Small House, Big Style

[Epiphany]

Did anyone happen to catch the show last night on HGTV called Small House, Big Style?  I was pleasantly surprised to see that they really meant small.  

They featured a 450 sq ft apartment in Virginia (single woman), a 707 sq ft bungalow (couple), a 350 sq ft apartment in Manhattan (couple with tiny baby) and a 400 sq ft house boat (single woman).  

[trish2]

I had wanted to see the show but unfortunately we didn't make it home in time.  What were the most interesting tips you picked up fromt the show?

I think this is a new series, isn't it?  Will have to keep Thursday nights open or at least remember to tape it.

[Epiphany]

I missed the 7pm airing, and so waited up until 11pm to see it.  Can you say bleary-eyed?  

I think I was most impressed by the way the residents still were collectors, and still had "things" but had pared them down to what really mattered and what really gets used.  I read an organization book which said that we really only use 12% of our possessions, over and over, and I think that's true.

I was very unimpressed with the starkly modern, no furniture style of a couple of the houses.  Sure you can make a small place look big if there's only one small chair in the living room.  Duh.

But the other two places (boat and Virginia apartment) were warm and inviting and actually used dark, luxurious colors and fabrics.  The Virginia apartment lady had slip covers where she could change out her furniture for different seasons, and different ways to arrange things.  She used her large round coffee table as a dining table.

One house used floor to ceiling windows, even narrow ones, to help "enlarge" the space.  Dual function furniture, storage under the beds and couches.  One couple had a tiny yard also, and used some kind of tall grass for the yard.  They parked in it, and you could barely see the cars and still had a nice view of waving grass.  An interesting way to add space.

This is a new series, and I think my Thursday nights are set now...  

[Laura21]

Hi

I saw it too. I found it was great. The 707 sq ft bungalow gave me a few ideas. Maybe I need to get another place. The thing that strikes me the most is the use of space.

I hopefully will tune in to see a few other places and get some ideas.

Laura

[Epiphany]

They re-ran it again last night, and I watched it again.  They have someone (not sure who) come in and critique each space, and what the owner has done particularly well.

[DavidLeBlanc]

On again this Thursday. I got this from the "Tumbleweeds" Tiny House guy:

Check out my new house on Home and Garden TV this Thursday at 8:00pm.  The show upon which my place will be featured is called "Small Space Big Style", and I'm told it will tour some places that fellow tiny house geeks will just love.  Also visit my website to see a free excerpt from my new work, "the Small House Book".  Go to the "merchandise" section on the "information" page.

Thanks for your support, and remember...  Think Small. -- Jay Shafer

[Epiphany]

I'll make sure and watch it then...  

[DavidLeBlanc]

Forgot his website: http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/

[glenn kangiser]

How about this one - Micro Compact Home

http://microcompacthome.com/company/?con=do1

[PEG688]

 Jee Glenn what style would that be ?  House / box on a stick ? Future operating room style?
  Really fits right in along that stream  
  Different strokes for different folks  
  I'll pass on that one .
 HTBH ;)PEG

[glenn kangiser]

I thought it was pretty good-- I lived in a cabover Peterbilt for weeks on end years ago-- long hauling then later I made it into a installation truck for heavy equipment roll bars and slopers.  I added a 6 foot by 8 foot living space with a shower, electric water heater, 40 gallon fresh water tank under the bed, TV, microwave and sink.  What more could a man want???

[Epiphany]

Glenn, the micro home was pretty cute, especially in that setting.  The student housing idea is good, or retreat, or mobile housing.

I'm not very good at conversion, but would 2.6m = 28 sq ft?

[Amanda_931]

Somewhere in there.

Gal that was somehow associated with that project also did this (there were supposed to be some other houses by one group or another but this is what I found)  really need to see all the pictures to get the idea:

http://www.degoey.demon.nl/Meermin.html

Apparently they also built some of the things for student housing.

http://microcompacthome.com/news/

[DavidLeBlanc]

Maybe I'm missing something, but there does not seem to be much in the way of floor plans or interior shots or even much in the way of exterior shots of these houses. What gives?

[glenn kangiser]

Daddymem posted a converter in links under 'So we can understand Jonesy and He, us.

It comes out to about 72 3/4 square feet -620 cubic feet  8.53 lineal feet.

[Mark Alexander]

Google has a pretty nice calculator that also does unit conversions.  For this particular microhouse example, enter this in the Google search box:

  (2.6 cubed) cubic meters in cubic feet

Google will display:

  (2.6 cubed) * (cubic meters) = 620.690582 cubic feet