The Tiny House Trend Is Here To Stay

Updated on Feb 1, 2018 at 11:00 AM

A few years ago, people began looking to downsize — like, really downsize — into tiny homes. The homes, usually between 100 and 400 square feet, have anchored the tiny house movement which, at its core, is about living as simply and beautifully as one can, while recognizing that you still have everything you need without excess.

According to Kim Lewis, an interior designer known for her work on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and the co-founder and creative director at Kim Lewis Tiny Homes, the market for tiny houses is beginning to pick up across the United States, but especially in Texas, California, Florida, and Colorado.

"My prediction is you'll start seeing more and more tiny home communities pop up around the market. Most people that call us, ready to buy a tiny home, are still looking for land. Developers see opportunity in this market, which is another sign this tiny home movement is not a trend," she said.

While Lewis and several other tiny home builders work with clients to build tiny homes to their own specifications, other tiny homes are already built and on the market. Here are several tiny homes from around the country.

Modern Farmhouse

Located in Knoxville, TN, this modern farmhouse is 300 square feet and costs $74,000. The tiny house has one bathroom and a loft bedroom. With high-end appliances, it was designed around keeping the number of environmental toxins low and includes wooden clad windows, Ecos organic paint, natural cork flooring, an eco-friendly mattress, and natural/recycled insulation, said Tumbleweed Tiny House Company.

Park Model

Located in Sonoma, CA, this tiny home is 399 square feet and costs $65,000. With one bedroom and one bathroom, the home comes with Hardie board horizontal lap siding, an 8-foot covered porch with trex decking, 4-inch ceiling surround sound speakers, raised panel white cabinets, and a wrap around hutch with glass facing insert cabinets.

Escher Tiny Home

Starting at $139,900, the Escher Tiny Home design from New Frontier Tiny Homes was featured on HGTV. Escher has the capability to have hardwood floors, upgraded appliances, and copper accents throughout the home.

Alpha Tiny Homes

The original tiny house from New Frontier, the Alpha model comes with hardwood floors, one bathroom, and a loft bedroom. The bedroom has a custom Oak library ladder with custom sliding hardware, custom reclaimed barn wood shelving, and enough room for a king-sized bed and night stand. The kitchen has a 33-inch Ariel stainless steel farmhouse apron sink and comes with a Whirlpool stainless steel refrigerator.

Greenmoxie Eco-Friendly Tiny House

For those who are not looking for only a downgrade, but a home that can help make a difference in the environment, Greenmoxie's tiny house could be just what you're looking for. The 340 square-foot dwelling starts at $65,000 and contains recycled and upcycled materials, while the company also consulted with experts on solar systems and rain-water catchment during the design phase.

The Mac Shack

Custom made for a client, as are all of the tiny homes from Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses, the Mac Shack was based on the same 14-foot foundation of the Upslope tiny home blueprint. After upgrades and custom requests — including handscraped engineered flooring, barnwood accent walls and shelving, a Hobbit wood stove, a sheltered fold down porch, and a handcrafted Dutch door — the Mac Shack cost $30,000.

Cypress

Cypress, from Tumbleweed Tiny Houses, starts at $62,950. The model ranges in three sizes so consumers can decide which amount of square footage they desire, from 310 to 226. In addition, two of the Cypress models offer an extended loft option for more sleeping room.

Roanoke

One of Tumbleweed's largest offerings, the Roanoke tiny house model ranges in square footage from 273 square feet to 327 feet. Two of the models can sleep four to six people comfortably, while the largest model can sleep seven people. Roanoke starts at $72,950.

Mid-Century Marfa

Built for FYI Channel's Tiny House Nation show, Kim Lewis and her team built this 380 square-foot home on two gooseneck trailers. The home features built-in hammocks, a removable deck, screened-in porch using Parasoleil copper panels, and a custom kitchen island.