Tiny houses have risen in popularity for the past few years as housing costs have increased and environmental concerns are more pressing than ever.
A home is considered tiny when its size is within 100-400 square feet. However, downsizing square footage means something other than a downsized lifestyle.
TV shows and YouTube channels like continue to emphasize the popularity and importance of tiny living. And you've probably seen plenty of small house plans across the internet—they have awesome designs and a striking, memorable architectural style.
Tiny house owners have raised kids, settled student loans, and developed an excellent place for retirement, all within small house plans that are paid off and easy to maintain.
This post talks about modernizing the design and decor of these houses to maximize minimal space.
How tiny is a tiny home?
A tiny home is typically between 100 and 400 square feet. Although there's no standard, a tiny home is usually a maximum of 500 square feet.
The average size of a single-family home sold is 2,273 square feet in 2021, according to Census Bureau (US) research.
Want a visual? Up to 144 tiny houses could fit into a standard football field.
Should I buy or build? What is more affordable/is the cost worth it?
When it comes to buying and building a tiny house, it all comes down to you.
The biggest question is this: What do you want to achieve with a tiny house?
When choosing whether to buy or build a tiny house, the first step is to define your goal. Why do you want to move into a tiny house?
Although there are different tiny house pros and cons, one of the possible reasons people move into tiny houses is affordability.
With the challenges of the housing market, many people are looking for alternative ways to own a home. Putting together affordable housing is possible, but expect to take the largest part of the labor.
That's because hiring experts and contractors can make you spend more.
In addition, part of the joy of building a tiny house for owners is knowing they put together the house on their own.
How can I modernize a tiny house?
Tiny space living means you must find creative ways to design and maximize the space.
Here are some tiny house design tips to inspire your home.
Add more lights
One of the simple ways to make a tiny home more modern is to add more lights. Natural lighting can make a home bigger and more beautiful. The more natural light, the more spacious the home feels. (An open floor plan can also improve how well light flows from large windows throughout the house.)
First, avoid blocking the windows with furniture, but highlight them and make the light a part of your space.
You can also install skylights in the house. They make it easy to enjoy the sunshine or stare at the stars at night.
Consider the storage
One of the most exciting parts of owning a tiny home is that you'll be filled with different creative ways to hide and store your properties.
You'll have to examine the available options in the home and see the right places for storage.
For instance, a tiny home with a staircase leading to the loft can help with storage.
Then, turn its bottom into a cabinet or a storage cubby.
Add works of Art to the home
Another modern home design is adding fine arts to the home. Fine arts brighten a home and allow you to mix and match an artistic design to suit your stylish choices.
Many people don't believe in putting fine Art into a home, and those who do, need help knowing where to start.
However, with different pieces of fine Art to choose from, it's easier to decorate the home and give them a fantastic look.
Avoid clutters
When you first pack into a small living space, you may need to know just how small the space will be.
You must spend some time getting rid of the clutters and ensuring they're far away from home. A tiny house will become smaller if there are clutters everywhere to worry about.
Thoroughly check out every item in your home and choose what to keep and what to discard. When you take care of these items, you'll enjoy the benefits of designing a small home.
Bring some outdoor items to the inside
Some of the most successful tiny house designs are those with large outdoor deck spaces. A deck helps expand a tiny home's hosting and living space.
There are many ways to do this. Bring some outdoor plants into the inside to maintain the look. Consider french doors or glass windows as they offer continuity between the outdoors and indoors.
Convert the closet
If your home has a closet, it's time to utilize its full potential. The closet space can accommodate some of your appliances.
The spaces around the wardrobe can accommodate appliances like a vertical washer. While you'll still need the dryer and washer, tucking them away can save some space.
Separate the spaces in zones
Whether the home is 200 or 800 square feet, it's best to divide the spaces by zones.
There are several ways to do this, such as using space dividers, curtains, or artwork.
Segmenting the bedroom from the living spaces creates a routine like in larger homes. It's up to you to decide which levels you'd want to use to keep comfort at bay.
