Back to the Basics: Gallery 16 Tiny Boasts Compact Layout for the Ultimate Mobile Home

For the past several years, tiny houses have stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight, sparking a genuine frenzy online. They propose a dramatic lifestyle shift and boast incredible benefits like affordable housing, a nomadic existence, a more sustainable life, and perhaps best of all, a stress-free life that is equal parts leisure and fun, and only so little work.

That's the ideal version of tiny living, of course – the one that presents a perfectly curated appearance on social media. Because tiny houses come with very compact footprints that make severe downsizing a prerequisite, they entail heavy compromises and a downgrade in the level of comfort. To get all those benefits, you must compromise accordingly, to put this in much simpler words.

That condition granted, tiny living can be all these incredible things. Gallery 16 is a good example of the kind of compromise involved when it comes to space, but it makes a strong case for itself with incredibly adorable styling and a compact but smart layout. Yes, we know that too much emphasis on looks is a sign of superficiality, but when you're downsizing, aesthetics play a vital role. You already live in a tiny house, it should look good!

California Tiny House is a U.S.-based builder of semi-custom units for most tastes and budgets. Gallery 16 is the smallest – and newest – offering in their lineup, one that proposes a return to the basics of mobile living. As such, it's very compact and very good-looking, and at the same time, a complete solution for a couple of adventurers who might want to hit the road with their home in tow.

The Gallery 16 is 16 feet (4.8 meters) in total length and 10 feet (3 meters) wide and sits on a custom dual-axle trailer with a removable tongue, which makes it perfect for small parking spaces.

The house itself is small compared to the majority of tinies produced in North America, but that's why we're saying it proposes a return to the basics. Tiny living and downsizing started out with units of this size, deemed ideal for their mobility, compactness, and convenience.

The Gallery 16 offers 145 square feet (13.5 square meters) of living space on the ground floor, and a small loft that doubles as the main bedroom, just big enough to fit a queen-size mattress and some open shelving. The ground floor is taken up by an L-shaped kitchen, a small but full bathroom, and an equally small lounge with a dining area attached.

Everything about this unit is scaled down to size, as shown in the photos in the gallery. They're of a custom unit based on the Gallery 16 model: like with every other model in the lineup, the builder allows for limited personalization options meant to make each unit a standout from the rest.

The Gallery 16 might be very compact, but it's still suitable for long-term or permanent residency. The kitchen has room for all the basic appliances, from a fridge and freezer unit under the counter to a cooktop and overhead oven, and enough storage room and prep space.

The bathroom comes with a shower cubicle with a sliding glass door, a flushing toilet, and a small sink with vanity. The loft sits on top of the bathroom and is accessible by means of a ladder. The addition of storage options here is a true surprise, given how small the room is, but it's a most welcome surprise. There is no such thing as too much storage.

Finished with red accents throughout, this Gallery 16 unit is as cozy as it's adorable. More to the point, though, it's still an essentially mobile home while providing the basics for permanent residency, which is something you're not going to get with oversize park models that favor larger spaces over mobility.

One thing that Gallery 16 does have in common with every other tiny out there, no matter the size or finishes, is pricing. For all its touted benefits and the supposed ability to provide livelihood by monetizing the tiny lifestyle on social media, tiny houses remain priced prohibitively for the amount of space they provide.

The Gallery 16, for example, starts at $62,399, which doesn't include customization, furnishings, or appliances. Compared to a regular, non-moving, brick-and-mortar home, this kind of money is still peanuts, besides the bonus of not coming with a 30-year mortgage. But it's still money you pay for a house you need to park on rented or owned land, a home that has no real investment value.

In the end, the choice to downsize remains a personal one and is highly dependent on how each of us prioritizes certain things in life. We're not here to convince or sell to aspiring tiny house owners but just to present options – and as far as that goes, the Gallery 16 is a solid one.