Posts Tagged Tiny Home

Solar Panels For Tiny Houses: How I Went Off Grid With My Tiny House With Solar Power

By Ryan Mitchell on April 10, 2020 / Solar, Tiny House / 61 Comments

It’s hard to imagine that I’ve been powering my tiny house off solar panels for my tiny house for over 7 years now! Not having a power bill for almost a decade has been incredible. With that in mind, I wanted to get some real-world experience with my system to give you all the full picture of what it’s really like to power your tiny house with solar: how many panels, how much does it cost, and more.

Solar Panels For A Tiny House

Many people have asked me about putting solar panels on a tiny house because I’m one of the few out there that is totally off the grid in my tiny house. I’ve had to figure things out like how to run my air conditioning off solar, how to cook with solar in a solar oven, and how I use solar generators as backup power in a pinch.

Tiny houses are a great candidate for solar power because the smaller space makes for low power needs. While the traditional home in America uses around 30 KWs per day, my tiny house uses around 3 KWs per day.

Every decision I made during my tiny house build, from choosing LEDs lights, to a super-efficient minisplit system, and an on demand hot water heater all were chosen to reduce my power consumption. Since I built my own house, these decisions were pretty simple and, in the end, didn’t cost me much more. Any additional costs for things like a high SEER rating HVAC system quickly paid for themselves by letting me have a smaller solar panel array and batteries.

How Much Power Does A Tiny House Use?

A tiny house will use around 4 KWs per day. Typically, around 80% of that power will be used for heating and cooling, assuming you cook and heat water with propane or natural gas.

Here is an example of my power usage breakdown:

Minisplit (heating/cooling): 3,000 watts per day
Fridge: 780 watts per day
Lights: 100 watts per day
Cell Phone: 30 watts per day
Laptop: 240 watts per day

Total: 4,150 watts per day

How Many Panels Do You Need To Power A Tiny House?

15 solar panels will power a typical tiny house. This assumes an average sized solar panel of around 300 watts, which would generate around 4,500 watts of power from the sun. This would cover all your power needs including some heating and cooling, but require you to have a gas cook range and a propane heated hot water heater. If you live in a particularly cold climate, you’ll most likely need to supplement your heating with a propane heater too.

How many solar panels can you fit on a tiny house roof?

Generally speaking, you can only fit around 2 solar panels on a tiny house roof. This presents a real challenge because today you can really only expect to make around 20 watts per square foot of solar panel in ideal circumstances. That means you’re only going to be able to fit around 600 watts of solar production on a tiny house roof, which isn’t a whole lot.

Mounting Solar Panels On A Tiny House Roof

Many people want solar panels on the roof of their tiny house, but I opted for a ground mounted solar array, which I highly recommend. Tiny house roofs only have around 200 square feet of space and since most roofs are pitched, you can really only mount panels on one side. This means you only have around 100 square feet of space for panels.

What I did was mount my solar panels on stands on the ground. After considering all the options: roof mounted, pole mounted, solar trackers, and fixed ground mount, I’m really happy with my decision.

The benefits of a ground mounted array are huge: being able to easily clean my panels, clear off snow that covers my panels after a snow fall, keeping the panels cooler (increases their efficiency) and being able to shade my house while placing the panels in an open field.

The biggest benefit of ground mounting my panels is that I could have a way bigger solar panel array. This meant instead of 600 watts on the roof of my tiny house, I could put 4,000 watts on the ground in the field right next to my tiny house.

My Tiny House Solar Panel System:

To get your tiny house setup on solar you’ll need the following parts: your panels, batteries, a charge controller and an inverter. Simply put, your solar panels take the energy from the sun an converts it to DC power, that then flows to the charge controller which regulates the flow of power to the batteries or the inverter, the batteries stores power for later and the inverter converts the DC power to AC power, which your house uses.

Here’s the key details of my solar power system:

3,975 (3.9 KW) of panels Schneider SW 4024 – fifteen, 265 watt panels
1,110 amp/hr battery storage
24 volt system

My Tiny House Solar Setup:

(15) Canadian Solar CS-6p 265 Watt Poly Black Frame
Schneider SW 4024 Inverter
Schneider MPPT 60 Charge Controller
(12) Trojan L-16 6v 370 AH Flooded Lead Acid Batteries
Schneider System Control Panel
Schneider Interconnect Panel
Midnight Solar MNPV 80AMP Dinrail Breaker
Midnight Solar Surge Protection Device AC/DC
50 Amp RV power Inlet

How To Build A Solar Power System For Your Tiny House

Before anything I needed to determine the best placement for the solar panels to make sure it had good solar exposure and didn’t fall into shadows too much. To do this I used a tool called a “solar path finder” which is a semi reflective dome that you position at the location, then snap a photo.

The photo is then loaded into a program and spits out a whole bunch of calculations.

Calculating Power Production

Once you upload the image into the software and then trace the tree line outline, you enter in your location, date and time. It then can calculate how much power you’ll produce based on 30 years of weather patterns for your exact location and tree coverage. Then it spits out all the calculations:

With that in mind, I knew what I could expect out of the system I had designed. It also was a way to verify my assumptions.

Once I verified that the system was going to be well suited to my needs, I had to build my panel support racking. I did this out of pressure treated 4×4’s that were each 10′ long. These things about 300 lbs each so I don’t have to worry about the wind picking up the panels.

I opted to build them because it was cheaper than some of the turn-key option out there and most of the for purchase ones required me to cement in the ground; I rent my land, so I wanted a mobile solution. If I remember correctly it was about $500 in materials to build this part.

Many people have asked why I didn’t mount these on my tiny house roof. You technically can mount on your roof, but honestly, the number of panels that you need to practically power your house is too many for the roof.

There are some other major bonuses of being on the ground:

Much cooler, roofs are very hot places in the summer and solar panels drop in efficiency when hot
I can put my house under deciduous trees, this means in summer I’m in the shade, in winter I get the solar gain
Way easier to clean and monitor

Cleaning your panels is pretty important because you loose efficiency as residue (bird poop) builds up. Also, as I learned just a few days ago, when it snows, you need to clear your panels. Cleaning becomes super simple and a lot safer when you don’t have to climb onto a roof via a ladder.

Just this week we got a decent snow, 3 inches, which is quite a lot for Charlotte. The first thing I had to do when I woke up was clear off the panels because, with the snow, they made no power. This was compounded because since it was cold, I needed more heat. I can’t imagine having to drag the ladder out and try climbing on an icy roof… No Thanks.

Choosing To Wire For AC Or DC From Solar

Many people have read around the internet that DC (direct current) is a more efficient power way to power things. Generally speaking, everything in a traditional house is wired for AC (alternating current), but if you’re putting solar in a tiny house and building your own house, the question becomes relevant when you’re starting from scratch. Solar panels produce DC power, so you have to decide how you’re going to handle it.

Most of the advice to wire a house for DC power comes from older sources who haven’t updated; these could be old articles written on the topic (consider anything more than a year out of date with how fast solar is improving) or from someone who hasn’t caught up with the latest equipment.

Back in the days, the drive to wire a house in DC power comes from two main things: there was power loss through inefficient inverters (converts from DC to AC) and from the fact that on paper DC is, in fact, more efficient.

Where this falls down in modern times is that inverters have come a long way and while there is some loss in power through the converting of AC to DC, it’s quite minimal. The other factor here is that any inefficiencies (of both the conversion to AC and the less efficient nature of AC) can be easily offset by the addition of 1-2 panels to your array.

This begins to make even more practical sense today because if you wire for DC, you’ll be limited to DC powered appliances, which typically cost two to three times the cost of their AC equivalents. That all means that you can actually have more power with AC, even after the losses through inefficiency, for less money. This is because the savings from going to AC appliances over DC will leave you with more cash, even after you buy 1-2 more panels.

To put it simply, convert to AC, add a few more panels to your array and stop worrying about AC vs DC.

Installing Solar Panels For My Tiny House

After calculating the ideal location and building my stands, I installed the solar panels. This part was pretty quick and the stands worked out perfectly. The panels are 250 watt Canadian solar panels. They are wired in groups of three, then paralleled into the system. To give you a sense of scale, these panels are 3.3 wide and about 4 feet tall.

Building My Battery And Inverter Cabinet

Next, I built a cabinet to house all the gear. I wanted a stand alone space because the batteries are so heavy. At 118 pounds each, plus cabling and other equipment, the whole unit is over 1,100 lbs. The top and bottom sections are divided so that the gasses from the batteries don’t go up into the electrical section for a very important reason.

Looking at the cabinet, on the sides of it, you can see the vents. When you use lead acid (LA) batteries you have some off gassing as the batteries discharge and recharge. These gasses are volatile and can ignite, possibly leading to an explosion. To take care of this I installed two vents like this which provide adequate venting.

Choosing Batteries For A Tiny House Solar Panel System

I choose lead acid batteries over AGM (absorbent glass mat) because LA’s have more cycles and cost a bit less. Lithium Ion at this point is cost prohibitive, around $10,000 for the equivalent capacity. I choose these 6 volt batteries because it was more economical over other options and trojan is a pretty reputable name in the industry.

My batteries should get about 4000-5000 cycles (11-14 years) before I need to replace them. I figure in about 5 years battery technology will have progressed so much I’ll change early. New batteries will cost me about $5,000 of the lead acid variety.

Wiring My Batteries For 24 Volts

The batteries are wired in series parallel. The batteries are 6 volt each, in series of 4 the create a 24 volt unit. Then I have two of these 24-volt units in parallel. The reason I choose to go 24 volts over a 48 volt (which is more efficient) was that the equipment was a little cheaper and it allowed me to future proof my setup.

