I caught a great little video on CNN yesterday about Boston's Skinny House. Also known as the Spite House, this structure is 10.5 feet wide at its widest ... on the outside! Inside, the widest space is 9 1/2 feet wide and the narrowest is 6 1/2 feet! Check out the video after the jump…
I'm drawn to tiny and and otherwise quirky structures, so this house is right up my alley. The owners of this house at 44 Hull Street in Boston describe some of the challenges of living in such a narrow vertical space. Namely — moving in furniture. And that's a task made all the more challenging because the front door is actually located on the alley side of the building.
Even with the inherent challenges of living in the skinny space, I bet it's a fun house to occupy. It's for rent through VRBO so I guess I could experience it for myself if I find myself in Boston anytime soon.
Image and video: CNN
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Comments (15)
if i had a tiny home like this one, i'd hire a master carpenter to create built ins (as on a ship) and nothing low end. a gem like this deserves fine furnishings. forget the sofa & curl up in small comfy chairs or maybe a loveseat.
My sister owned the smallest house in the city of Lancaster, PA, which was about the same width, but a story shorter. There is something so charming about a small home. She really inspired me to consider just how much space you really need in order to live happily.
At 12'-6' or 13" wide on the interior, my rowhome seems "spacious" :)
It has a driveway for bikes!
Yachts, submarines, and ambulances all demonstrate excellent ideas for using small spaces well.
PS Also, check out the NASA museums on the Space Coast if they're still there. I liked getting into capsules and subs at science museums. The people who actually work in them must have zero claustrophobia.
That's the perfect place for one of those sofa's that you put together once it's IN the house. I loved that story about moving the sofa up! Custom built furniture would also help, I love the way they decorated-it actually looks spacious. Looks like a fun place to visit! Hope you do a story/vacation on it!
Always wanted to know what the interior of that house was like. Interesting post!
I've actually been to a party in that house. Fabulous backyard.
I love "spite" houses. The 7' wide Alexandria, VA Queen Street spite house is right around the corner from us. They all have so many stories associated with them, some true, some false. We wrote about how the one near us came to be. http://www.oldtownhome.com/2011/9/29/In-Spite-of-its-Size-the-Queen-Street-Spite-House-Impresses/
I lived in a similar space for about a year. We had a loft bed-- it felt like living on a boat. Very cosy.
I rent a cottage in England which is 9" 2' at its widest and what I like to call 1 and a half floors (the top is a converted attic so slopping and I can touch the roof) and I never thought of it as hugely small although everytime I move in furniture I'm reminded of the sofa and stairwell scene from Friends. It's all about celebrating and loving what you do have.
My RV is 8' wide inside. I can't see any reason to have a wider home than that because I can fit in all the furniture I need for my lifestyle without feeling crowded.
I love this! That is one sweet little skinny house!
It would be nice to live in a tiny home where you are forced to rethink those standard "must have " furniture pieces. Creativity & thought would have to come before shopping and buying some mass produced object that you like at the moment.