Tiny House Movement Growing

Down-Sizing America

As a result of the bursting of the housing bubble, subprime mortgage crisis, world recession and growing concern about our national and personal debts, America is downsizing its houses, cars and lifestyles.

The article linked below in this morning's Detroit Free Press documents that the market for tiny houses is thriving amidst the current real estate market shambles.

"It's very un-American in the sense that living small means consuming less," said Jay Shafer, 46, cofounder of the Small House Society, sitting on the porch of his wooden cabin in Graton, Calif. "Living in a small house like this really entails knowing what you need to be happy and getting rid of everything else."

A tiny house on a nice lot may have greater appeal to many than manufactured house trailers or double wides located in trailer parks.

While they're at it, Americans need to downsize themselves. I read recently that the U.S.A. ranks number one in obesity, ahead of Mexico and Argentina. Tiny houses can help if the owners use the extra space in their yards to grow their own healthful food.

Read more:

First Looks Can be Deceiving

• First looks can be deceiving with this Elizabeth Herrmann Micro House
  Commissioned to build an energy-efficient small house in the hills of Vermont, the architect's end result is surprisingly spacious.

"Wanted: A Very Small Lot for an Itty-Bitty House"

• Where Can You Park a Tiny Home? - The New York Times
  As tiny living becomes more popular, tiny-house owners are discovering a not-so-tiny problem: finding a place to put those houses.

Tiny Hotels Catching on in Oregon

• 7 tiny home hotels for test driving micro living - Curbed
  Whether you’re looking to downsize or just take a unique vacation, finding a 400-square-foot or less micro house to try out can been difficult. We've rounded up 7 tiny home hotels so you can see if tiny living is right for you.

5-19-16 Tiny House Project in Detroit

• Tiny home project aims to stabilize neighborhood, house Detroit homeless | MLive.com
  About two blocks on Detroit's northwest side will see around 20 tiny homes go in this year

4-12-16NYTimes "Tiny House Takes Shape in Brooklyn"

• Log In - The New York Times
  "For the last year, Ms. Mercer, 30, has been building a 160-square-foot house in a cavernous warehouse in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Ms. Mercer works at Birchbox, a start-up in Manhattan that sends people personalized beauty samples, and after work a..

This House Costs Just $20,000 But It's Nicer Than Yours

• This House Costs Just $20,000—But It’s Nicer Than Yours | Co.Exist | ideas + impact
  Rural Studio's $20K House has such innovative design that it's changing the entire housing systemfrom mortgages to zoning laws.

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18 Great Ways to Help Your Anxious Dog Relax

‘GONE GIRL’ By Gillian Flynn - Book Review

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"Can Oregon's tiny houses be part of the solution to homelessness?

• Can Oregon's tiny houses be part of the solution to homelessness? | US news | The Guardian
  Since 1950, the American family home has become two and a half times larger, even as fewer people on average are living in them. Is it time to downsize?

12-6-14NYTimes--Battle of Megamansions

• Log In - The New York Times
  "Why are people building houses the size of shopping malls? Because they can. “Why do you see a yacht 500 feet long when you could easily have the same fun in one half the size?” asked Jeffrey Hyland..."

Bloomberg News 7-9-14 Tiny Houses Big With Owners Seeking Economic Freedom

• Tiny Houses Big With U.S. Owners Seeking Economic Freedom - Bloomberg
  

Square Feet: 84. Possessions: 305

• Log In - The New York Times
  "From time to time, Dee Williams does a possession count. The last tally was 305. It included all of her worldly belongings, from her bedroom suite (a mattress and a quilt) to her home entertainment equipment (a laptop) to her jewelry collection..."

2-20-14NYTimes "Small World, Big Idea" by Michael Tortorello

• Log In - The New York Times
  "This scale bothered Mr. Johnson not at all, and, he listed a few favorite design features. “A roof,” he said. “Heat.” A flush toilet! The tents where he had lived for most of the last 7 years hadn’t provided any of provided any of those things."

7-18-13NYTimes "Renzo Piano's Dream of a Tiny House"

• Renzo Piano’s Dream of a Tiny House - NYTimes.com
  The architect unveils a prototype house for Vitra. "When I was a student I dreamed of making a house 7 ft x 7 ft, as a dream of freedom, of self-moderation."

Tiny House Movement

• Living Large in 150 Square Feet: Why the Tiny House Movement Is Taking Off | Alternet
  

6-3-13NYTimes--The Return of McMansions

• The Return of McMansions - NYTimes.com
  Construction of new homes plummeted during the housing bust. But where there has been building of single-family homes in recent years, the homes have been getting bigger.

10-4-12NYTimes--One Shed Fits All: A Modernist Dogtrot

• One Shed Fits All - A Modernist Dogtrot Reborn - NYTimes.com
  An architect lets go, and an elegant little house gets a second chance.

11-29-12NYTimes "Cutting Living Space in Raleigh, NC"

• In Raleigh, N.C., Cutting Living Space to Make Room for Life - NYTimes.com
  In Raleigh, N.C., a family trades 3,200 square feet of wasted space for lower taxes and open views.

