13 Tiny Home Before And Afters We Can’t Help But Love

Innovative Spaces

Fred David, project and design manager at Innovative Spaces recommends starting your tiny home renovation by getting your priorities in order. “When renovating a tiny space, try to set realistic goals based on budget and time constraints, [when determining] what your ‘must-haves’ are vs. your ‘wants,’” says David. “Prioritize those ‘must-haves’ first, then ‘wants’ will come together to fill in the gaps of the design.”

Innovative Spaces

For this project, the client was a nomadic professional looking for a home that could accommodate her needs, as well as her pets. “The idea of bringing the outside in inspired a full fold-down deck that allows for additional square footage to be able to take long trips at a time,” says David. “Other amenities include a counter-height desk, a dinette for one that converts to a sofa, a wet bath, a full kitchen and a small nook for her furry friends to sleep.”

Photographer: James Furman
Design by Allito Spaces

“This is an example of how bigger furniture, if used properly, will actually make a small space look bigger,” says designer Allison Garrison of Allito Spaces. “The previous design had a smaller sofa and side chair,” explains Garrison. “By doing a custom sofa fit to the dimension of the room, and a larger rug and coffee table to match, the space now feels like an elevated but cozy hang-out space instead of a cramped family room.”

Claire Fleming

Van-living continues to be popular for those who are able to work remotely and enjoy living life on the go. “When I purchased the van, it was just an empty metal box,” says blogger Claire Fleming of her 2020 Ford Transit cargo van. “Over the 18-months, I was able to renovate it into a fully functioning tiny home—including electricity, plumbing, a bathroom with shower and a tiny kitchen.”

Claire Fleming

Fleming’s van is now a full-time home for her and her golden retriever, so finding ways to optimize storage space was imperative. “The van is approximately 90 square feet, so utilizing every inch was crucial,” Fleming explained. “Every aspect of the renovation was custom, which is partly what took so long to renovate, but has been well worth it for the functionality, versatility and additional storage space.”

Boheme Retreats

What started as a single camper flip has turned into a series of passion projects for Keva Niver of Boheme Retreats. “When it comes to older campers I always say paint can change everything,” says Niver of her 1978 DutchCraft Camper. “Painting the walls and ceiling white helps to make the space seem visually bigger.”

Boheme Retreats

While Niver feels painting things white can help visually expand the space, she is not opposed to adding in some character. “I add pops of color on the window trim or the cabinets, and love adding a bright fun wallpaper to spice things up,” she says. “I love making small spaces comfortable, functional and uniquely designed.”

Lindsay Wood | The Tiny Home Lady

Lindsay Wood, also known as the Tiny Home Lady, recently revamped her tiny home to swap her laundry loft for an elegant guest room. “When we traveled with our home, we wanted to have an onboard washer/dryer combo,” says Wood. “Once we stopped traveling and landed our home in San Diego, we wanted a second bedroom for guests.”

Cottage

Accessory Dwelling Units (or ADUs) have grown in popularity as folks look for ways to get a little extra income or make space for a multigenerational household. The team of ADU experts at Cottage designed this rental unit as a source of steady income for the soon-to-be Palo Alto retirees. The new studio apartment is perfect for local graduate students and single professionals to call their own.

Cottage

“Tying in the new ADU directly with the existing garage roof line, matching the stucco and roofing tiles perfectly and constructing a second matching dormer, made the attached accessory dwelling unit blend in perfectly with the main home,” said the Cottage team of the renovation. “In fact, the homeowners and longtime neighbors both remarked that the new attached ADU made the entire house look more unified and visually appealing.”

Studio Shed

With the help of prefab ADU maker Studio Shed, this couple designed a detached space to accommodate their varying needs. “[The 14-by-22 Summit Series Studio Shed] is now being used as a guest room, pool house, home office and home fitness and wellness space,” said the Studio Shed team. The unit, which is complete with a bedroom, kitchenette and bathroom, will also be utilized as a rental unit in the future to provide an additional source of income.

Millroad Studio
After Photographer: Stephanie Russo

Designer Lisa Tornello of Millroad Studio thinks the most important thing when working with minimal square footage is to “be intentional with every inch.”

“Focus on the positive when creating a small space,” says Tornello. “You won’t need a lot of material to create something special.” This provides a great opportunity to add in some texture. “Think about layering in texture in the form of paneling, wallpaper or specialty wall treatments like lime wash. Even adding paneling to the ceiling makes the space feel elevated.”

Millroad Studio
After Photographer: Stephanie Russo

Another of Tornello’s top tips is to paint everything one color, but utilize different sheens for elements like millwork, baseboards, moldings and the ceiling. “This gives the illusion of a bigger space. If the home runs dark, we make sure we use a color with a higher light reflective value to bring more brightness.”