Yay! An entry from my home town!

wow, this is small but yet so cute and well organized! Love the 3D model as well, as it gives a greater sense of the space.

Now this is small! I wish I had the courage to pare down my life this much. Maybe some day. My only complaint is the fish-eye lens. I imagine it was needed to get into such tight spaces, but the distortion makes my tummy hurt. Awesome space! Plans for any painting to make it less woody?

This is so cool- it pisses me off! :-)

smallest, coolest. winner winner chicken dinner!

I love it, but where do they store anything??? Like, their clothes??

this is the EPITOME of what this contest is about. awesome!

This is a really cute house and I can't believe 2 people live in it plus pets! I think I would have lofted the other side maybe halfway over the living space as well for another little nook or storage area above and just leave the vault in the center of the room. I know that it would cut down on the open feeling of the vaulted ceiling but would add some extra space. Super cute kitchen with a surprising amount of workspace on the countertop. I have to say though, that picture of the bedroom makes me feel sort of like being 6 feet under in a pine box! A little too claustrophobic for me...

Wow! My old East Village studio was this size (and likely a little smaller), but if it had the open airiness of this vaulted ceiling I may never have left! Really, really nifty space.

I wish we could have seen a picture of the outside, too, but I imagine it's harder to stay anonymous that way. Alas!

Loquaciouslaura - It looks like there is a decent sized closet behind the ladder in pic # 3 - which explains why the ladder needs to move. This is wicked cool.

This is awesome. I kind of like the woody-ness of it! I'm curious where your clothes are stored.

Now this is COOL. All of the wood isn't my personal style, but I don't even case because this is just AWESOME. I love it.

WOW!

WINNER HANDS DOWN

This is so cool!! Really nice use of space. It's encouraging to know a couple and their pets can live peacefully in such a tiny space =)

what an awesome layout! but where do they eat their meals??

In the Pacific Northwest we still exercise outside when it rains. :)

I would be screaming in a place this small. This looks as pleasant as a place this size can be made, but not realistic for most people.

I just died. I'm writing this comment from beyond the grave. Holy crap this is amazing. <3

This is exactly what the Small Cool Contest is about. The loft feels so cozy! I like that you still incorporated color into your decor.

Why 170 feet for a standalone house? So many of the small spaces on here are apartments designed by others (complexes, old split-up houses, etc), but if this is custom-designed, why not bigger (200, 400, 700 sqft)?

Obviously, yes.

There's no denying it's cool, but like some of the other comments, some of this leaves me scratching my head. What kind of art is she able to create in a space so small? Only that one closet for storage for two people? No door between the kitchen and the bathroom? Call me fussy, but I don't like the idea of a toilet being so close to where the food is prepared without some kind of barrier :-P

@JUNIBREEZE, I was wondering that as well, but then I noticed that there's a folding chair resting against the wall. They can both sit at the desk/table at the same time. One mystery solved!

"Holy tiny!" was my first thought. It's like a doll house!

So sweet. Is this a Tumbleweed?

TWO people, and TWO cats? Wow...I'm speechless. Very cozy indeed. Is this your PRIMARY residence?

Great use of tiny tiny space. I think I saw something like this on HGTV. Is this your "retreat" meaning that you live here all of the time or just a "retreat" to go to? Nevertheless it's well done. I didn't see any source of heat! Doesn't it get really cold there? It's also a good sign that you and your mate get along. (have you ever noticed that when you don't...small spaces get smaller?!)

Wow I wish I could live this simply! We have two kids though, but still! AWESOME.

I'm so thrilled a tiny home made it in this year. I'm a huge fan of these small houses on trailers. Who is the builder or was it self made? The details are brilliant. I especially love the separate shower area made from a planting barrel(?). So many tiny homes have a wet bath. That gives me the heebie jeebies!

To all those curious about storage, a huge part of tiny living is getting rid of most of your things. I'm sure this couple has plenty of room. There's a sizable closet (tiny home wise), and a lot of these homes have storage in the loft floor accessible by trap doors.

What an amazing place! Yay for Tumbleweed homes!!

I dunno... it's certainly small, but I'm not really seeing any ingenious space-saving solutions or clever ways of making a small place work. It's not inspirational, just... small!?

fantastic. Love the wood.

Are these photos real? Photo #1 looks particularly CGI. Neat place though!