Future Proofing My Solar Panel System

Going with a 24 volt system also allowed me to select components that I could add more panels and batteries very easily without doing equipment upgrades (just a factor of the abilities of the units I choose). This way I can add up to 15 panels and a lot more batteries without upgrading the electronics. A big draw for me to the system I choose was that I can also stack these inverters, so if I ever go to a normal sized house, I just add another unit and it just plugs into my current one.

Wiring A Tiny House For Solar

In this photo going left to right: Din Breaker Panel, Charge Controller, Interconnect w/ control panel, inverter.

In general, the power flows in the same manner (but not exactly).

Breaker Panel: manages power from solar panels
Charge Controller: manages power to batteries etc.
Interconnect: a main junction box and breaker, holds control panel interface
Inverter: takes power in many forms then outputs to the type of power you need

How To Connect Solar To A Tiny House

Once the power goes through the system it outputs from the inverter as AC power. This AC Power flows out through a huge cable that you can see sticking out of the bottom of the inverter then goes right. From there it runs to this:

This is a 50 amp RV style plug. The reason I did this was twofold. City inspectors are less picky when it comes to non-hard-wired things. This setup also lets me roll into any RV campground and hook up seamlessly.

The plug goes into a 50 amp RV female receptacle. This is important that you don’t have two male ends to your cord. This is dubbed by electricians as a “suicide cord” because if you plug into a power source, you have exposed conductors that are live; accidentally touch them, you complete the circuit and zap!

You want a female end to your cord so that you reduce the chance of being shocked. I also turn off my main breaker at the power source when I make this connection, then turn it back on.

If all these mentions of watts, volts, amps, amp hours etc are making your head spin a little, you may need to go back to the basics. I have an ebook called Shockingly Simple Electrical For Tiny Houses which guides you through all the basics. As of now, it doesn’t go too deep into the solar aspects, but the basics of electrical, wiring, power systems and determining your power needs are covered in depth and designed for those who are totally new to the topic.

So once the power passes through the power inlet it goes to the panel. Near the bottom you can see the backside of the power inlet, it has a large black cord coming out of it, into the box and ties to the lugs. From there it goes out to the house.

Grounding Your Solar Array

Here is my grounding wire for my system. This is actually one of two, another is located at the panels themselves. My house is also grounded to this through the cable hook up and to the trailer itself.

A really important note: ground depends on a lot of things, one of which is if you house electrical panels is bonded or not, if you don’t know what that means, read up on it, it’s very important.

Using A Backup Generator

The other component of this system is the generator which I used for the first two years and then opted to upgrade my system because they were such a pain to use. In the winter months, I sometimes needed to top off my batteries every now and then, basically when it’s been really cold and very cloudy for a week or more.

I had a Honda EB2000i already which I really like. It’s very quiet and small. The one downside to the Honda is that it only does 1600 watts and only 120V and I needed more power and 240V. To charge my batteries, I had to have 240 Volts, which lead me to get another generator, a 5500 watt 240 volt Generac for $650. This generator proved to be a major headache and lead me to upgrade my system just to not have to use it anymore.

Here is a video that compares the two generators in terms of size, noise, output, and price.

Tiny House Solar Panel System Costs

The big question when it comes to doing solar or not is of course cost. Everyone would like to have solar, but costs are a real barrier. My decision was made pretty easily when the power company informed me that I would have to pay $15,000 just to run their power line to my house, only to have a power bill each month.

My initial version of my solar panel array and batteries cost me around $14,000 with the added benefit of no power bills ever again and a $7,500 tax credit back, the decisions was a simple one. I later upgraded to a larger system for another $5,000, of which I got another $2,500 tax credit.

So, for me, I was able to actually save money from day one. That said, I had to bank roll that huge cash payment which most people cannot do.

Here is a rough break down of costs for my upgraded solar panel system:

Inverter: $4,500
Charge Controllers: $1,200
Control Panel: $300
Batteries: $4,000
Solar Panels: $4,000
Breakers + Boxes: $800
Battery Cabling: $300
PV Wire + House Tether + Romex: $500
Electrician (labor): $2,000

Is Solar Practical For Tiny Houses?

In general, I think for tiny houses in one spot, solar is very realistic. Even if you don’t start out on solar, the cost savings of living in a tiny house can let you save up for the install pretty quickly. When I rented an apartment, I was paying $1500 a month, compared to my tiny house that costs me about $15 a month (not a typo). Living in a tiny house allowed me to save a ton of money while having a comfortable home.

So that’s the surface level details of the system, I’m going to be doing something in the future which will be a how to size, choose parts, hook up and all the other details of doing solar for your tiny house.

Your Turn!

Do you want to do solar for your tiny house?

Living in a Shed? An In Depth Guide To Turning A Shed Into A Tiny Home

By Ryan Mitchell on March 22, 2020 / Tiny House / 178 Comments

Tags: Design, DIY, Tiny Home

Living in a Shed? An In Depth Guide To Turning A Shed Into A Tiny Home

When it comes to Tiny Houses, they come in all shapes and sizes. Many people have asked me about building a tiny house shed as an affordable option to having your own tiny house.

I think what’s important to keep in mind is that tiny houses have made a name for themselves because they’re willing to break the mold. Diversity of what Tiny is, is in itself, part of what makes it so fascinating to me. As people take these ideals, we share in the Tiny House Movement and manifest itself in so many forms, we find creative ways to live in small homes.

With that said, using a shed as the shell for your tiny house is a great way to get things started. I myself have considered is a prefab shed and today I was able to go see a model that I have been toying with the idea of purchasing and putting in the middle of a plot of land.

Can You Legally Live In A Shed?

Like Tiny Homes, making this legal and meeting building codes is rather difficult when you say you want to live or dwell in it. One big advantage of the prefab shed option is that these structures are so prevalent that in many places you can just drop one off and you’re good. Some places require a permit, but it’s a formality more than anything, city hall needs to get it’s slice anyway they can.

These sheds will almost always pass code if you’re using it for storage. That means the shed would officially would have to be just a shed. It can a bit more complicated when you are not placing the shed behind a primary dwelling. This is where I find myself.

The real lynch pin when it comes to living in a shed legally if you want to connect sewer, water and power.

Connecting Water To Your Shed

Fortunately, you can get water to most properties without much hassle. Of the three main utilities, water is the simplest because it’s not terribly complicated or pose much risks. I did this on my current property in the mountains where I got a well and where my tiny house is in the city, I was able to connect to the city water for “landscaping” with zero issue.

You just pony up the cash for the permits and the install, run it to a frost proof hydrant (again saying it’s for landscaping) and get your inspections if needed. Once the inspectors are done with their checks and you have all your documents in hand, drop your shed, and connect it off the books.

NOTE: Because water is so easy to get, you can get it and the bill will provide “proof of residence” for other things like the DMV, getting a post office box etc.

Connecting Power To Your Shed

Getting electricity in your shed is slightly trickier because this is the part where code officials start to get warry you’re planning on living in the shed. That said, it’s not uncommon to want to have power in a shed for tools etc. What I suggest you do is get your water installed on the land so it’s about 20 feet into the property, wait a few weeks while you get your shed pad graded and shed dropped off.

Now next is what I’d do, but realize I’m not responsible for any consequence if you do this. Once the shed is dropped off, stage the inside with a few shed-like items: A lawn mower, a table top on some saw horses, a few tools scatted on top. Make it look like this is a real shed used for actual storage. That way when the electrician comes to install and the inspector does their inspection, it looks like your using it as a storage shed.

You’re most likely only going to get approved for a 50 or 100 amp service compared to a normal home is usually 200-amp service. That should be totally fine for your needs in such a small space.

Connecting Sewer To Your Shed

Here is the biggest hurtle and frankly I’ll be honest and say you’re not going to get any code official to let you install a flush toilet in a shed unless it’s totally above board and designated as a dwelling. I don’t mind using a composting toilet, but having water and power is a must.

For toilet you could use a composting toilet, you could use a porta potty service, or you could consider getting a septic system installed (if it’s possible). Septic systems will start to get people asking questions if they see a septic installed, a water line run to the property and power run to a “shed”. It won’t take much for anyone looking at your property or reviewing parcel tax and permit records to put two and two together.

Can You Live In A Shed?

When I was talking with the sales person at the shed store, she told me that they have had several customers live in these sheds. They call these buildings “sheds” loosely, with models up to 1000+ square feet. He had an entire wall of photos where people had converted a shed into a house, upfitting the outside with porches, accents, etc.

Why Should You Live In A Shed?

Living in a shed comes with a lot of advantages, between their wide spread availability, cost and ease to obtain.

Easily Permittable

The ease of getting them legitimized is the biggest appeal to me. There aren’t many things these days that are easier to do, in many cases you can just drop them on your property and be done. Often municipalities have rules like “if the structure is not a dwelling and no dimension is greater than 12 feet, no permit is required”.

Very Affordable

The model I show here is 192 Square Feet. Included are the windows, doors, installations, taxes, anchoring, site leveling and delivery all for the price of $4,200! Figure adding in permits, running power, insulation and drywall (doing the work myself of course) I am looking at a sweet house for around $6,000. You could then deck it out with Ikea swag for another $500 and have a really nice place! The only drawback is there is no loft for a bed, so you have to deal with that. Possibly you could use a murphy bed.

Another angle to this is they offer payment plans of $70 a month, makes it pretty affordable, considering I have friends that pay over $1500 a month in rent.

Easily Transportable

The other advantage to these houses is that you can move them! Not as easily as a house on a trailer, but it’s possible. This is because they deliver these sheds on flat beds or even tow trucks sometimes. They even have these little crawler machines to maneuver the shed into place where a truck might not be able to get into tight back yards.

Widely Available

Unlike tiny houses where the closest builder might several states away, there is probably several shed sellers in your city. These sheds are everywhere it seems, so getting a shed is pretty simple and you can even price shop between them.

