Houzz Tours
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Houzz Tour: A Tiny House Full of Ingenious Space-saving Ideas
See how clever design and salvaged materials make this small home feel both spacious and cosy
With the help of her fiancé, family and friends, designer Katie Andersen built this tiny house on a steel trailer specifically made to handle the weight of a small house. “Technically, it’s an RV, so we can move it in the future if we want to,” she says. For now, Katie and her fiancé, Austin, keep the house “parked” on a rented wooded plot in Portland, Oregon.
Using mostly salvaged materials for the interior and an eclectic collection of furniture and décor, this 175 sq ft house might be small, but it’s far from minimalist. “It’s maximalist on a tiny scale,” Katie says.
Using mostly salvaged materials for the interior and an eclectic collection of furniture and décor, this 175 sq ft house might be small, but it’s far from minimalist. “It’s maximalist on a tiny scale,” Katie says.
The tall cabinet at the end of the kitchen worktop is a salvaged piece that’s more than 100 years old. All of the cabinet hardware, metro tiles and electrical outlets were also picked up at salvage yards and second-hand shops in the area.
“This is the first time I’ve ever laid tiles myself,” Katie says. “It was a bit of a challenge, but I think it turned out pretty well.”
“This is the first time I’ve ever laid tiles myself,” Katie says. “It was a bit of a challenge, but I think it turned out pretty well.”
Katie had intended to hang the salvaged door separating the kitchen and bathroom like a standard door, but after discovering there wasn’t enough clearance, she converted it into a sliding barn door that tucks discreetly behind a set of tall cabinets.
The white metro tiles with thick black grout lines continue into the bathroom. The floor is covered in small black hexagonal tiles. “I love the stark contrast of the white walls and the black floor,” Katie says.
She converted an antique table into a vanity unit with a salvaged porcelain under-mounted basin. The exposed-bulb light fixtures above the window add a contemporary touch.
She converted an antique table into a vanity unit with a salvaged porcelain under-mounted basin. The exposed-bulb light fixtures above the window add a contemporary touch.
Katie used a galvanised steel horse trough for the base of the shower. The trough can also be used as a bath, though Katie says it’s a bit of a tight fit. “You have to sit in it like a Japanese soaking tub,” she says.
A shower curtain hung from refashioned pipes completes the scene.
A shower curtain hung from refashioned pipes completes the scene.
Katie’s father built the steel ladder that leads to the loft sleeping area. The ladder can be removed, making room for the folding, wall-hung table to be lifted up to create a dining area. “We keep two folding chairs in one of the cabinets that we take out for dinner,” Katie says.
The sleeping loft has just enough space for the full-size bed and a pair of vintage bedside tables that Austin’s mother found discarded on the side of the road. “It’s definitely a bit snug up there, but we make do,” Katie says.
Katie sourced two sets of panelled French windows from a former restaurant. One of them is now the front door and the other she turned into two large windows. A vintage chair, a small table, a kilim rug and an electric stove combine to create a quaint seating area at the front of the tiny house.
The exterior of the house is covered in cedar shingles that require no stain or other type of weatherproofing. The shingles also provide the classic, coastal look the designer adores. “I grew up along the Pacific Coast and have always loved the look of the shingled cottages common to the region,” Katie says.
Not long after moving into their tiny house, Katie and Austin built an outdoor deck that on warm days more than doubles their living area. The outdoor sofa is constructed of old shipping palettes that Katie painted and then topped with new charcoal grey outdoor cushions.
Tell us…
What do you love about this tiny home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Tell us…
What do you love about this tiny home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? Designer Katie Andersen, her fiancé, Austin Macy, and their cat, Charlie
Location Portland, Oregon
Size 175 sq ft (16 sq m)
Designer Katie Andersen of Parlour & Palm
Photos by Iris Leonardo
The compact space features a small seating area near the entrance, a single-wall kitchen, a full bathroom, and a loft sleeping area reached via a custom-made stainless-steel ladder. Katie and Austin are both “outdoorsy people”, she says, and living in their tiny home has encouraged them to spend even more time outside – “which is just fine by us.”
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