Claustrophobic or not, hard to deny praise when it comes this great space. I think in the square footage living space department you guys bagged the 1st prize. Truly awesome weekday-weekend nook. Tumbleweed Homes,huh? I wonder if they could drop one for me in Big Sur?

L'amazing! Me want.

I'm jealous tbh. I would love to live in one of these but where would I put it lol

Kudo to you on the great quality pictures, Thumbs up to you on making simplicity so effortlessly attainable, and comfortable. You place is about the size a Yurt and I would never live in one; HOWEVER I would live in yours...........alone.........no cats!

Question for you, do you ever get bored or tired of looking at all that wood? Have you ever thought about painting a wall and what that would do to your space? I bet that would be interesting. Just a thought. Really impressive for the size.

Awe inspiring and amazing lovely. But the question is begging from many of us is your wardobes are as pared down as your home. Imean where so you hang a hat or put your coats ? A root cellar/clothers pit prehaps ?

This small because under the size that requires a building permit. I want a Katrina cottage but the city and county said cottage too small to live in. All the houses in Ocean Springs MS have been removed. I'm building a Lusby because that is the only way I can afford home ownership. Google tumbleweed homes or search tiny homes pinterest.

Winner.
That said, I have many of the same questions others have asked. We want details! Agree with Aurorava--if you built this, why did you choose not to build a little bigger? I understand money might be the issue, but once you have the infrastructure/utilities, how much is just a little more square footage?

Also: do you really live here full time and where's all your stuff? Would love to see detailed pix of the storage. How long have you been together? This seems like it could really be difficult on a relationship over the long haul.

I loves me a tiny house and this certainly fits the bill. BUT...it looks like many other Tumbleweed Houses that I've seen. I'm not saying that you should go hog-wild with decor but there is nothing in the minimalist design present that gives me a sense of the personality of the person(s) living there.

Very cool, creative, and efficient! What I want to know is, where did she get that shower stall -- would love to get the details for my upcoming garage renovation.

See this is why I cant enter this contest- how can my cookie cutter condo compare with THIS??

Where is the litterbox??

Reminds me of the Lucy & Desi movie the Long, Long Trailer. And while I admire your restraint and am envious of your ability to live sparingly (an attribute I, unfortunately, do not possess), I still have to say I love NOT camping. But kudos to you for pulling it off with aplomb! Absolutely cool and damn small by ANY definition!

I love me a cute Tumbleweed house!

Large or small, messy or tidy, I think our places reflect our moods and attitude towards life. This space is genious, and it likely reflects the two of you: spare, practical, keeping (a lot of) nature as a major element here. Although I appreciate wood, I find that your place could use some color, even if just as an accent (because the wood grain makes it a little busy to me,) but it really doesn't matter, does it, it works for the four of you beautifully. Congrats!

I love your courage to live in a small space!

This is just wild. I'd never leave on weekends. If I was guest.

WHERE IS THE TOILET?

Sick!!!! (I literally said that out loud). Wow, I'm at a loss for words. LOVE IT. WINNER.

I am so proud, I live in same county. Its adorable. What are the counter tops in kitchen made of.... Great job. love it, love it. good luck...

I'm totally lovin the Popomo model. I see mine somewhere in Cali with an ocean view of course :)

http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/houses/popomo/

how SMALL and COOL ... sorry what was the name of the contest again??? ah, yes .... SMALL COOL. Congratulations on your home, for entering and being a bookmark for what this contest is about. Good luck!

When can I come visit? Love it. Unlike some others, I love the wood, so don't even think about paint. Yes, I want you to win!

My dream home!! :)

Tehee. Winner!

Bueatiful. Looking forward to building mine.

Inspiring!

You people are so cute who say, "Where do they keep the rest of their stuff?" It's called living simply and getting rid of all the "stuff" that clutters up our lives. People could live quite happily (and do!) with very little in the terms of material possessions.

I understand from the plan that the plumbed half of the house is the first floor and the peaked half of the house that contains the loft is the second floor, but how do you get from the first floor to the second floor?

Couldn't live this way full-time unless you paid me. But kudos for being able to -- I assume like other have that this is your bonafide full-time home and not a weekend getaway.

I think it is a Fencl
http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/houses/fencl/

I might CRY I am sooooo in love with this. <3 When my kids grow up and spread their wings, this is exactly the sort of place you will find me. Though, living in the GTA (Toronto area), not sure how practical it is... Might need to head West! ;)

wow, great place and great production back :p

PS Or, are the first and second "floors" actually separate structures, or side-by-side somehow?