How To Convert A Shed Into A Tiny House

Once you buy a shed, you’re first going to want to get all your utilities to the site and setup before you do anything. Get your water, power and sewer squared away, get your copies of all the approvals, then wait a few weeks. I’ve found that sometimes there are a few little loose ends that need to happen and you don’t want an inspector around while you convert your house.

Set A Level Pad And Grade For Drainage
Before the shed even gets delivered, I’d suggest at the very least scraping the grass away and putting down 4-6 inches of ¾” gravel. Consider burying your water and sewer connections at this point and hide the ends so the inspector doesn’t ask questions. Have the gravel base extend in all directions about 1-2 feet beyond the footprint of the shed. Make sure the space is totally level and compact the base with a plate compactor.While you’re at it, consider how the water will flow around the shed, put in French drains if any slopes will push water towards it. Also consider where the water will flow off the roof if you have gutters, consider trenching a drain pipe to flush water away from the shed.

Make Utility Connections To Your Shed
Once the shed is delivered on the pad you created, the inspector has come and gone, then bring your connections from wherever they are to the shed and inside. If you pre-buried your connections, uncover the connection points, and connect them. Test everything before you close up the walls.

Deal With Moisture On The Bottom Of The Shed
If there is one thing I don’t like about these sheds is they use OSB or similar products, which just don’t stand up well to moisture. If you have the option, I’d pay extra for plywood and make sure it is treated. The underside of the floor where it faces the ground is a place that moisture can build up and bugs can eat into.I suggest that you have you shed on blocks just high enough for you to crawl under so you can access things easier. This is even the case if you don’t need to use blocks for leveling. Having access and air flow is really great and super important to keep your floor dry and rot free. I’d also apply a thick coat of exterior deck oil based paint to the underside of the shed to seal the wood from moisture.

Adjust Your Shed Framing
In many cases shed builders use a smaller dimension framing than traditional 2×4’s. If you can, request your shed to be done with 2×4’s so all your building materials will work (insulation, electrical boxes, etc which are all sized for 2×4 cavities).If your walls aren’t framed with 2×4’s then you might have to figure out alternatives to every other step coming up because all building materials are sized to accommodate a 2×4 wall. You also are going to want a deeper cavity to insulate, a 1×3 wall like some sheds are will end up being a very cold home.If you can’t order the shed to have 2×4’s then you’ll need to build the wall inwards, if you go through that trouble consider getting a slightly larger shed and then you might as well go for thicker walls for more insulation.

Rough In Your Electrical, Water and HVAC
Next put in your electrical lines, water lines, internet connections, any HVAC needs etc. I’d also consider putting outlets and lights on the outside of the shed too.If there is one thing I’ve learned about outlets is that it’s hard to over do outlets. Because it’s a small space, you want outlets right where you need them. Consider everything you’ll be plugging in and put outlets there. Additionally, if there is any runs of wall more than 5 feet with no outlets, just put one there. Outlets are $1.50 for a box and another $2 for the receptacle itself, these are super cheap so don’t skimp here.

Seal Up Every Little Crack
If there is one thing I’ve learned about these sheds is they aren’t very air tight and because of that, bugs can get in too. The space where the roof meets the top of the wall and around the soffit/facia is usually so poorly done you can see day light!I’d start with sealing everything with a good silicone caulk. Follow all the junctions, seams, and transition points. First seal from the outside, then seal again from the inside. I’d also caulk where the walls meet the floor, the corners and inside the framing where the studs meet the sheathing. This will seem excessive to many, but a shed is so small that it will take a few hours to totally seal it up tight.Once you have that done, I’d move to spray can foam and fill in any hard to reach gaps. I’d also fill places you’re not going to be able to insulate easily and I’d go over any seams to safe guard from any leaks. Again, this is considered overboard by many, but a few hours and $50 of prevention will pay dividends, keep air and water out and the bugs at bay.

Note: You should make provision for fresh air exchange and humidity control. When you seal up the space and live in such a small space you need to take air quality seriously. I’d suggest having a mini split system that does heating and cooling (where it dehumidifies too) AND an Energy Recovery Ventilation unit (ERV). The ERV will take your indoor air, heat or cool the incoming air through an exchange, then adjust humidity levels too. The ERV will cycle your air so the indoor air is always fresh and the correct humidity.

Insulate Your Shed Walls And Ceiling
You have two main options for insulation spray foam or bat insulation. Bat insulation is a good option, easy to install and not that expensive. You an get bats that are sized right for your wall cavities to minimize the amount of cutting you need to do.The other option, and the one that I’d recommend, is closed cell spray foam. I specifically suggest closed cell spray foam because it is also a great vapor and air barrier. Spray foam is also a very high R value so you’ll keep your house hot or cold longer with the same amount of wall thickness.Many people will suggest open foam because it’s cheaper or some make the argument it’s easier to find the leak if a leak occurs. Because the shed is a small space, it will be more expensive, but since it’s small, you might only be talking a few extra hundred-dollar difference. The notion that you can spot leaks easier is something I flat out reject, you just bought a brand new shed and spend a few hours sealing everything, it’s not going leak any time soon and if it does, the closed cell foam adheres to the back of the roof decking, minimalizing the spread of any leaks. Open cell will allow the water to flow through it and into your wall cavity leading to mold.

Insulate Your Shed Floors
You want to insulate your shed floor or else you’ll have a condensing surface and your feet will be cold on the floors. You can do this by insulating under the floor on the bottom of the shed or laying foamboard on the floor and putting a new layer of plywood on top.If it was me, I’d do both. I’d order a shed that had a taller wall and then spray closed cell foam on the underside, then lay down 2 inches of polyiso foam with a compatible adhesive, then lay down a thick plywood subfloor on top of it, again with adhesive.The two downsides to laying in the foam on the sides is that you’re building into the space, reducing your overhead height (hence why getting a taller wall option on your shed is a good idea) and also your front transition of your front door will be a little weird, so you’ll need to work that out. Both are solvable problems and warm floors are a must have in my book.

Drywall, Floors And Trim
Next I’d suggest finishing with dry wall because it’s cheap. You want to make sure you are sealing all the joints and transitions of the dry wall for air tightness. This is because if you make this air tight, no water vapor can enter the wall cavity and hit a cold surface to condense, build up moisture and cause mold. This article on the proper way to air seal drywall is a great resource for this.[https://www.buildingscience.com/documents/information-sheets/air-barriers-airtight-drywall-approach]Once you’ve put up your drywall, spackled and sanded your joints, go ahead and trim out your doors and windows, then paint the whole thing. Install your floors at this point, then add your baseboards to hide the rough edges of the floors.

Final Finishing
At this point I’d drop in my cabinets, counters and other finishes. Consider using off the shelf premade things that are pretty affordable and make it easy. Your local big box store or Ikea will have good options for this. Bring in your appliances, add your lighting fixtures to the roughed in boxes etc. There you have it, you’ve converted a shed to a tiny house!

At this point I’d drop in my cabinets, counters and other finishes. Consider using off the shelf premade things that are pretty affordable and make it easy. Your local big box store or Ikea will have good options for this. Bring in your appliances, add your lighting fixtures to the roughed in boxes etc. There you have it, you’ve converted a shed to a tiny house!

How Much Does It Cost To Convert A Shed Into A Tiny House?

Converting a shed will cost around $75 per square foot including the cost of the shed. Depending on the shed size, utility connections and fixtures/appliances. This assumes you’re buying a pre-built shed. It could be done more cheaply if you build the shed yourself (shed companies typically mark up 60% above material cost).

Example costs:

Shed: $3,500 to $10,000
Windows: $500-$6,000
Insulation: $500 to $2000
Interior finishes: $500-$4,000
Electrical: $750 to $3,000
Water heater: $500 to $1000
HVAC: $500 to $1,500
Toilet: $20-$800
Fixtures: $1,000-$5,000
Appliances: $400 to $4,000
Interior wall: $500 to $1000
Flooring: $300 to $1,000
Fasteners/Adhesives: $1,500
Paint: $50 to $200

Living In A Shed While Build Your House

Many people want to live in a shed while they are building the permeant house. I myself have considered this for building my home on the property I bought in the mountains. This again falls to the legality issue. Dwelling in a shed is often not allowed because how small it is.

Additionally, I’ve found that if you do this, the code enforcement staff will require everything you normally are required to having in a full house, jumping up the cost dramatically.

Ultimately, the real answer is yes and no. Legally no you can’t. Is it possible, totally!

How do I turn my shed into living space?

This is something I have a lot of experience with, tiny houses are working on the same scale as a converted shed. There are a few critical things you want to consider when converting a shed into a living space.

Top Ways To Turn A Shed Into A living Space

Run power to the shed for lights, electronics & HVAC
Choose a way to climate control – Heating & Cooling
Seal cracks to control moisture and bugs
Insulate and Drywall for a clean look
Install a durable flooring option
Use a light color pallet, good lighting and natural light

Shed Design Ideas And Tips

There are a so many ways to take your living space in a shed to the next level. Many of them can be borrowed from tiny houses for design inspirations. Here are a few guides I’ve created to help you design the perfect shed to live in!

Small Bathrooms For A Shed

A bathroom is one of those spaces in a shed you have to get right, there is a lot going on between power, water, fixtures and storage. Check out my post on how to design a small space bathroom.

Kitchen Designs For A Shed

The kitchen is another critical area if you want to live in a shed. You don’t have a lot of room to pack a lot into a small space. When I designed my tiny house kitchen there was a lot that went into it. Learn more about small kitchen concepts and how to design them.

Appliances For Small Sheds

One challenge I’ve found is getting appliances for small spaces. You can’t always go to the big box hardware stores and find an appliance that will fit in your shed’s kitchen. Choosing the right appliance for small kitchens is important, here’s how to choose the right one for you!

Consider Adding A Sleeping Loft In Your Shed House

A sleeping loft can add a lot of room in the ground floor if you’re tight on space. Sleeping lofts are pretty straight forward, but I figure out a few tricks to make them really well.

