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11 terrifically tiny homesThese functional-but-small houses prove that bigger is not always better.
21 knockout built-insThese clever features can expand your existing space.
6 tips for tiny gardensThis petite patch of green is bursting with space-smart solutions.
6 design tricks for a small homeSee how a few smart strategies made the most of 1,200 square feet.
10 tiny houses you'll love big timeYou can find huge savings in these small living spaces.
5 reasons to buy a small houseLearn some of the benefits of living in less space.
Make a small home work for youLearn how you can live comfortably with less space.
Big ideas from Japan's tiny housesSmall spaces don't always mean squeezing, as these scaled-down homes show.
How to live large in a small spaceHere are 10 tips for making the most of tight quarters.
© Lisa Romerein/Sunset
© Lisa Romerein/Sunset
© Lisa Romerein/Sunset
© Lisa Romerein/Sunset
© Lisa Romerein/Sunset
© Lisa Romerein/Sunset
© Lisa Romerein/Sunset
© Lisa Romerein/Sunset
© Lisa Romerein/Sunset
© Lisa Romerein/Sunset
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Thank you.
One stop shop, check out www.historicranch.com plus their products are green.
They pass the savings to the consumer, by cutting the labor cost.
Again check www.historicranch.com out if you want to remodel your home.
Tiny cottage renovation
By Susan Heeger of Sunset
Julie Hart’s 1930s residence in Santa Monica, Calif., had been billed as a teardown. "Most people would have started over,” the architectural designer says.
Instead, when she first saw the house (next page), she climbed to the attic to make sure she could raise the ceiling to the rafters and open up the cramped rooms.
Get the look: Her new front door is painted in the Designer Collection II LP6 exterior gloss enamel
- Sunset.com: 18 front-yard makeovers
- Bing Cube: Check out more photos of small-space design
- MSN Living: 5 tips for designing small spaces
Tiny cottage renovation
Off to a good start
Purchased in 2000, the charming “Monopoly house” (as its owners describe it) also came with a friendly, walkable neighborhood.
- Video: Small-space design solutions
- Pinterest users: Check out MSN Real Estate's boards
Tiny cottage renovation
Planning for renovation
After buying the 900-square-foot home with her partner, Monet LeMon, an executive recruiter for nonprofits, Julie Hart worked out a budget-friendly scheme that scheduled critical renovations during the first six months (while the couple continued to live elsewhere) and chipped away at the rest of their wish list over several years.
- Bing Cube: Check out more photos of small-space design
- MSN Living: 5 tips for designing small spaces
Tiny cottage renovation
Maximizing light
New oversize windows and skylights invite in the sunshine. Walls are painted a light-bouncing white, while white ceramic subway tiles brighten the kitchen and baths.
For contrast, the wooden floors are stained in a custom mix of ebony and dark walnut shades; the high-gloss polyurethane top coat reflects even more light.
Get the look: Wall paint is Decorator’s White eggshell with semi-gloss trim throughout
(benjaminmoore.com for stores) Kitchen tile is ceramic 3-inch-by-6-inch in white K101 (daltile.com for stores)
- Video: Small-space design solutions
- Pinterest users: Check out MSN Real Estate's boards
Tiny cottage renovation
Before: The living area
This cramped, dark room gave way to a light-filled, loftlike space (next photo).
- Bing Cube: Check out more photos of small-space design
- MSN Living: 5 tips for designing small spaces
Tiny cottage renovation
After: Colorful new gathering area
Owner Julie Hart sparks the mostly white interior with colorful accent pillows, throws and pottery ― all easy-to-change details that she coordinates with a rotating collection of art.
Hart’s Moroccan leather poufs can be hidden away when not in use (similar styles from $220 each, filled, at tazidesigns.com; for less-pricey fabric poufs and floor pillows, check out westelm.com, pier1.com and worldmarket.com).
- Video: Small-space design solutions
- Pinterest users: Check out MSN Real Estate's boards
Tiny cottage renovation
Bumping out
Casement windows open the redone master bedroom to backyard views and sea breezes.
By extending the room into the backyard, the couple gained 250 square feet, which they used for a walk-in closet and a second bath.
- Bing Cube: Check out more photos of small-space design
- MSN Living: 5 tips for designing small spaces
Tiny cottage renovation
Opening up
With interior walls and the ceiling removed (and support beams installed), the living, cooking and dining now take place in one large open area at the front of the house. From there, traffic flows easily out of sliding glass doors to a new entertaining deck at the rear.
- Video: Small-space design solutions
- Pinterest users: Check out MSN Real Estate's boards
Tiny cottage renovation
Next steps
As funds allowed, the pair added a home office and laundry area to the garage and put in a garden with a bubbling fountain and a pint-size lawn for their Jack Russell terriers, Pearl and Buck. Custom storage and furnishings followed.
- Bing Cube: Check out more photos of small-space design
- MSN Living: 5 tips for designing small spaces
Tiny cottage renovation
6 small-home secrets
1. Paint all the rooms the same light hue. Match flooring and other shared surfaces for a seamless look.
2. Build in storage cupboards with doors and buy a closet-organizing system ― “worth the splurge to keep the house neat,” Julie Hart says.
3. Install inexpensive wall pegs to make cleanup a snap and keep frequently used items at the ready.
4. Choose easy-stow guest seats for living areas.
5. Create several places in the backyard to lounge and entertain, especially if you live in a relatively warm area.
6. Re-evaluate your belongings every few months. Donate, recycle or discard what’s not needed.
- Sunset.com: 18 front-yard makeovers
- Pinterest users: Check out MSN Real Estate's boards
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