Bellissima!!! The COOLEST of COOL, TOP SHELF... nice job folks! TRULY A WINNER!!

Good god I'm jealous. This is my dream. Really well done for pulling it off, I'd love to know how long you've been living like this full time. Gorgeous.

BAD. ASS. It's like the treehouse of my dreams.

Hmm, after looking at the Tumbleweed links that others have been nice enough to post, I'm less impressed with this. This home looks pretty much straight out of the box -- besides a couple of pictures on the wall and the mounted computer, it basically looks like the model homes on the company's website.

It's still pretty and it's impressive that they can live in such a small space, but I don't think something so straight-from-the-manufacturer deserves to win.

PPS Oh, I get it now, there's just one floor and then the lofted bed. The diagrams are of the same area, but one leaves out the lofted bed. Very neat!

Love this. I'd maybe paint one side of the wall so it wont feel too cabin-like. But maybe that's what youre going for.

Malissa - Bravo! Your home is beautiful and inspiring. I love the modifications you made (dormers, side entry) and the finishes are lovely. Love the shower! Makes me all the more excited to embark upon my own build.

Wow, so many questions about Chris and I's home! Thought I might share a few things that aren't seen in the space. Chris and I designed and built the space ourselves, so we are really proud of the home we have created. We did a lot of downsizing and what you see is what we have. Our clothes are stored in the compartments next to the bed, up in the loft as well as the closet in the living room. Our bench also has tons of extra storage for our hobby items. We climb a ladder I made out of cedar every night to go to bed, it's very romantic! We have a composting toilet that sits against the wall in front of the shower. And yes, we live in it full time, this is our home. Thank you everyone for all your warm and cheering comments!

Malissa

I love all the windows!!! You have so much more storage than other tiny homes of this size I have seen. Is that a small tub you can soak in? If so, great idea. Regardless, this is a great entry!

Malissa we are voting! Nice. At everyone else: They designed and built it themselves on a trailer! The size is for the option to be mobile and to avoid permits! It sounds small at 170 sq ft, but it's actually quite roomy. A place for everything and everything in its place. This one should win!

The shower claust, oh my. I'd die dirty before I'd step into that. The tiny ness is admirable. The lack of almost any personal decor or cultural artifacts or evidence of any industry aside from serious computing, the Burning Man/steampunk ethos built into the visually chaotic wood grain, not so much. One flower, one book, one reference to a world outside itself.

Awesome.

I also love how some readers are having their mind blown.

This is so charming!! I love it!!

Favorite times a thousand! Tumbleweed forever!!!!

This is a great tiny home. You guys did a wonderful job on your little place. Very charming. Just a FYI for the people leaving comments..... If you don't want to build your own tiny home, yet you want one - you can order a wonderful tiny home from Slabtown Custom Homes in Arkansas. I did, and it was towed from Arkansas to Seattle area this past Nov. I painted mine all white inside. While many people here are making comments that iMelissa's home should be painted many would look at mine and wonder why I painted every inch of it white. It is up to the individual what colors they choose to use or if they want to keep a natural look. I did not enter the contest because I am not finished fixing up my little retreat. But - I just wanted to point out that Tumblweed tiny homes are not the only options. There are MANY other fantastic builders out there and you can purchase a tiny home like mine for close to 16K finished. Here is a link to my tiny home. www.ShabbyChicTinyRetreat.blogspot.com There is also a video link to it on my blog.

Your shower made me smile and sigh with amazement. Super.

I haven't read other comments, so apologies if you have already answered similar questions. How is your house heated/insulated, and do you live there year-round? Does it have foundations?

I admire your ability to live in such a small space. I couldn't do it. I'd get cabin fever.

I am curious as to why the iMac's outlet is so high up?

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Really nice

Is it on wheels, a trailer?

It's not a Tumbleweed but it does look great! {Full disclosure: I work for T'weed.}

This is quite amazing and you get my vote for sheer originality. The pictures are stunning and could be featured in an art book, but their artistic angles make it hard to get a realistic feel of the space. But regardless, this home absolutely deserves to be featured all over Apartment Therapy and you are to be congratulated.

Only in Snohomish...

Beautifully executed tiny home. I wish I were healthier so that I could build one of these for myself. I love the tiny living concept.

this is great. i think the only problem i'd have is i'd bump my elbows in the shower.