6-6-12NYTimes--Japan's Capsule Hotels Come to New York City

• Tiny but Luxurious Hotel Rooms Spring Up in New York - NYTimes.com
  Pod Hotel and Yotel bring offshoots of the Japanese “capsule” hotel to New York, while citizenM makes plans to compete.

1-20-12DeedsDesign.com "Simple Life in a 12x12 House in Northern California"

• Simple Life in a 12′x12′ House in Northern California « deedsdesign
  I enjoyed watching this video of life in a 12′x12′ cabin with no hot water, electricity, internet, and heated by fireplace. In exchange for giving up these modern amenities, the occupants get peace, quiet and a simple life. Not a life for everyone, b

1-11-11Berkeleyside--A City Looks For Big Solutions in Little Houses

• A city looks for big solutions in little very little houses | Berkeleyside
  On Saturday, Mayor Tom Bates will cut the ribbon on a new home on Delaware Street in Berkeley. Its not every day a city leader takes the time to welcome a new dwelling into his fold, and this home is not big, nor particularly special; in fact its p

Tiny House Blogs--Dwell

• Tiny House Blogs in Dwell
  Living small is the new way to live bigwhether within a tighter, more creatively written budget or physically in fewer square feet. In her new book Tiny Houses, Loud Paper Magazine founder and frequent Dwell contributor Mimi Zeiger compiled....

No Roof Network--slot houses

• noroof architects Slot House
  The first move was to cut a slot to allow the tree to be seen from inside. This revealed a cedar frame infilled with handmade brick underneath the sheetrock and vinyl siding. The slot became the spatial idea of the house, and is repeated to extend...

2-24-11NYT--The $200 Microhouse

• The $200 Microhouse in Stoughton, Massachusetts
  For ingenuity, thrift and charm, Mr. Diedricksens tiny structures are hard to beat. Made of scavenged materials, they cost on average less than $200 to build. They often have transparent roofing, which allows a fine view of the treetops, particularl

Small Studio in Berkeley by DeedsDesign.com

• Small Studio House Plans in California Forest | Modern House Designs
  This small studio house plan was a labor of love, and became a sweet retreat for the couple who clearly put their heart and soul into the design. This small California house design is an inspiring studio for architect Sarah Deeds of deedsdesign.com.

Flowers and Vegetables in a Michigan Garden deedsphotos

• Flowers and Vegetables in a Michigan Garden August 2009 deedsphotos
  This has been a good year in Michigan for flower and vegetable gardens, cool and plenty of rain. Perhaps a bit too cool for tomatoes which were late but well worth waiting for. Here are some pictures taken in...

How to Improve Motor Vehicle Fuel Economy and Reduce Emissions

• How to Improve Motor Vehicle Fuel Economy and Reduce CO2 Emissions
  Aapply the laws of elementary physics by imposing a non-commercial vehicle weight tax. This tax could be tapered in over a 5 to 10 year period with the effect of roughly equalizing the fuel cost per mile in the U.S. with that of Europe. It appears to

Tiny Houses on Pinterest

• Tiny House Movement Growing
  Down-Sizing America As a result of the bursting of the housing bubble, sub-prime mortgage crisis, world recession and growing concern about our national and per | See more about sidings, studios and tiny houses.

A Tiny Car to Match Your Tiny House

• 2013 Chevy Spark Mini-car
  

Chevy Spark

Tiny Houses Hub

• Tiny Houses - Part 5 of Fantasy Homes series
  Im still doing research on possible Fantasy Homes I would love to live in, given the money and place to build them. You may have heard about the new trend toward tiny houses which use very...

Tiny Houses: The New Trend in Housing

• Tiny Houses: The New Trend in Housing
  With rising energy costs, the mortgage crisis, and economic uncertainty, tiny houses are becoming more and more popular. Are you tired of working your finger to the bone to pay for a house you'll be lucky to...

Tumbleweed Tiny House Company Website

• Tumbleweed Tiny House Company
  Tiny Houses from 65 to 837 square feet. Buy house plans and build it yourself, or buy ready made houses delivered to you. Jay Shafer's Tumbleweed Houses set the standard for small house living.

Queen of Versailles Film Review

• "The Queen of Versailles" Movie Review
  Queen of Versailles is a fascinating contemporary Magnificent Ambersons documentary about the rise and fall of Jackie and David Siegel and their seven children, two dogs, sixteen servants, their 26,000 square foot home in Orlando and their unfinished

Comments

Ralph Deeds (author) from Birmingham, Michigan on November 16, 2015:

Thanks for your comment. (The weather in Michigan is perfect today!)

stella vadakin from 3460NW 50 St Bell, Fl32619 on November 15, 2015:

Hi Ralph, I like these tiny houses and it makes a lot of sense in these uncertain economic times. I went from big 3 level house to a 1100 sf. house I love it and I can be free of a mortgage. I use to live in Michigan, it was just too cold. great hub, stella

Ralph Deeds (author) from Birmingham, Michigan on April 04, 2015:

Can Oregon's tiny houses be part of the solution to homelessness?

