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by: Alison Potts

The Tiny House movement is in full swing. We are seeing the change in size and structure of houses as people are beginning to downsize. They no longer need a huge house as children have grown up and moved out or they are just tired of keeping up with the maintenance and cleaning of a large home with rooms hardly used. The other reason behind the Tiny House movement is due to limited space in overcrowded towns, all trying to get a glimpse of the view or be close to the downtown action. This is true in coastal towns like ours here in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

 

The typical small or tiny house is between 100 and 400 sq. ft. and always less than 1,000 sq. ft. From the average home being approximately 2,600 sq. ft. this is quite a downsize. The first spaces to go are the garage, formal dining room and hallways.  Tiny houses maximize on space by better planning and organization. With a little creativity, a lot can be done in under 500 sq. ft.

 

Innovative storage and smart space planning are key to turning limited square feet into a functional tiny home. Some basic storage ideas are murphy beds and fold down tables that can stow away when not in use. Built in cabinets or shelves take up half the space by utilizing the space within the wall. Enhancing a coffee table or ottoman into more than a surface by adding storage underneath. Pulley’s can be installed to maneuver pots and pans up and down as needed.

 

Featured on country living is a tiny house with an engineered loft. Lofting the bed in tiny homes has become a standard way to increase space while keeping a “master size bedroom”. What is unique about this design is the tracks on the wall which it is mounted to that allows the bed to move up and down the wall. The bed can be lowered all the way to view the television, half way to allow a guest to sleep underneath on the sofa turned guest bed, or fully raised to be completely out of the way while using the space underneath it as a living room.