Add Solar Panels To Your Shed

Solar is a great option if you can’t get power run to your shed. I’ve written several post about how to setup solar, so here are some great I wrote about how I did it on mine.

Setting Up Solar Guides

Read Here

Read Here

tiny house solar options and how to setup

Read Here

Converted Shed To Living Space Photos And Ideas

Living In A Shed In Your Backyard – Is It Right For You?

Converting a shed into a house or living space is something that a lot of people have done and it’s totally possible. They are a great way to have a house quickly and pretty affordably. So I wanted to ask you all what do you think of this idea? Do you think living in a shed is right for you? Is anyone here doing this?

Designing Your Dream Tiny House Bathroom – Advice From A Full Time Tiny Houser

By Ryan Mitchell on February 28, 2020 / Tiny House / 9 Comments

Tags: Bathroom, Design, Tiny Home

Designing Your Dream Tiny House Bathroom - Advice From A Full Time Tiny Houser

A tiny house bathroom is the subject of many of the questions I get from people interested in making the leap. Everything from what kind of shower do I have, do I have a sink in my bathroom, what about a toilet? There’s a lot that goes into a tiny house bathroom design and since I’ve been living in my tiny house full time since 2014, I thought I’d share some advice on how to design your dream tiny house bathroom.

Navigation

Basics of Bath Design

How To Design

Bathroom Dimensions

Tiny House Bath Layouts

Storage

The Basics Of Tiny House Bathroom Design

Before we get into all the details let’s take a step back and think about what a bathroom is and does. This is an important step because we can orient ourselves correctly to what the function of the design needs to be. This lets us get clear on what the bathroom really needs to be included and what should be cut out.

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Depending on your habits, on a given day, you will wake up and brush your teeth. Then you might hop in the shower, wash, step out of the shower and dry off. You’ll dry your hair, maybe with a hair dryer, brush it and maybe style it. From there you might put on some jewelry, maybe a watch or earrings. You’ll put away your dirty clothes and put on new clothes. You might then do your makeup if you wear it and so on.

Later in the day, you’ll need to go to the bathroom, so you use the toilet. You think to yourself the toilet could use a wipe down, so you reach for some cleaning supplies. You have a headache, so you go in search of some medicine. You may think to yourself it’s time to change the towels, so you put them in the hamper and reach for clean ones; while you’re at it, you think to change the bed sheets too.

Think through your day, what are the things you do regularly and every now and then. Write down everything you do in your bathroom, everything you reach for, the things you store there, the items required to make it all work. Then take a moment to ask, what don’t I like about my bathroom? What is a need – as opposed to a want – that isn’t being met by my current bathroom?

Ask yourself these questions:

Do I use this or do this daily, weekly, monthly?
Does this absolutely need to be on this list?
Is there a way I could eliminate the need for this item or function entirely?
Do I have multiples of an item and why? Could I reduce it to my favorites?
What am I trying to achieve, what are other ways to achieve the same thing?

Write all this down and then take a figurative step back and look at everything

Once you work through your list, clear out the extraneous bits to hone down to the bare essentials. At this point I suggest you do a dry run in your current bathroom. Pare down to the bare essentials you want to take with you into your tiny house bathroom and see if it works for you. Is it practical? After a few weeks you’ll find there are things you really do need and a few that you don’t miss. You now have a solid list of what your bathroom needs to do and what needs to be in it.

How To Design A Tiny House Bathroom

There is a lot that goes into a tiny house bathroom, there is plumbing, fixtures, lighting, electrical and all sorts of materials that have to work together. The kitchen and the bathroom are two of the most complex rooms in the house and they require a lot of planning. Spend the time here to make solid plans and your time and effort will pay dividends for years to come.

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Start by working from your list you just created of what your bathroom needs to do and has to hold. My suggestion is to actually pull out all those items and figure out the ideal location and organization for them, then design your storage around those items. I’d also take what you think you need in terms of storage and double it for room to be more flexible and grow into if need be. Storage in a bathroom will make or break a tiny house.

So now that we know exactly what our storage is going to be and look like, we want to layer in our fixtures. These are a critical component of any tiny house bathroom. Typically, you have a sink, shower, vanity, cabinets, toilet, mirror, towel rack and maybe a tub.

For some people they couldn’t imagine life without a tub, others are fine with a shower. Other have a lot of hair care items and makeup. Whatever your thing is, try to take a step back and see what really needs to be there. Again, I’d encourage you to try it out in your current bathroom.

For example, what would life be without a bathtub , just taking showers? What if you only kept enough makeup to fit into a small plastic caddy, the rest you set aside in a box in the closet for your experiment? What if you had a maximum of three bottles of product in your shower? Just try it, if after a few weeks in your current bathroom it’s still not working, you’ve proven that these are important. You’ll also discover that you didn’t really need some things you thought were “a must”.

How Big Is A Tiny House Bathroom?

A tiny house bathroom usually ranges 25 square feet to 50 square feet. My rule of thumb is it should be 25% of your ground floor, assuming your bed is in a loft. The reason for this is that while a bathroom is very necessary for using a toilet and hygiene needs, you typically only use it for 1-2 hours a day; that’s a lot of square footage only to use it for so little of a time.

What Are The Dimensions Of A Tiny House Bathroom?

The width of a tiny house bathroom is usually driven from the width of your shower. The smallest shower I’ve been able to find at a big box hardware stores is around 32” by 32”, in an ideal world I’d rather go for a 36” wide shower, but your design may not allow for it.

The length of a tiny house bathroom is usually the depth of your shower + the depth of your toilet + walking space in between, usually 4-6 feet.

That all adds up to about 3 feet wide by 10 feet long at minimum. If you have a tub, especially a stand-alone tub, your square footage will balloon to 2-3 times that.

Tiny House Bathroom Layouts

The layout of a tiny house bathroom can be challenging, so here are some tiny house bathroom floorplans that might spark some ideas.

tiny house bathroom layout with corner shower

A glass corner shower is a great way to pack a lot into your little bathroom. Since you have a glass wall, you gain several inches as compared to a standard frame wall, which usually ends up being at least 4 inches thick before you add your shower stall walls. The glass also extends your sight line, making the space feel bigger while still doing a lot. A prefabricated shower base keeps water where you want it while reducing costs and time to install. At $100-$150, it’s about as cheap as you’re going to get, plus you don’t have to worry about slopping your floor correctly because it’s done for you.

tiny house bathroom with composting toilet and laundry

tiny house bathroom with laundry floorplan layout

This is such a great layout because not only does it have a good amount of storage, but it also integrates a combo washer/dryer into the space while adding a lot of counter top space. Featuring a full tub, a great sink, and a composting toilet, it has a lot going for it. This space also has a very light pallet and good natural light from the windows. Subway tiles make this look great and vinyl flooring means wet floors are no big deal.

super small floorplan for a tiny house bathroom

I feel like this layout is the perfect mix between full function and a really efficient use of space. A stand-up shower stall is roomy enough to clean up but doesn’t take up the space of a shower tub. A great little nook allows for plenty of storage for linens and bathroom items, and a small sink is just enough space to do most of what you need.

Here is a wet bath concept that allows you to draw back the curtain to open up the space. Small white tiles make upthe space, but the dark wood sets it off with a contrasting texture. It’s also great to see a tiny house bathroom with a flush toilet, instead of a composting one.

tiny house bathroom floorplan design with tub

This layout was interesting because it had a deep soak tub for a small space that doesn’t take up much more room than a normal shower. It’s the best of both worlds, a shower size cove with a tub function. This bathroom also features a nice homemade composting toilet that’s simple to build and affordable.

Should I Build A Tiny House Wet Bath?

A Wet Bathroom in a tiny house is a small room where everything is essentially in the shower. The toilet seals up, the floor is seamless between the shower floor and the bathroom floor. Everything is designed to be wet, which allows you to minimize your bathroom foot print.

Should you do this? In short, no. You certainly can if you want, but from every single friend of mine that tried it, they ended up wishing they hadn’t. I’ve also spent time on boats and in RV’s that had these and I found them to be workable for the short term, but for day to day living, I felt like they were way more hassle than they were worth. I also really like keeping the toilet firmly separated from my shower, call me a germaphobe if you want.

The biggest thing is I like to step out of my shower, the wet space, onto my bathroom floor, the dry space. I don’t need much space, but I do want some space to finish toweling off, to put on clothes and stand in dry socks while I comb my hair and brush my teeth. Wet baths serve their purpose and work great for a weekend or short trip, but think about it being your reality every day of your life, and you might come around to my thinking on this.

Take Bathroom Ventilation Seriously In A Tiny House

One thing that is tricky in any bathroom, let alone a tiny house bathroom, is ventilation. If you don’t choose the right materials and vent properly, you’ll end up with mold issues and poor indoor air quality. If you are running HVAC, it will have to work harder to maintain a comfortable environment.

I suggest you have a fan that you can set on a timer, so that it vents while you’re taking a shower, but continues to run for 30 minutes after you’ve headed out for the day. Add to this a way to dehumidify your air in the tiny house as a whole, you’ll have a comfortable and safe living environment.

How To Choose Tiny House Bathroom Fixtures

The right fixtures (sinks, vanity, showers, tubs, etc) will make or break your tiny house bathroom. Take your time choosing the right items and if you aren’t 100% thrilled with them, keep looking. It can be hard to find some of these because they’re not always something your local hardware store carries or in some cases, they may not even be able to special order!

Tiny House Bathroom Sinks

The first question you need to ask yourself is, do you even need a sink in your bathroom? I thought about what I did in my bathroom sink and came up with this list for myself:

Get a drink of water
Wet my toothbrush and rinse
Rinse my razor while shaving
Wash my hands

I think I started to consider sinks that might fit that need and I realized I really only needed a very small sink, really just a few inches wide really. I found that it was really hard to find really small sinks. In fact, there were only a few options out there and they were kinda expensive and still bigger than I was hoping.

