The Latest

It may not feel like it on the East Coast yet, but spring is definitely on its way. And that means spring cleaning won’t be far behind. One little shortcut that doesn’t actually involve a bit of scrubbing or organizing: adding in a plant or two can make any space feel a tiny bit better and brighter. Plus, having fresh colorful flowers around always makes me feel like the weather is friendlier than it actually is.

Although our generation sometimes acts like they invented the Tiny House, the idea has been kicking around essentially since the invention of the house itself, to be periodically rediscovered by people enamored with returning to a simpler existence. In 1845, Henry David Thoreau, who was then 28, began what would be a 2-year experiment in living simply and retreating (well, mostly) from society and its materialistic ills. He moved to the shores of Walden Pond, and built himself a tiny house.

I love maps. Our walls are littered with them; even our shower curtain was a world map for awhile. And one of my favorite pastimes as a kid was dreaming up and then mapping imaginary countries, inspired by the fictitious atlases in books like The Phantom Tollbooth and The Hobbit. So when my wife and I discovered “Jerry’s Map” at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City last month, I was giddy.

As small space living gets more and more popular, the tiny houses and micro homes have become sleeker, smarter and well, taller. This skinny micro home was designed by Dutch firm Ana Rocha Architecture and was given the extra appropriate name, The Slim Fit. It looks sort of like a sexy Lincoln Log and offers 538 square feet of living space, spread out across three floors. The exterior is covered Ayous hardwood, which was laid out vertically emphasizing the length of the building.

Before I had kids, I would typically hightail it through the children’s section of IKEA watching to be sure my toes didn’t get squashed by a rocking moose. But with two kids at home, I now know my DUKTIGs from my LATTJOs and my FLISATS from my MAMMUTs. And, I can tell you, there are some good grownup finds in there that you might be overlooking. Let me show you a few… IKEA was smart to design a very basic dollhouse, the FLISAT ($29.

Becoming one with nature is the supporting theme behind COULSON’s “Disappear Retreat,” a sustainable structure that completely blends in with its surrounding environment. Constructed to withstand extremely cold climate locations like Chicago, Seattle, Buffalo and Calgary, the tiny structure’s harmonious design is highlighted by various eco-friendly elements that ensure its living footprint remains at “zero energy, zero waste, zero water.

Living in just one room with no walls to divide your bed from the kitchen or the living room is not easy. And when that one room is on the small side, it’s even harder. This collection of stupendous studio apartments aren’t just mentioned because they’re stylish. They make the list because they people dwelling in them have found clever and beautiful ways to create visual divisions between the functional areas of their one-room home.

Generally speaking, when building in a small space, something always has to give — and in an populated area, most often the “give” is in sacrificing outdoor spaces, especially gardens. But one Beijing- and Austria-based design duo has found a genius solution in the plans for this “Yin & Yang House” currently being built in central Germany.