck. There is quite a bit of storage with open shelving below the built-in window seat and nightstands. The bathroom is fairly small and the couple opted for a shower stall rather than a bathtub in order to get more closet space.

Learn more about the design decisions and construction process at Tania and Scott’s blog, Pint-Sized House. Hope you have a great weekend!