Your definition of a "home" colors your opinion of the very popular downsizing trend, where diminutive houses, preferably on wheels, are presented as the solution to many of the ills of our modern society. If you're more of a "home is where the heart is" kind of person, the Mansion Jr. is for you.
Downsizing and tiny living started picking up traction in the early 2000s, with rising awareness of environmental issues. Over the past few years, they became even more popular as people started working from home and, as such, looking to take their home with them on their travels. The economic and housing crisis post-2020 further boosted the trend, which is now at its peak.
Both downsizing and tiny living are exclusively for those for whom home is an ideal to strive for, as opposed to a sum of must-haves, an accumulation of material things. That's because this type of lifestyle comes with many constraints and more than a fair share of compromises, most of them due to spatial limitations. It's more cost-effective, more sustainable, and a much pleasanter way of living, but that's not to say that it's perfect in the most basic understanding of the word. Nothing is, really.
That out of the way, the Mansion Jr. is perfect as downsizing condensed.
Photo: Uncharted Tiny Homes
Uncharted Tiny Homes is one of the most popular U.S.-based tiny home builders right now, and the Mansion stands out as their most requested model. The Mansion Jr. is a variation on that model, and it, too, has proven very appealing to clients since its introduction a couple of years ago. A single look at it will suffice to explain its popularity: it's the brightest, cutest thing without losing the basic functionality of a home.
The Mansion Jr. sits on a 20-foot (6-meter) dual-axle trailer and maintains the same layout as the larger model whose name it bears. In total, it offers 230 square feet (21 square meters) of living space within a dual loft design, but only one of those lofts is meant to serve as bedroom. The other is a very convenient storage nook. Should the need arise, we reckon it could double as a single-occupant guest room.
With sleeping arrangements relegated to the upstairs, the ground floor is reserved for daytime activities. At one end of the tiny is a U-shaped kitchen with standard appliances, like a small fridge and freezer, a slide-in cooking top, and a deep sink. There's plenty of storage and a surprising amount of counter space as if to make up for the fact that you don't get a residential stove or larger fridge. One end of the counter does double service as breakfast bar and home office.
Photo: Uncharted Tiny Homes
Also on the ground floor, you get a two-person couch in the living room area, facing the double French doors and, if you wish, the great outdoors. At the opposite end of the home is the small bathroom, hidden behind a barn door. It has a small walk-in shower, a compositing toilet, and the teeniest-tiniest sink. Since downsizing is also about getting a new perspective on things, how's this for "glass half full"? At least, the bathroom is a dry one and has a sink for washing your hands after you're done. Some tinies skip that part altogether, so you have to wash up in the kitchen.
Over the kitchen and the bathroom are the two lofts, both accessible by means of pipe ladders permanently attached to the wall. Both are small or, better put, as small as you'd expect them to be, considering the overall dimensions of the trailer.
If you're new to mobile homes or downsizing, this tiny is a good example of both. Mansion Jr. is very compact and very basic, but it still retains the functionality of a brick-and-mortar home. To boot, it's very cute in a way that makes it seem less cramped and very zen-like. This is achieved through the use of neutrals and lots of exposed natural wood, with cheerful pops of color for contrast, either on the trim of a window or a piece of furniture.
Photo: Uncharted Tiny Homes
The Mansion Jr. is probably ideal for a single person living alone and working on the road, but it could fit a couple at a tight squeeze. Where there's a will, there's a way and all that, so it might even fit an entire family. We've seen more extreme cases of downsizing where people made it work with less, so who's to say.
This teeny tiny starts at $85,000, but the display unit shown in the photo gallery is $87,000 on the dot. That includes an LG mini-split for heat and AC, and R25 closed cell spray foam insulation, but not the furniture and appliances. Before you start saving money by living tiny, you have to save some money to start living tiny.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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