Surprisingly beautiful tiny houses around the world

Check out the homes after the jump

Tiny houses around the world
Tiny houses around the world

Small spaces are the next big thing in real estate. Thanks to problems like rising housing costs, overpopulation, and environmental damage, it seems the solution is to think smaller. Much smaller.

Here are some of the smallest homes we could find around the world. They’re on roofs, on wheels, and in backyards; they have bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchens.

But just because they’re small doesn’t mean that they can’t be livable—or beautiful, for that matter. Architects and designers have taken to the tiny home movement, creating beautiful designs that make the tiny spaces as efficient and livable as possible.

a-brooklyn-couple-bought-smaller-furniture-to-make-their-350-square-foot-apartment-feel-more-spaciousA Brooklyn couple bought smaller furniture to make their 350 square-foot apartment feel more spacious.

Size: 350 sq. ft.

Location: Brooklyn, New York

Homeowners Tiffany and Allan use small furniture instead of full-size pieces to make the most of their 350 square-foot studio in Brooklyn. The space was formerly the parlor of a ship captain’s home from the 1800s, and still features the original crown molding and large, light-bearing windows.

Their home was the U.S. overall winner of Apartment Therapy’s 2014 Small Cool contest.

 

this-330-square-foot-apartment-in-hong-kong-transforms-into-24-different-room-combinationsThis 330 square-foot apartment in Hong Kong transforms into 24 different room combinations.

Size: 330 sq. ft.

Location: Hong Kong

Gary Chang, an architect in Hong Kong, turned his family’s tiny 330 square-foot tenement apartment into a sleek and efficient living space with 24 different room combinations, including bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms, and even a guest bedroom area.

So, how does he do it? Chang installed a number of sliding panels which he can move around the space to reveal hidden areas and storage. It’s a system he calls the “Domestic Transformer.”

 

this-196-square-foot-home-cost-its-architect-less-than-12000-to-buildThis 196 square-foot home cost its architect less than $12,000 to build.

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Size: 196 sq. ft.

Location: Boise, Idaho

Boise architect Macy Miller decided to downgrade from a full-size home to a tiny one, which she designed and built herself. She lives there now with her partner and dog.

The home, which sits on top of a flatbed trailer, cost about $11,500 all in. The most expensive component is the composting toilet — about $2,000 — which uses barely any water.

 

this-60-square-foot-home-is-the-smallest-house-in-the-ukThis 60 square-foot home is the smallest house in the UK.

Size: 60 sq. ft.

Location: Conwy, Wales

Also known as the Quay House, this tiny red home, which measures just 10 feet by 6 feet, is known as the smallest house in the U.K., and has actually become a tourist attraction in Conwy, Wales.

The home has been occupied by various people since the 16th century, including a 6-foot-3-inch fisherman. The house has room for a stove, water tap, bed, and bedside storage.

 

this-11-square-foot-home-in-berlin-is-dubbed-the-worlds-smallest-houseThis 11 square-foot home in Berlin is dubbed the “world’s smallest house.”

Size: 11 sq. ft.

Location: Berlin

Architect Van Bo Le-Mentzal built a one square-meter (11 square-foot) house which is light enough to pull on its wheels, and provides just enough room to sit or lie down and sleep (but only when tilted on its side).

Le-Mentzal says he designed the structure not as a way to address homelessness or create a new kind of emergency shelter, but as a thought experiment to make people think about the way they define the concept of “home.”

However, that hasn’t stopped governments and private citizens all over the world from contacting him about the plans.

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