The first was the Lordear Corner Sink which was 18 inches long, 10 inches wide and 4.3 inches thick for $55 without a faucet. That was way too big for what I wanted, I was hoping for something that was roughly 10 x 6, so it didn’t stick out into the bathroom space so much.

The other common option was the Aweson small corner wall mount vessel sink which was $85 which might have worked but the only corners I had in my bathroom were on the backside of the toilet, so I’d have to awkwardly reach over the toilet to do anything.

In the end, I looked at all the options available to me and I realized that I had two options: expand my bathroom footprint by about 4 square feet or just use my kitchen sink. I decided 4 square feet just to have a separate sink wasn’t worth it. If I wasn’t living alone it might be a different story, but being on my own, it was a simple decision.

This is what I ended up with for my bathroom sink in my tiny house: I used these Hang Away toothbrush Clips holder to store my toothbrush up off the countertop and they work great. I added a wall-mounted mirror that folds neatly out of the way and I had a setup that met all my bathroom sink needs! I tuck my toothpaste right above the sink on an open shelf and all the extra bathroom toiletries I keep in my bathroom itself.

Tiny House Shower Options

A shower is about the smallest way to wash yourself practically. For a good part of the year I actually shower outside in my outdoor shower, living on 32 acres I don’t have to worry about putting on a show for anyone and showering outside is amazing. For the winter months, I move inside to my shower which is 32” by 32” and while it’s pretty workable, I wish I had a 36 x 36 shower, that would be perfect!

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Your shower is going to be whatever you can get locally, so I’d just head over to your local hardware store and ask them for option, plan on having to special order it, which typically take 4-6 weeks. I’d suggest going with a one-piece unit made of fiberglass, this will prevent water leaking in from the seams of a panelized system.

The downside to this is you’ll need to put it inside your walls when you tip them up and build the house around the shower stall because you might not be able to fit it through the front door. There might be a larger window hole that you could slide it through right before you drop in that window.

As for tiny house shower brands, I’d stick with the name brand options you can find at most stores. If it’s a larger brand they all do a good job with their build quality, so just go with what works for your design and your needs and you’ll be fine. I’d avoid custom systems because they’re often much more expensive and fall prey to having seams where water could get through.

Tiny House Toilet Options

You have a few options for toilets in your tiny house, while I initially wanted a standard flush toilet, I ended up with a basic composting toilet after I got a $50,000 quote to run the sewer line to my house. That wasn’t in the budget and I also didn’t want all the inspections that came with it, so I ended up with a basic bucket system.

TOILET OPTIONS

STANDARD FLUSH TOILET

Pros

Widely available
Inexpensive
Simple use
No real maintenance

Cons

Requires sewer hookup
Subject to more codes
1-3 gallons per flush 3
More complicated plumbing

COMPOSTING TOILET

Pros

Simple setup
Cheap to build
Materials widely available
Doesn’t use any water

Cons

Has that “ick” factor
More smells to content with
Requires emptying
Guests might not want to use

INCINERATING TOILET

Pros

Off-grid option
Less “ick” factor
More approachable by guests
Doesn’t use water

Cons

Requires venting and power
Some smells
Reviews are mixed
Expensive

Now that it’s been 6 years using a composting toilet, I don’t even think about it much. It’s a much different story when people come to visit. Using the composting toilet requires a tutorial and conversation with everyone that comes to the house, it’s kinda a hassle to be honest. By in large, most of my guests just stop off at a gas station before they come over or wait till we are out at a restaurant. Being a guy makes this much easier for me.

Tiny House Bathroom Vanity

In your tiny house bathroom, you’ll need a place to put your sink, if you have one, plus you’re going to want to pack as much storage in as you can. Think back to your list of what you wanted to keep in your bathroom and design around that. I’d go as far as laying out custom storage solutions and custom build pull out drawer organizers and other storage features.

This is a great example of a great vanity with open shelving, which you see they’ve put things that they use every day. Open shelving will let you increase the storage space, but not make the space feel as cramped. While you’ll need to dress up these spaces because they are visible, make sure they’re also functional. The one downside to this setup is that the space below the wood slab is left open, that’s a lot of storage space that is being left unused.[/two_half_last]

I love this color and the vanity walks the line between a functional sink, but not too big while having great cabinetry to maximize the storage in the square footage. There is an outlet right there for things like a hair dryer (make sure you wire it for GFCI) and the counter top is just wide enough to hold soap and a small container for things like tooth brush etc. The last thing I wanted to call out here is the smart design choice of putting a full-length mirror on the back of the pocket door.

Pocket doors are great for small bathrooms and tiny houses in general. You’ll need enough room in the wall cavity to accommodate the door when its pushed into the wall, which is bigger than the door itself. Adding the mirror on the back of this door makes it very functional as you get ready in the morning.

If a custom vanity cabinet isn’t in your budget, a lot of the big box hardware stores are now selling standalone furniture vanities, which will let you have a great looking option where you can choose your own counter top, basin and faucet to make an off the shelf vanity feel very custom. I was able to find a similar vanity including a stone countertop , basin, and faucet, for $358!

vanity in tiny house bathroom

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Here is another off the shelf vanity, I found this one for sale at my local big box store for $119 for the cabinet and sink, no faucet. Faucets are one of those things you can spend a lot of money on, I personally want something that has a metal housing for durability and looks, as opposed to the plastic. Starting at around $50 you can get a name brand budget all metal faucet, but you can spend hundreds if you really wanted to. I’ve found the sweet spot to be between $75-$125 for bathroom faucets (kitchen faucets are more expensive and feature packed).

Tiny House Bathroom Storage And Organization

Storage is a big deal, while you want to keep the items you have down to a minimum. Even so, you do need some things and those things need to be organized. If I’ve learned anything from my tiny in a tiny house is a small mess really gets in the way and I know something as simple as a t-shirt on the floor can add to stress in such a small space.

Above The Door Storage

Above your door is a great place to make some extra space on the inside. This is because it’s often vertical space that’s empty and above your natural sight line, meaning it’s out of sight and out of mind. A simple shelf or a cabinet can be a great place to stash towels or bins of less frequently used items.

In Wall Storage Nooks

I have several of these in my tiny house and they’re great. For most of your interior walls, you don’t need to insulate them, except if you’d like sound dampening bats like Rockwool Safe’n Sound. You also have to consider where your pipes run for your shower, connections for kitchen items, and pocket doors. Assuming you don’t have any of these things, you can add very low profile storage to your walls wherever you need it. Next to your sink, a nook for toilet paper and medicine cabinet are all great examples of how you can build into the walls.

Pull Out Bathroom Organizers

This form factor is a really great way to take advantage of the last few inches in your bathroom. The pull out organizer is tall enough you can house tall items like a broom, which is often a forgotten item to have to store. The tall form of the pull out lets you have a ton of shallow shelves so you can see a lot of what you have and not lose them behind other items like you do in a deep shelf or cabinet.

Pull Out Medicine Cabinet

This design is a major improvement over your traditional medicine cabinet because you can open it up and still use the mirror while getting ready. The pull outs will stay open, making things really accessible while you dress.

Organize Around Your Sink Drain

There is a lot of room under your sink if you can avoid the P-trap of the sink drain. You can keep it simple with stacking storage to go on either side of things or you can have a fancy custom made shelving or drawers that go around the drain.

In-Drawer Power Outlet

There are a few things that we keep plugged in because we use them every day. With a little bit of planning, we can figure out exactly what we need to keep plugged in and keep our countertops clear. Electric toothbrushes, hairdryers , and curlers are all common items that we clutter up the countertop with. Add an outlet to one or more of your drawers to keep them plugged in and ready to go.

Drawer Organizers

There are a lot of fiddly items that need to be kept in our bathroom. From jewelry to makeup, and other various items that if we don’t keep in check, can create a huge mess. Take the time to figure out what you need to keep in the drawers and either get organizers custom made or buy off the shelf kits.

take advantage of backs of cabinet doors

Take Advantage Of The Backs Of Cabinet Doors

There are some items that we can mount on the backs of the cabinet doors to keep things neat. A special holder made of PVC like these for curling irons or something put on a small low profile door rack.

Shower Caddies For Every Person

I learned this when I lived in the dorm at college, sharing too few bathrooms with too many people. If you have a bunch of people in your tiny house, consider having space for each member to keep a shower caddy. This lets you keep the shower or tub clutter free while still allowing for personal preferences and letting people have what they need at hand. Design specific storage to hold the caddies when not in use and have a designated spot near the shower/tub and near the sink to rest the caddy on to be easily accessible

Clear Stackable Storage Containers

Use clear storage containers to keep things organized, while still being able to find them quickly. If you use containers of a modular design, you can mix and match sizes while still stacking them neatly. A really great source for modular caddies and storage bins for bathrooms and kitchens is a company called MDesign.

Corner Hampers Or Built In Hampers

A hamper is an essential part of your bathroom and one that I didn’t think about until later. Luckily, I figured out a solution that worked in my tiny house, but you want to make sure you plan for this. A corner hamper is a great way to solve this need and you can find them around for pretty cheap. Also, consider having a custom-built cabinet to hide away your dirty laundry.

Above The Toilet Storage

Much like above the door storage, having cabinets above your toilet is a great way to take advantage of otherwise wasted vertical space. Make sure you have enough clearance for when you’re sitting on the toilet and getting up/down too.

Take Advantage Of Empty Voids

Sometimes your design might have a weird space that isn’t being used very well, places like under the stairs if you have a raised floor, etc. Sometimes you have storage in another part of the house that’s very deep. Instead of having this cavernous storage area where things get lost in the back, split the difference by having two storage spaces that are half as deep on either side of the wall.