Since 1950, the American family home has become two and a half times larger, even as fewer people on average are living in them. Is it time to downsize?

Ralph Deeds (author) from Birmingham, Michigan on July 10, 2014:

Bloomberg News 7-9-14 Tiny Houses Big With Owners Seeking Economic Freedom

Tiny Houses Big With U.S. Owners Seeking Economic Freedom - Bloomberg

Dramatic downsizing is gaining interest among Americans, gauging by increased sales of plans and ready-made homes and growing audiences for websites related to the niche. A+E Networks Corp. will air, beginning today, “Tiny House Nation” a series on FYI that “celebrates the exploding movement.”

Ralph Deeds (author) from Birmingham, Michigan on July 05, 2014:

Tiny House Movement

Living Large in 150 Square Feet: Why the Tiny House Movement Is Taking Off Alternet

Ralph Deeds (author) from Birmingham, Michigan on April 26, 2014:

Square Feet: 84. Possessions: 305

Log In - The New York Times

"From time to time, Dee Williams does a possession count. The last tally was 305. It included all of her worldly belongings, from her bedroom suite (a mattress and a quilt) to her home entertainment equipment (a laptop) to her jewelry collection..."

Ralph Deeds (author) from Birmingham, Michigan on July 18, 2013:

7-18-13NYTimes "Renzo Piano's Dream of a Tiny House"

Renzo Piano’s Dream of a Tiny House - NYTimes.com

The architect unveils a prototype house for Vitra. "When I was a student I dreamed of making a house 7 ft x 7 ft, as a dream of freedom, of self-moderation."

Ralph Deeds (author) from Birmingham, Michigan on June 05, 2013:

6-3-13NYTimes--The Return of McMansions

The Return of McMansions - NYTimes.com

Construction of new homes plummeted during the housing bust. But where there has been building of single-family homes in recent years, the homes have been getting bigger.

Ralph Deeds (author) from Birmingham, Michigan on October 04, 2012:

10-4-12NYTimes--One Shed Fits All: A Modernist Dogtrot

One Shed Fits All - A Modernist Dogtrot Reborn - NYTimes.com

An architect lets go, and an elegant little house gets a second chance.

Wizard Of Whimsy from The Sapphire City on June 06, 2012:

Thought this image might be of interest . . .

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-as...

Ralph Deeds (author) from Birmingham, Michigan on June 06, 2012:

6-6-12NYTimes--Japan's Capsule Hotels Come to New York City

Tiny but Luxurious Hotel Rooms Spring Up in New York - NYTimes.com

Pod Hotel and Yotel bring offshoots of the Japanese “capsule” hotel to New York, while citizenM makes plans to compete.

d.william from Somewhere in the south on February 12, 2012:

I loved this hub. I just bookmarked it so i can explore more when i have a little more time. Excellent idea. Thank you so much for sharing this.

RVDaniels from Athens, GA on December 07, 2011:

This is so cool. I've always wanted to live in a gypsy caravan or something similar. Good hub, friend and I want that little blue car!

RunAbstract from USA on June 25, 2011:

Great design! I will check her out!

Ralph Deeds (author) from Birmingham, Michigan on June 24, 2011:

Thanks. The first seven pictures are of a small architecture studio designed and built by my daughter and fellow hubber, Sarah Deeds of DeedsDesign.com

RunAbstract from USA on June 24, 2011:

As a tiny house dweller I appreciate the fact that more and more people are choosing this kind of housing. It's cozy, affordable, and a challenge!

Great article with good links! Voted up!

Ralph Deeds (author) from Birmingham, Michigan on February 24, 2011:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/garden/24tiny.ht...

A HOUSE tour is the highlight of a visit with a proud homeowner, but when one drops in to see Derek Diedricksen, who makes playful micro-shelters out of junk, it is less so. Possibly because the temperature up here on a cold winter day is less so, possibly because his square footage is less so.

At about 24 square feet, the Gypsy Junker, made primarily out of shipping pallets, castoff storm windows and a neighbor’s discarded kitchen cabinets, is the largest of Mr. Diedricksen’s backyard structures. The Hickshaw, a sleeper built on a rolling cedar lounge chair (or as Mr. Diedricksen calls it, “a rickshaw for hicks”), is considerably smaller, at 2 1/2 feet wide by 6 1/2 feet deep. The Boxy Lady, two cubes on a long pallet, is the smallest: 4 feet tall at its highest point.

For ingenuity, thrift and charm, Mr. Diedricksen’s tiny structures are hard to beat. Made of scavenged materials, they cost on average less than $200 to build. They often have transparent roofing, which allows a fine view of the treetops, particularly in the smallest ones, where the most comfortable position is supine. They have loads of imaginative and decorative details: a porthole-like window salvaged from a front-loading washing machine, a flip-down metal counter taken from the same deceased washer. Mr. Diedricksen hates to throw anything away.