After looking at tiny homes for over a year, and itching to build one, I finally have seen one that I like everything about and would change very little. Other than French doors, it is perfect for me. Will check out your blog and would love to know who wrote the plans for it.
Hope you win.

Malissa, I am enthralled with your small living space and you had my vote immediately! Would you be willing to share your details of living in a small space with me on my blog: http://honeyishrunkthehouse.blogspot.com/ ? Part of my downsizing journey is to figure out exactly what is necessary to survive, how you eliminated all your "stuff" and what you wouldn't do without. I would love to hear from you and good luck with the contest!

This is one of the best small spaces I have ever seen!

No room for sewing machine. Would die.

Gorgeous home! I love all the wood! Great design!! I hope you win!!

I felt spicy, so I leave comment. Love love love this little home! I had no idea such a small place could be made so warm and inviting!!! :)

Very Nice ;)

I love the design! It's very inviting for such a small home. I commend you for being able to make a life and relationship work in a tiny space; that takes commitment. What a journey. Congrats... you got my vote :)

AWESOME!!! This is Sean from MI-- Chris-- thanks for sharing and best of
Luck to you and Malissa with this great home!!

Cheers.

My favorite entry so far. Gorgeous.

I absolutley dig this kind of living. Kitchen even seems huge :D
You've got my vote :-)

I love this. I do have a couple of questions though. Is there really no barrier between the bathroom and kitchen? And I couldn't tell if there were cabinets under the counter or not and if not why did you chose not to use that space? Nonetheless, great place, I definitely voted!

WOW! It's amazing what you can do with very little space. These living quarters rival the most lavish homes in design, materials and maximum utilization of space. Kudos to you!

No doubt a cute home & efficient use of very minimal space.
But having lived in northern Minnesota all my life, I cringe at new pine T&G wall to wall & on the ceiling. It's everywhere here, very overdone & lacking character. I suppose for the NYC apartment dwellers, etc. this look is something new. But here, it is so cookie cutter. Some more salvaged, less clear-cut-the-forest materials would be good.

Mainly, I have a very hard time with the extremely distorted fish-eye images. I don't think they offer true enough experience to the viewers, nor are on a fair playing field with un-distorted images of spaces equally as small. Not a photography contest. This is a home space/design contest.
The pictures have a cool edge to them. The space, not so, in my book. It was designed for them, and has next to no personal decorating.

I do like the use of stud space for kitchen storage.
And kudos to you for living small & simple! Don't think you need me to wish you luck - looks like a very popular entry. :)

Very cool! I don't know if I could live with all that wood - I would be tempted to take a white paintbrush to it!

I'm with one of the other commenters - I would love a Katrina cottage size home, but it's difficult to get permission from the city to build such a small home. I'm thinking of retiring to Florida, where I can buy a cheap trailer park, and replace the ugly trailers with Katrina cottages - live in one, and rent the others out. I can dream, right?

Umh. that's a lot of wood going on there. That shower sure is cute.

WOW!!!!!

In reviewing all the comments I notice you mentioned using a composting toilet. Did you get it from a manufacturer who designs units that meet local regulations or the basic 20 gallon bucket system similarly outlined in the “humanure handbook”?

It is an interesting concept that is gaining support in arid regions and communities like Austin, Texas and Marin County, California. But I do wonder if the potential for successful thermophilic composting is as great in a predominantly wet region like the pacific northwest or will it require a secondary treatment to inactivate pathogens. Either way, I do think it can be one good option as long as households and community members are well educated in disease vector control, use proper protection during disposal, and create a monitoring program to ensure no contamination of groundwater and that the final product is fully decomposed and hygienised. Good luck with it!

It's a nice Tumbleweed sort of house. I like the idea, but the decor doesn't really blow my skirt up. Like some other folks, I wonder if this is a primary residence.

Love. Wish I could vote for it now :( It's like the treehouse of my dreams. I will build one for myself one day.

That shower is adorable, oh how I wish there was an outside shot too

i could not find the video to see the interior fully, it looks larger from exterior, and not much shows in the xmas pics. which we could see your floorplan and pics,

I have to agree about the fish-eye. This looks like a really interesting space but it's extremely hard to get a realistic idea of the layout and proportions. Reminds me of those real estate adds where the photos make the rooms look twice their actual size.

Would you mind sharing your plan or source? My hubby and I are planning on building one very similar. Thanks! :)