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Use Nice Containers And Boxes To Hide Necessary Clutter

If you have open shelving or even things behind a door, consider organizing them into nice looking storage containers. There are a small number of things that are just necessary for everyday living, so group them together in ways that make sense, then show them off with a nice looking box or jar.

Final Tiny House Bathroom Tips

When designing your dream tiny house bathroom, start with making a list of what it needs to do for you and what things you want to store there. Taking time to plan ahead here will save you a lot of headaches and the complexity of such a small bathroom means every inch matters. Here are some additional tiny house bathroom design tips for you to consider.

Ryan’s Tiny House Bathroom Design Tips

Plan your drains carefully to avoid metal crossmembers of your trailer
Where possible, put the fixtures requiring water close together for easier plumbing
Don’t forget places for trash and dirty laundry, most people do
Don’t forget a place to hang your towels
Consider a place for clean towels, linens and cleaning supplies
Make sure your shower, tub, and sink can fit through the front door or build it in
Use pocket doors to make small spaces more functional
Make sure you have a bathroom vent fan
Always have extra storage, above what you expect your needs to be

Your Turn!

What feature is a must have in your tiny house bathroom?
What tips do you have about designing your dream bathroom?

Tiny House Magazine

By Ryan Mitchell on February 25, 2020 / Website Stuff / 18 Comments

Tags: Tiny Home

My good friend Kent over at Tiny House Blog has been working on a neat project for a while now: Tiny House Magazine. I’ve heard rave reviews about it and everything I’ve seen has been really amazing looking. Each month Kent puts out an electronic magazine that covers some really awesome tiny houses and other neat topics. Here is the scoop on the magazine:

SPECIAL DEAL: Buy 1 Year, Get 8 Bonus Issues For Free!

CLICK HERE

Tiny House Magazine Review:

Tiny House magazine has been part of this community for many years now, which translates to them knowing a lot of people and connecting to great stories for them to write about. Having personally been writing about tiny houses for over a decade now, I’ve seen many other publishers, bloggers and the like come and go. Kent (the Editor of the magazine) has been putting out an issue each month for close to 7 years! Which is no small feat to consider that he has been delivering a well crafted digital magazine for so long.

I also know a lot of the writers that make up the team there at the magazine, contributing a lot of articles you simply can’t find anywhere else. Each month I look forward to seeing what’s new in the magazine and it’s always been fun when the new edition comes out. For those of you who want to have a digital magazine delivered each moth, this is the one to check out.

See A Sample Of The Tiny House Magazine:

It’s often hard to explain what the magazine is like without showing someone in person. Being that it’s a digital magazine, I was able to put together some of these samples of the magazine for you to get an idea of it.

You can see samples of the Tiny House Magazine in PDF the 76th edition here and the 68th edition here.

76th Edition

tiny house magainze feature article cover

tiny house magazine photos of tiny houses

tiny house feature in tiny house magazine

68th Edition

contributors page to tiny house magazine

article about simple living in the magazine

Tiny House Magazine Coupons:

I’ve been getting a lot of questions from readers if there is any coupons for the Tiny House Magazine for them to check it out. Here is special deal I was able to convince Kent to offer my readers since I’ve been a fan of his magazine for so many years:

Save $40 and get 8 bonus back issues when you sign up for a year subscription: Click This Link, The Discount Will Automatically Applied

Example pages from this month’s edition:

Tiny House Kitchen Ideas and Inspiration

By Ryan Mitchell on February 13, 2020 / Tiny House / Leave a comment

Tags: Design, Kitchen, Tiny Home

I had a blast when I planned my tiny house kitchen. Considering all the different tiny house kitchen ideas and inspiration was one of my favorite parts of my tiny house build. I really enjoyed figuring out ways to make my space more functional and fit in everything I needed in my small kitchen.

After living in a tiny house (and cooking in a small kitchen) for several years now, I’ve learned a few tricks and tips as well. There are a few things I would change in my layout (like more cupboard space and figuring out somewhere to put the trashcan—oops). But overall, the time spent up front in planning resulted in my kitchen being both functional and beautiful.

If you’re looking for tiny house kitchen ideas and design inspiration, this post will get your wheels turning. Here’s everything you need to know (and everything I wish I’d known) before you design your tiny house kitchen!

Layouts: Tiny House Kitchen Layouts

A great space starts with a great floor plan. Working through your tiny house kitchen planning ideas is no exception to this rule. You need a floor plan that’s functional, smart, and even scalable in case your needs change down the road.

Below I’ve compiled my favorite floor plan options. You’ll glean plenty of ideas from the photos as well as a good overview of the space in the layout drawing. These tiny house kitchen floor plans are an excellent starting point as you design your dream kitchen.

This tiny house kitchen floorplan includes a raised platform, deep blue-grey and dark oak color scheme, and cheerful pops of white and green.

This simple floor plan has a walk-through kitchen, or galley-kitchen, leading to the bedroom. A raised platform offers extra storage.

I love the platform idea in this tiny kitchen design. The raised floor gives you tons of storage space underneath the kitchen. There are storage doors on either side of the stairs. This kitchen has a hood above the stove, which is a nice feature for a tiny kitchen, where ventilation is a MUST. The Dickson fireplace on the side is a fun touch as well.

The galley kitchen design is functional and keeps every station (fridge, stove, sink) within reach. That said, I’m not totally sold on the idea of having the kitchen right next to the bedroom. In a tiny house, every room is close together though (and again, the ventilation hood above the stove, probably helps with air circulation).

This A-Frame kitchen features barstools for sitting and a full-sized fridge with plenty of storage.

This L-shaped tiny house kitchen floorplan is relatively standard, but has some excellent features and counter space, with the option of a full-sized fridge.

This is a typical layout and L-shape design for a tiny house kitchen. That said, two features make this particular tiny house kitchen layout special. The first is the full-sized refrigerator, which is kind of rare in a tiny house.

The second great feature is the inclusion of barstools at the countertop with space for eating. While this isn’t necessarily a rarity, it’s a very nice feature to include. The undercabinet lighting brightens up the kitchen and the open storage above the cabinets could lend itself to expanded storage in the future if needed.

This U-shaped tiny kitchen has beautiful open shelving, high-end marble countertops, and a full refrigerator as well as wine storage.

In this tiny house kitchen floorplan, the U-shaped kitchen is open to the living room, with storage, seating, and room for a full fridge.

This tiny house kitchen layout has an air of luxury. One significant advantage of tiny house design is the option to select quality finishes, like hardwood, brass fittings, and marble countertops, without spending an arm and a leg. When you’re outfitting a small space, it’s not nearly as expensive as a standard-sized home.

I like the airiness of this U-shaped kitchen design. The high ceilings and open storage make it feel huge. There’s plenty of storage, though; they’ve even put in a spot for wine! The full-size (or close-to-full-size) fridge is excellent as well.

High ceilings and a pullout eating space make this tiny house kitchen design functional and roomy.

This tiny house kitchen floorplan has several unique features, including storage under the loft steps, a double sink, and space for seating.

If you’re looking for tiny house kitchen ideas, this kitchen has several brilliant concepts. I love the pullout countertop seating. When you aren’t dining, you simply push in the surface like a drawer. Convertible solutions like that are critical to making the most out of your space. I also like the high ceilings and, once again, the lighting, which is so critical in a tiny house kitchen.

The steps going up to the loft are storage containers as well as stairs, making it easy to tuck pots and pans away and out of sight as needed. There’s room for a four-burner stove and a double sink, which makes the kitchen functional for bigger meals and even small gatherings.

This natural wood tiny house kitchen features a galley design. Simple and functional, this tiny house kitchen layout is worth considering.

This simple tiny house kitchen floorplan provides everything you need for a functional kitchen.

This is a very simple, minimalist tiny house kitchen idea, but it’s also highly functional. The galley-style kitchen has the mini-fridge and microwave or oven on one side and the sink and storage on the other. Shelving is open and ready for frequently used dishes.

I love the uncomplicated design of this tiny kitchen layout. I also really like the storage underneath the mini-fridge and freezer. This storage space brings the fridge up to eye level, so you don’t need to look down and bend every time you need to get inside. (If you need help deciding on the best size fridge for your tiny house, please check out my refrigerator guide.) Even though there aren’t a lot of bells and whistles to this kitchen, it’s perfect for one or two people.

Tiny House Kitchen Design Aesthetics

Now that your tiny house kitchen ideas are brewing, it’s time to explore the fun part—aesthetics and color schemes! While I’m no interior designer, what drew me to tiny houses were their dedication to a good looking and functional space. I more thought into my tiny house kitchen than any other part of my home.

Obviously, each person has their personal color scheme preferences, but I wanted to offer a few ideas to get your wheels turning. Here are a few tiny house kitchen designs that grabbed my attention.

This L-shape tiny house kitchen features an alcohol stove, two windows and open shelving above wooden countertops.

This farmhouse kitchen has a country cottage feel. I like the wood countertops, and they’re similar to the counter in my kitchen. The open cabinets in a green watercolor finish keep the look bright but not overdone. Having two windows in a tiny house kitchen is a rarity, and these let in plenty of light.

This kitchen is in a traditional L-shape, but the deep pullout drawers and open shelving provide lots of storage space. I wanted to point out the alcohol stove, which a lot of people love (especially people who live on houseboats).

This kitchen has a much more modern feel. I liked how the designer used dark colors—navy and brown—but kept the space from feeling overwhelming or small, thanks to the white wall. The stainless steel fridge is quite large for a tiny house, but the finish offers a mirror-effect to keep the space bright.

The countertops and chrome features have a subtle shine to them, which again promotes the light, open, and bright feeling even in a dark color scheme. The open shelving and sconce lights are placed so the bowls and cups appear almost decorative (but still functional).