Try a monochrome color scheme
A monochrome color scheme can make a tiny house look clean, cohesive, and less cluttered, regardless of your favorite color.
Monochrome colors are multiple shades of one color that don't compete with other colors, preventing the eye from wandering and deciding which color is more prominent.
Set up multiple levels
Create multiple levels if your tiny home does not have a high ceiling. The lower ceiling above the kitchen can help segment the spaces into functional areas.
You can store food or books near the ceiling, making the space appear bigger. Plus, it reduces the presence of clutters away from the lower area, which makes the personal area look bigger.
Use wall spaces
Instead of congesting the floor space with too much furniture, mount the fans, air conditioning, lights, and TV on the walls or ceiling to save space on the floor.
A helpful hack is to use hinges to put a board on the wall, which works as a table when you fold them down.
Open windows and doors out or sideways
The door must be pushed outside in a tiny home to create more space. This will help prevent knocking over anyone or anything inside.
It's best to install a sliding door in areas like the bathroom.
On the other hand, replace walls and doors with wooden screens or slat room dividers instead of the typical walls. This provides privacy without losing the lights.
Design with plants
Houseplant brings life to homes, making them a nice addition to a tiny space. Mount plants on the wall, hang greenery on the ceiling or use succulents to freshen the air.
Connect to nature
The best tiny home design ideas maximize outdoor living spaces. Designing an all-yard, adding a bigger deck, and stalking windows or skylights are great ways to add nature to a home design's exterior and interior.
Use Bunk Beds for Kids
Bunk beds offer an attractive tiny home design solution for families living the tiny home lifestyle. This bed saves space and adds storage to bunk beds with shelving or drawers. Large families with lots of vertical space should triple up and have three beds to a bunk.
What best way to create an open feel in a tiny house?
Light and neutral tones
While warm, dark colors make the spaces feel intimate and cozy, light colors make the home airy and open.
For maximum effect, choose soft tones of green and blue.
Instead of bold prints or stripes, use solid-colored upholstery for furniture.
Extend wooden floors
Dark wood flooring creates a sense of calm and nature while making visitors feel relaxed. Whether it's the rich darker color or the softer one, both expand the room's appearance.
When joined with the ideal wall cladding or color, wooden floors give the room a tranquil feel and make the space appear bigger.
Use fitted and custom-made furniture
Use the most miniature items for your tiny home to work, from furniture to cladding, cupboards, and saunas.
Or get a custom made that fits the home dimension.
Mini fridges are the perfect luxury for small spaces.
Not only are compact appliances like mini fridges a space saver, but they're also a budget-friendly way to have major appliances fitted into a small space.
This doesn't mean you have to think small when buying appliances; take accurate measurements of your space before shopping. Having compact appliances can save a lot of space.
A wall Decal calendar can help stay organized
It's easy for your desk to run out of space, so choose a wall decal. Place this calendar on the wall and write your notes, events, and reminder.
Decal calendars are available in multiple designs and patterns, such as gold polka dots, chalkboards, etc.
Use every corner
It's essential to utilize every corner of a tiny home. The cramped and smallest space can be a storage area for showers, books, and food items. Use it if the space is suitable for storage and doesn't look cluttered or around a walkway.
Be creative with reflective surfaces like mirror
Hang a big mirror on the wall. Mirrors tend to reflect light, so you can get extra lighting even when it's dark.
In addition, this makes the room look larger, more stylish, and more functional.
Free up more space
The area looks smaller when furniture obstructs views and light into the room. Clear furniture away from the walkway to free up space, and the house will feel bigger.
Taller furniture high up to the ceiling but with smaller space makes the room feel spacious.
Only buy furniture with a small surface area because they cause the space to be cluttered and obstructing. Spaces look bigger when there are spaces on the floor.
How Modern Aspect can help me Find the Right Design for My Tiny Home
Before moving into a tiny home, one of the things that you want to work on is simple ways to modernize the house.
If you're planning to transform your tiny house with the right modern interior design plans, we can help.
Our goal is to help you modernize the design and decor of your tiny home to maximize minimal space.