For a guy with big ideas, Edgar Blazona thinks small. I like him because he let me put one of his tiny Modern Dwellings in my book Haven and drove several hours on 101 to help out with the photo shoot.

The Berkeley-based designer’s prefabs can be used for everything from backyard yoga studio to minimalist weekend retreat. They’ve appeared in Dwell and made the MetHome Design 100. You can build one from Home Depot materials for about $15,000. A 100 square foot version created for Ready Made, pictured here, will only set you back $1,500.

But I really admire Blazona because he makes being a parent look cool. He and his wife Julia, a textile designer, just launched True Modern, a collection of smart, sustainable furniture and sheets for kids. Low-to-the-floor platform beds have rounded corners and natural non toxic finishes; changing tables are crafted of solid birch and convert to dressers.

-allison