Okay, before you call me out on this, I fully realize this isn’t a tiny kitchen. It’s a rather large kitchen, but there are a few design touches that can be carried over as great ideas for tiny house kitchens too.

First of all, the white and light grey cupboards keep the space very bright. The deep drawers to the side of the stove are great for storage, and the marble countertops are stunning. I like the pops of bright green and maroon, which I wouldn’t have considered before. They look great in this kitchen.

Again, this isn’t a tiny house kitchen, but there are excellent design features to consider when you’re looking for tiny house kitchen ideas.

The concrete countertops are really cool and very popular for kitchen design. Notice how the reflectiveness on the countertops (and stainless steel) keep the dark colors from feeling overwhelming. The rustic light oak ceiling and support post keep this kitchen feeling casual and comfortable; tied into the light oak flooring, the kitchen looks put-together and cohesive.

Stoves: Cooking Surfaces for Tiny Kitchens

I wrote an in-depth breakdown of appliances for tiny kitchens, including how to choose the best stove for your tiny house. So here, I wanted to give you an overview of all the options and cooking surface ideas for tiny house kitchens.

When choosing a stove, space is a significant consideration, but don’t also forget to consider your power access and what your setup will support (if you’re off-grid, your options are more limited). You’ll also want to consider how much cooking you like to do and the type. For example, I realized that 90% of my meals only needed 2 burners, so for me, a small, two-burner Verona stove and a toaster oven is plenty. Other people can’t imagine living without four burners.

One other point to bear in mind, don’t choose the stove you need for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Many people think, “how will I cook a turkey,” or “how will I prepare a five-course meal?” Consider your needs and space the other 363 days a year. You could always cook a turkey outside on the grill, in a smoker or fryer, or prepare a meal in a crockpot (or at a friend’s house with more space). You could even have the meal catered and not worry about that part of it entirely! I keep a Gasone portable butane burner for this or many people have an extra induction burner that you can pull out and setup on the counter top for times when I need an extra burner.

With all these considerations in mind, here’s how to select the best cooking surface for your tiny house.

Selecting The Right Cooking Surface

For Your Tiny House

A three-burner gas stove is an excellent idea for a tiny house kitchen.

GAS
Gas is what I use because I’m off the grid. I like gas, too, because it offers easy adjustability and a high level of control over your cooking. Many chefs I know, swear by gas, and there are plenty of gas stoves out there for tiny houses.

A traditional electric coil stovetop with two or four burners, is a nice option for a tiny kitchen, but uses a lot of power.

ELECTRIC COIL
Electric coil stoves are popular because they’re very affordable. They’re not as easy to keep clean, and they don’t offer the control of gas. It’s also important to note that a coil stove requires quite a bit of power, which is a concern if you’re off-grid.

The sleek, electric smooth-top stove is easy to use and easy to clean. In a tiny house kitchen, it works as an additional surface.

ELECTRIC SMOOTHTOP
If you select a flush-mounted electric smooth-top stove, it helps keep the surface clean. I also love the flush-mounted electric smooth-top stove as an option for extra counter space. When it’s turned off, use it as a work surface.

Alcohol stovetops are popular off-grid stove options.

ALCOHOL
A lot of tiny house people who are off the grid, and don’t want to use petrochemicals love alcohol stoves. These use denatured alcohol, which is cheap and handy. These stoves are hard to find, but they’re quite popular with the houseboat community.

An extra induction burner is a nice addition to your tiny kitchen. Use it as a backup or install in-counter as your everyday stove.

INDUCTION
These little induction burners are great because you turn it off, and it’s cool in a few seconds. It’s very safe, but it does use a good deal of power. I’ve owned one that I use as an extra burner when cooking big meals or for the holidays. When it’s not in use, I throw this under $50 stove in a drawer.

Surfaces: Sinks & Countertops in Tiny House Kitchens

As I mentioned before, one of the best aspects of designing a tiny house kitchen is that your options are vast. You can go for the high-end options like marble, hardwood, tile, and stone because it’s not expensive for a small space. A few hundred dollars more will create a huge impact, so this is where I recommend choosing the highest quality materials.

Sinks, countertops, and backsplashes allow you to let your creativity shine when you design your tiny house kitchen. It’s incredible what a huge impact a different color, different tile choice, or different countertop medium play in the look and feel of your kitchen.

To illustrate the point, see below. Any change will cause a kitchen to look and feel bigger, smaller, more modern, or more rustic. So, when you pick your surfaces, get something you like!

Choosing the Right Sink

Undermount or top mount, the choice is yours, when you install the sink in your tiny house kitchen. There are pros and cons to both options. I like the undermount, personally, because you can put a covering on the sink, and use it as extra counter space when you need it. I also think the undermount sink is easier to clean because I can sweep crumbs from the counter top right into the sink easily. Plus, I think it’s a cleaner look.

That said, there are plenty of reasons to choose a top mount as well. If you’re building your own tiny house, the top mount is much easier to install. This style mount is used with any countertop material, including laminate. Simply caulk around the edge of the sink for a clean look. Undermount sinks are often not used with laminate counters.

Whichever you choose, consider the type of sink to fit your needs. I selected a very deep sink for my tiny house kitchen because I don’t own a dishwasher, and I wanted something to accommodate pots and pans. I also don’t own a washer (I use a laundry service), and I wanted a sink where I could occasionally wash clothing if needed. The sink I choose was a stainless steel deep tub sink.

Sink Surfaces

A standard stainless steel sink is an inexpensive and easy-to-find sink surface choice for your tiny house.

Stainless Steel
Stainless steel sinks are easy to find and are often pre-cut with the proper holes for your faucet. These sinks are available in double or single basin options, and they’re inexpensive. The drawback is they’re a little hard to keep clean, and some people prefer a different look, but for me, I love the look.

Composite sinks are scratch-resistant and durable, making them a good option for your tiny house kitchen.

Composite
A composite sink is made from granite dust and acrylic resin. This material is very scratch resistant, but it might chip if you toss in a pot or pan. These sinks are heat resistant, easy to clean, and very durable. They are cheaper than granite with a similar aesthetic.

Cast iron is an appealing option for a tiny house kitchen sink, especially for a farmhouse-style kitchen.

Cast Iron
Cast iron is a classic option for your tiny house kitchen sink. This is the same sink you might see in a farmhouse or older home. It’s beautiful, but it may scratch, especially with metal pans and utensils. It’s also very hard (so if you drop a glass dish, it will likely break). Keep in mind the weight here—you want to make sure you factor in the weight when you choose a trailer.

Copper is a unique material for a tiny house kitchen sink.

Copper
Copper sinks offer a beautiful look that patinas over time (polish your copper sink to keep it bright and vibrant). These sinks go well with a rustic look and décor. As a material, copper is antimicrobial, which helps reduce kitchen odors.

Choosing countertop materials for your tiny house kitchen, takes research and work. While budget is always a concern, the truth is, with a tiny house, you can often afford higher-end and top-of-the-line materials since your space is small.

For my countertops, I chose a wooden, butcher-block-type counter with a protective coating. I really like it for the look and feel of my kitchen design. That said, there are certain drawbacks to wood. It can get stained by food or marked by a hot pan. It may fade in sunlight, and the choices are limited. The convenience of wood is that you could sand and refinish it if needed.

That all said, after using mine for over 7 years, the only thing I’ve had to do was re-caulk the sink once— outside of a few minor nicks in the surface, it’s great. If you make your countertop solid wood, you can have them sanded down and refinished to make a well-worn counter top look just like new. My countertops are 3” thick, so I can refinish them many times.

I’ve heard great reviews on stone, mainly for the beauty. Again, stone is durable, but it can also be stained (although stone is heat-resistant). Depending on the type of stone, the extraction process isn’t very earth-friendly, so that’s also a consideration.
The other significant consideration with stone is the weight. Remember, a very heavy countertop adds hundreds of pounds to your tiny house. Confirm your trailer or base can handle the weight before you decide on a counter.

Other countertop options include Corian and laminate. Corian is quite durable, and many people love the look. Both types of countertops are made using harsh chemicals. Corian is rather expensive, while laminate is typically the cheapest option.

A good countertop lasts for 20 years or more, so look at it as an investment. Get something you love and find easy to work with. My wooden countertops have held up to a lot of use, and I’m still pleased with them.

Cupboards: Maximize Space with Smart Tiny Kitchen Cupboards

Careful planning of your tiny house kitchen is critical. There’s nowhere this is truer than your cupboards. When I was planning my tiny house kitchen layout, I went to the store and completely stocked my cupboards and pantry. I put everything I was going to use together and measured precisely the amount of space I would need.

While I still highly recommend this exercise as you plan your tiny house kitchen, I now realize I should have planned even more space than I allowed for. This realization is especially true when it comes to my pantry. Everything fits, but it would still be nice to have more room.

So, my advice is to buy everything you would normally keep on hand, measure it, and then double it. It’s much easier to deal with wiggle room than to contend with space that’s slightly less than what you need.

As you see from the cupboard organization tool above, a systematic approach is key to maximizing your space. Even if you have very small cupboards in your tiny house kitchen, a strategic approach will help you find a place for every item.

Put items you use less often up higher. This includes bulky items, lightweight appliances, vases, and other items you only use once in a while. If you have a taller space, consider adding a second shelf in the space or in a pinch, add risers to create a second layer. This is also helpful for small bottles, like spices, jars, tea, or cups that don’t stack well.

Lids are always a struggle to deal with unless you find a way to store them properly. I’ve seen great solutions with drawers and slots. If you don’t have a drawer, you can nest pots and hang lids on the door or above the pans.

I know it takes time to buy uniform containers and repackage all your purchases into matching jars, but when space is at a premium, uniformity will help everything fit in your tiny house kitchen. Be sure to include labels as well. Organizing solutions like drawers, lazy Susan organizers, and small racks help with awkwardly shaped items and small jars like spices.

