Designing for an Open Feel

Lines of Sight

Tiny homes, by definition, are tiny. However, there are strategies to make them feel more spacious. Maximizing lines of sight is one such strategy. By line of sight we are referring to the uninterrupted view from one location in the home to another distant point or even to the outdoors.

Simple ways to increase lines of sight without major design changes might be your choice of chandelier. A heavy solid chandelier is going to obstruct the view from one side of your tiny home to the other, making the length of the room feel shorter or the height of the ceiling feel lower. An open and airy chandelier of similar height and diameter will allow views through the arms of the fixture and make the space feel longer and taller.

Other examples might be wall cabinets near an outside corner or hanging cabinets above a peninsula. While it can be tempting to maximize storage space with as many cabinets as possible, a cabinet near an outside corner will obstruct views. A hanging cabinet that helps define a kitchen space, for example, will make the kitchen and the adjacent area feel smaller and more enclosed.

Solid loft railings or short walls can be great for privacy and/or storage space. However, by cutting off lines of sight from below to the open space of the loft above or even to the outdoors through loft windows, the entire home can end up feeling much darker and more constricted.

Storage space, functionality, and privacy are important considerations in creating your tiny house design. However, an open, inviting, and comfortable feel is critical to the enjoyment of your home by both you and your guests. A great tiny house experience requires finding the right balance. Maximizing lines of sight is a valuable consideration as you develop your dream tiny home.

Central Coast Tiny Homes’ slide-out homes have the most open and spacious floor plans available.  Visit us at www.cctinyhomes.com for more information!

New CC Tiny Home Delivered

Central Coast Tiny Homes delivered it’s latest tiny home to Mercey Hot Springs Resort in Firebaugh, California. This unit features redwood siding and cypress flooring milled from locally harvested trees that were otherwise destined to be mulched. Pacific Coast Lumber of San Luis Obispo mills these trees into beautiful usable lumber for a truly unique project. Other features include propane-powered tankless water heater and gas range, an energy-efficient mini-split heater and air conditioner, and a stainless steel shower enclosure with a glass door.

This home will be used for vacationers and hot spring enthusiasts at Mercey Hot Springs. It will feature its own private covered deck with a spring-fed hot tub. You can reserve a stay in this Tiny Home at the Mercey Hot Springs website here.

Los Angeles Approves Tiny Living

The City of Los Angeles has approved the use of tiny homes on wheels (THOWs) for full-time living. This is great news for tiny enthusiasts and affordable housing advocates as it will make it possible for thousands of properties to add or host tiny homes as a legal option for full-time living. In addition, this will help forge the path for many cities throughout the country to adopt their own tiny house ordinances. You can read the full story here. http://www.tinyhomeindustryassociation.org/la-gives-green-light-to-moveable-tiny-homes-as-adus/  

One tiny step for LA, one giant leap for tiny living.

Tiny Living for the Pre-Millennial (and maybe not-so-nimble) Generation

As the tiny home movement continues to gain momentum; it’s becoming increasingly clear that women are the most significant driver (Realtor)— representing over 55 percent of sales.  In addition, the majority of tiny home enthusiasts are over 45 years old (American Tiny House Association).   Whether looking to reduce expenses, eliminate debt, simplify life, create free time and/or generally find financial security, there are many motivators to check out tiny living.

The homes are cute, mobile, affordable, and increasingly accepted as many jurisdictions across the country are legalizing tiny houses as viable living options for their communities.

While the decision to jettison lots of possessions and live within a small space is a significant hurdle, once cleared, there are several others to consider before starting on the tiny house journey.  Though not covered in detail here, these links will aid in your exploration.

Affordability:  Living tiny is more affordable but purchasing a tiny home is a big investment.  At $50,000 to $100,000 for a ready-made model and $20,000 to $50,000 for a self-built home, coming up with the cash can be a challenge.  Here are some financing options if you don’t have that kind of money lying around:  Tiny Home Financing

Location:  Once a tiny home owner, you’ll need a place to park it.  And unless you are willing to go outlaw, that can be a challenge.  Fortunately, the list of cities that have legalized tiny living, or are in the process of doing so, is growing.  San Luis Obispo, California is the latest (SLO News).

Others can be found here.  For more information about placing your tiny home check Realtor zoning and AARP Tiny Home Laws.

Most importantly, let your local authorities know you want to live tiny and encourage them to make tiny living legal.

Comfort:  Now that you have decided to purchase a tiny home and you’ve secured a space for it, you’ll need to choose a model you can actually enjoy living in.  Tiny homes can be cute and moveable, but “roomy” they are not.  Given the highway constraints of 8.5 feet wide, even larger models can feel cramped.  To compensate for that, designers are creative in making storage while leaving space to actually move about the home.  The results are a mix of tight quarters, dual use furniture, low ceilings, and overhead loft sleeping areas.  For the young and nimble, ladders and stairs might be feasible, but for the rest of us climbing steep stairs and ladders is simply not attractive and can be downright dangerous—particularly for a sleepy, middle-of-the-night bathroom visit.

For models that offer sleeping on the main level, the solutions include pull-out sofas, motorized beds that elevate during the day, and murphy beds.  To make these solutions work, main level living often becomes increasingly cramped with smaller kitchens and bathrooms.

There is, however, a solution that preserves living space while keeping everything on one 295 square foot level.  The Corbett Canyon Model Expandable Tiny Home from Central Coast Tiny Homes.  Like the slide outs on RV’s this model transforms from a sleek eight feet wide for transportation to a spacious fifteen feet wide for living.  The result is a large airy high-ceiling open-concept living area, kitchen, and sleeping space combined with a roomy senior-friendly bathroom.  All of this in a manageable 21.5 by 8 foot trailer.  To achieve the same living area on a conventional 8 foot trailer would require a whopping 36 feet in length.