05.02.2025

Small Wonders:
The World’s Tiny Homes

It may seem something of a paradox, but as global cities expand, living space within them appears to be shrinking and tiny homes are emerging. As a result of high population density and increasing land prices, life in one of the world’s largest metropoles — think London, New York or Tokyo — often suggests swapping size for a more coveted postcode. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to compromise on design quality. In fact, quite the opposite can be true, as often a small space can yield extraordinary results, not in spite of, but because of its boutique nature. Taking this one step further, it has been claimed that going for smaller living quarters can dramatically reduce one’s carbon footprint through sheer efficiency of space and, therefore, energy use, eventually leading to more sustainable urban hubs altogether. Either way, with restricted proportions, design is forced to work harder and, in spatial terms at least, clever solutions can make a relatively compact room feel larger and even more comfortable than many of its more sizeable counterparts. Discover the hidden luxury of the world’s tiny homes.

Adriana Natcheva’s Tiny Townhouse

The key to a perfectly balanced boutique residence lies in a reasonable level of customisation. That’s exactly what London architect Adriana Natcheva discovered when she decided to move into her fairly modest — in size — Kensington home, a perfect example of a tiny home. The residence is set in a bijoux 51 sqm mews house within a Victorian complex. What used to be a dark, cramped space is now a true box of delights, put together imaginatively by Natcheva through a tailored approach — everything here was composed bespoke, from the layout to the luxury materials and fittings, plus the carefully chosen furniture, a mix of new and vintage pieces. By opening up the space (knocking through walls and raising the bedroom on a mezzanine level) and adding new windows at the rear, the architect allowed southern light into the dark, north-facing building. High-end materials, such as ebony wood for the floors, gold-veined Nero Portoro marble, mahogany and leather, underline the design philosophy and lift the compact interior, transforming it into a rich space, full of potential. The plan proved such a success that Natcheva put it into action not once but twice, also reworking one of the adjacent mews houses for her brother in a similar style.


Brian Heron’s Tiny Penthouse

Not everyone is lucky enough to own an architectural icon, but you don’t need the expanses of the Villa Savoye to live the Modernist dream, as architect Brian Heron’s penthouse proves. This quirky tiny home is set, amazingly, in what used to be a water tank, right on the top of Keeling House, the East London Grade II*-listed tower block designed by celebrated British architect Denys Lasdun (of National Theatre fame) in the 1950s. When Heron purchased this bit of architectural history, the former water tank was an empty shell, ripe for redevelopment. Working with the space’s height, Heron created a 60 sqm duplex penthouse full of built-in storage, fitted with sleeping areas for a couple and a child on a mezzanine. Large, appropriately shaded openings, specially designed cabinetry and a brand-new staircase bring the whole together so that it reads as a single piece of bespoke architecture — a small but perfectly formed Modernist bird’s nest.


Søren Rose’s American Trailer Tiny Home

Further west and across the water, Danish-born and New York-based designer Søren Rose took on the challenge to transform a very different space altogether — making his dream of living a life close to nature in a classical American trailer (a 1974 AirStream Overlander, to be precise) reality. Working with iconic Danish and international brands, such as Kvadrat, Copenhagen Joinery, VOLA, BeoPlay, Bisazza, Roblon, Gaggenau and Dinesen, Rose and his team completely transformed the compact interior. “We never thought that the clean futuristic exterior matched the laminated vinyl cigar box interior [of the vehicle],” explains Rose. The designer used beautifully customised joinery and refined materials, matching an untouched, original exterior with a new Scandinavian interior when creating his own interpretation of a modern trailer — a luxury tiny home on wheels.


Atelier Oslo’s Cabin Norderhov

Indeed, the Scandinavians have got the art of tiny home living down to a fine art, as perfectly displayed by their passion for the outdoors and their infinite contemporary versions of the traditional countryside log cabin. Trading the option of sprawling holiday villas for neater structures that keep them in close contact with nature at all times, the Norwegians are something of a specialist in this field. Atelier Oslo’s Cabin Norderhov, for instance, may be a relatively small 80 sqm, but it comfortably houses a whole family and guests into its streamlined interior, set within the Krokskogen forest. Focusing on orientating different rooms to the site’s optimal views, while giving protection from the region’s strong winds, the architects worked with a fairly simple exterior, allowing the interior design’s brilliance to shine through. The cabin is clad throughout internally in birch plywood that makes for a particularly warm and cosy shelter from the harsh Norwegian weather.


Tiny Homes Across the World

Further afield, Japan has long led the way in the microapartments department. Tokyo, specifically, is famous for them, spanning historical examples such as the 1970s Nakagin Capsule Tower by Japanese Metabolist Kisho Kurokawa (demolished in 2022) to today’s Ququri typology, which represents flats of as little as a jaw-dropping 8 sqm. In the Kevin apartment in Hong Kong — where space is equally at a premium — by local architecture practice JAAK, this trend finds a more contemporary, design-led expression. At just 33 sqm, the flat is rather minuscule, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in flair and ambition. Inspired by Japanese simplicity and compact living, with indoor/outdoor areas, bespoke timber cabinetry and a subdued and calming colour palette, Kevin is a great example of ingenious interior architecture that punches above its weight. In fact, JAAK founders, Chau Wing Chung and Calvin Cheng, have completed a number of small but perfectly formed Hong Kong apartments, making a name for themselves as experts in the magic of downscaling without sacrificing elegance.

In more recent projects, the trend of maximising minimalism continues to flourish, with architects and designers pushing the boundaries of small-space innovation. One notable example is the work of Tokyo-based architect Yuko Nagayama, whose katsutadai house project merges residential and commercial spaces within a compact footprint in Chilba. The multi-purpose building makes ingenious use of vertical space, featuring glass partitions, hidden storage, and fluid transitions between public and private zones, creating a dynamic yet intimate environment. Similarly, in the US, the award-winning “MicroPAD” by Panoramic Interests addresses the pressing issue of urban homelessness by offering modular 14.8 sqm units equipped with foldable furniture, energy-efficient appliances, and robust soundproofing. These initiatives showcase how contemporary design is evolving to not only embrace but celebrate tiny homes, blending practicality with aesthetic ambition to meet the needs of modern urbanites.

The message is clear: tiny homes are not only beautiful but can also be stimulating,
innovative, and utterly luxurious.


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