Don’t store what you don’t need or use frequently. If you own a hoard of Tupperware lids or plastic containers, you’re saving and reusing, go through them and find a match. If there’s not a match, ditch it and purchase a matching set. Keeping only what you need is the key to maximizing cupboard space in your tiny house kitchen.

Pantry: Tiny Kitchen Food Storage

Similar to organizing your cupboards, an organized pantry makes a massive difference to the look and feel of your kitchen. When you’re living in a small space, a tiny pantry quickly gets out of control, disorganized, and unmanageable.

One issue is most pantry items vary in shape and size. A bag of chips, a toaster, blender, and a box of cereal don’t fit well together on a shelf. This challenge requires careful planning when you build your pantry. As I said above, if I had one area I’d expand in my tiny house kitchen it’s my pantry.

That said, my pantry is still quite functional because I WAS deliberate when I planned it out. I made sure I knew what I was going to store and exactly the space I would need to do so. If you’re organizing your pantry, follow the guide below.

When it comes to an organized pantry, it’s all about the right design. Figure out exactly which appliances you’ll need for your tiny house kitchen, and plan accordingly. Even if you take a minimalist approach to stocking your pantry, you’ll still need room for small appliances, jars, cans, pots, and bowls.

Consider what you use in your pantry and which items you may want to let go of, especially if you’re paring down. For example, many people aren’t going to need a shelf for tablecloths and linens, but if that’s something important to you, you may want to plan it in. I own only a few appliances, but if you use items like an Instant Pot, slow cooker, or food processor regularly, you should plan room to house them.

As I said above, before you build your tiny house kitchen pantry, buy all the items you would regularly use. Lay them out, and measure precisely how much space you’ll need to hold it all. Then increase it a little. I spent a lot of time planning out how much space I needed. I was close, but I still wish I had a bit more room for pantry storage.

Organization: Innovative Solutions for Small Spaces

I’m not one for gadgets or one-trick-ponies in the kitchen. I like to keep my tools to a minimum—a good knife set, a durable set of measuring cups, enough silverware for myself, and a few guests. I do like innovative organization solutions, though. I’ve found organizers, hooks, and specialized storage, really helps keep a tiny house kitchen tidy. Everything I need in my tiny house kitchen is right within my reach.

Innovative Solutions

For Small Spaces

An organized silverware drawer is made easy with drawer inserts.

Silverware Drawer Inserts
In my silverware drawer, I had a custom wooden silverware organizer made. This helps me keep all the items in order and easy to find. When you only own a few utensils, you definitely don’t want to misplace them.

Spice Drawer Organizers
There are several organizing options for spices. Some people like a magnetic strip on the wall, or a lazy Susan. I, again, had a custom made specialized spice drawer insert made, which keeps my spice jars in perfect order and ready to go.

A spice drawer looks great with specially made organizing inserts to keep the jars lined up in order.

Non-breakable cups are perfectly at home in a specialized open-shelving wall niche.

Wall Niche for Glasses
I love these stainless steel cups, and they look great in their special wall niche in my tiny house kitchen. This open-shelving lets me keep cups right by the sink, within reach, when I need a drink.

Measuring Cup Hangers
I set up special hooks in my tiny house kitchen for my measuring cups. I use these frequently, and they’re nice sturdy cups. I was sure to get high quality and create a place in my kitchen to keep them handy.

Measuring cups are hung on wooden hooks out of the way but within easy reach in this tiny house kitchen.

Easy To Reach Knife Storage
This knife storage solution is one of my favorites. I had a knife holder built right into my butcher block countertops so that I could keep my chef knives within reach. It saves space and protects the knives.

Drawn To Organizing Things
I love this organization idea. For oddly-shaped items, draw them in the bottom of each drawer organizer space. At a glance, you know exactly where each item will fit for storage.

If you want to keep drawers organized, try outlining each item in the bottom of the drawer.

Drawer organizers are useful for housing multiple items like paper towels, plastic wrap, tinfoil, and other bulky boxes.

Double Duty Drawers
If you use tinfoil, paper towels, and other bulky items, a drawer like this is a perfect solution. These oddly-shaped items are often a kitchen organizing challenge.

Simple Sorting Solutions
Using vertical storage helps maximize your space for large flat items like sheet pans, cookie sheets, and even lids. A divided drawer keeps trays and pans from getting messy.

Sheet pans, lids, and flat items are easy to organize using vertical storage in a divided drawer.

A drawer is a great tiny kitchen solution to hide away your trashcan and recycling bin.

Trash Can Compartments
This is one storage solution I wish I had in my tiny house kitchen. A drawer is a great way to hide the trashcan and recycling bin, keeping them out of the way when they aren’t in use.

Finishes: Flooring, and Design Elements

As I said before, one advantage of a tiny house kitchen is you can splurge on high-end finishes, flooring, surfaces, and appliances. When you’re outfitting such a small space, an upgrade may only increase your budget by a few hundred dollars (making it worth the investment).

I’ve seen a lot of truly beautiful, high-quality touches in tiny house kitchens. The only thing to keep in mind is that in a small space, you’ll want something to blend with the rest of your house (since it is likely viewable from any place in your home). You’ll also want to choose flooring and finishes that are durable because every spot in your home is high traffic.

Lastly, when choosing flooring and finishes, keep the weight in mind. Tile and stone may add extra weight to your house, so factor it into your frame and support calculations.

Flooring

HARDWOOD
Durable and easy-to-care-for, hardwood is an excellent choice for a tiny house kitchen, particularly if you choose hardwood throughout the rest of your house. Hardwood is water-resistant and comes in either solid wood or engineered wood planks.

Tile is a durable, beautiful flooring option for a tiny house kitchen.

CERAMIC TILE
Tile is durable, beautiful, and easy to care for. Porcelain tile (an upgrade from ceramic) is less porous and even harder. Tile is available glazed or unglazed in a wide array of colors and textures. Ceramic tile is also lightweight, making it a good choice for tiny houses.

Linoleum is a renewable flooring option that’s durable and available in many colors and patterns.

LINOLEUM SHEET
Linoleum is a manufactured flooring made of cork and linseed oil. This natural flooring is renewable and durable. There are many different patterns and colors available. Be aware that linoleum can crack over time, but it typically holds up for decades.

Natural stone makes a beautiful and interesting tiny house kitchen flooring option.

NATURAL STONE
Granite, marble, slate, and limestone floors are show-stopping options for tiny house kitchen floors. Natural stone has interesting variations and natural beauty that many tiny house owners love. That said, the weight of natural stone is a challenge, so calculate and factor it into your planning.

Cork is a sustainable, waterproof, kitchen flooring choice.

CORK
Cork is one of those options people either love or hate. It’s waterproof, tough, and lightweight. It’s also made from sustainable tree bark, making it an eco-friendly choice. You need to reseal it every few years to keep it protected from stains, scuffs, and marks. Cork also has a distinctive look.

Vinyl plank flooring has come a long way and is quite a popular option for tiny house kitchen floors.

VINYL PLANK
Vinyl plank flooring is a low-maintenance kitchen flooring choice. This flooring is water-resistant, durable, easy to install, and affordable. While vinyl has come a long way in the past few years, it still doesn’t beat the look of hardwood, but there are many options available and an array of finishes.

When it comes to flooring, there are many different options out there. When you’re planning flooring for your kitchen, you may want to choose one type of flooring throughout the entire house. With a small floorplan, uniform flooring offers a cohesive look and help the space feel a little bigger.

I installed hardwood maple flooring throughout my tiny house. I love the look, and it’s solid hardwood so it will last forever. In a regular-sized house, maple hardwood floors would cost a mint, but in a tiny house, it’s much cheaper. Choose top-tier materials and higher-end finishes you’ll be happy with; consider it an investment in the long-term comfort and livability of your tiny house.

Backsplash Materials

CERAMIC TILE

Ceramic tile such a classic, bright look for your backsplash. White subway tile has become a popular option, but square and colored tiles also add a lot of visual interest.

GLASS TILE

Glass tile is a light, airy backsplash tile option that works well in a small space. This tile is easy to install yourself. Find it in a variety of colors and variations from clear to opaque.

NATURAL STONE

Granite, marble, and slate are beautiful backsplash options for your tiny house kitchen. You may want to match your stone to your countertop or choose a contrasting color.

STAINLESS STEEL

Stainless steel countertops feel modern, professional, and “chef-worthy.” Not only does stainless steel brighten a small kitchen, but it’s easy to maintain and durable.

WOOD

A wood backsplash is classic and easy to maintain. Not only does this option fit well with the aesthetics of many tiny house kitchens, but it’s a great DIY choice.

PAINT

A painted backsplash is the easiest options for your tiny house kitchen. Vary the look with beadboard, shiplap, or wainscoting. Use semigloss paint for easy cleaning.

For my backsplash, I chose natural wood to match the rest of my tiny house kitchen. I find the wood is easy to keep up and looks great, even after several years. There are many different backsplash options out there for tiny house kitchens, and this is a place to express your creativity. It’s incredible how much a backsplash changes the look of a whole kitchen.

Designing a kitchen is a big project, but hopefully, these tiny house kitchen ideas have helped you get your creative wheels turning. It’s essential to plan a kitchen that’s well-organized, functional, and easy-to-maintain. It’s also important you end up with a kitchen you love, where you enjoy cooking.

I’ve found since I moved into my tiny house, I’ve started to enjoy preparing simple meals. While I often grill out, I really love prepping in my kitchen. I’ve built up my knife skills and learned cooking techniques I’m proud of. Working in a clean, organized kitchen brings me a lot of joy. With careful planning, your tiny house kitchen will bring you culinary happiness as well!

Your Turn!

What is your favorite tiny house kitchen idea?
What part of the kitchen do you most enjoy?