Remembering the "Home That Runs on Coffee," a Tiny House Fueled by Dunkin' Donuts

This tiny house is both: sustainable and incredibly chic, with the kind of celebrity pedigree and backing other products could only dream of and the kind of media exposure to match. It's called the Home That Runs on Dunkin' or the Home That Runs on Coffee, and both names hold the key as to why it's all these things.

Designed and built as a PR exercise, this very elegant and very sustainable tiny house is nonetheless proof that tiny living can still work as an alternative housing solution for the eco-friendly type. If you recall, back in the early 2000s, when tiny houses started gaining a worldwide following, part of the reason for their appeal was their sustainability through the reduced carbon footprint.

Put differently, because they were smaller and didn't require foundations (and skipped most phases of traditional building), tiny houses had a reduced overall carbon footprint. Their size also dictated their comparatively smaller living costs and impacted their mobility, which rendered them viable, sustainable alternatives to brick-and-mortar homes.

Recent years have seen an incredible boom on the market of mobile homes and tiny houses in particular, but the sustainable "bonus" seems to have slipped through the cracks. Sure enough, you can still find tinies made of reclaimed materials or boasting self-sufficient capacities, but they're rare enough to count as exceptions and not the rule.

The Home That Runs on Dunkin' came before the recent boost for tiny houses in 2018. It was commissioned by Dunkin' Donuts, as its name clearly shows, and represented the first partnership between sustainable, luxury tiny house manufacturer New Frontier Tiny Homes and Blue Marble Biomaterials, a US-based company specializing in biochemicals and renewable biogas.

Dunkin' provided the coffee grounds, which would have otherwise gone to the landfill, Blue Marble the tech for converting them to biofuels, and New Frontier the design of the home and the build that integrated the generator and battery that powered it. Actress Olivia Wilde also joined the project at a later stage, serving as design consultant and putting boho-chic touches to the interior with Dunkin’-inspired colors and fixtures.

The result was a functional tiny home with a very surprising self-sufficient feature: 275 square feet (25.5 square meters) of living space, just perfect for two grown adults (and lovers of coffee), powered by fuel made from oil from 65,000 lbs (29,483 kg) of coffee grounds. The biofuel was 80% oil and 20% alcohol, following a recipe created specifically for this project after months of research.

The home was completed that same year and offered for display in New York City following a string of media appearances. If you're not new to tinies, you probably know that New Frontier has built quite a following for itself for its patented layout with the elevated living room that hides the dining area in a slide-out section integrated into the platform, the glass garage door that opens up the interior, and luxury amenities.

The Home That Runs on Dunkin' is no exception. It offers sleeping for two adults in a lofted bedroom, a spa-like bathroom complete with a jacuzzi-style tub and a washer-dryer, plenty of storage in a full-height wardrobe, a complete kitchen with a coffee nook, a living area for lounging and sleeping the occasional guest(s), and a most spectacular fold-down terrace that doubles as al fresco dining.

With the terrace open, the entire interior of the home opens up by means of a glass garage door. The smooth black cedar and textured metal siding exterior offers a surprising contrast to the colorful, coffee-themed interior that was nonetheless comfy and suitable for longer stays.

The focus was clearly on creating a home that pays homage to Dunkin' in both styling and functionality, but the bottom line is that this tiny would be a very cozy and functional permanent home otherwise, too. Integrated smart storage, a full range of home appliances running on biofuel, and plenty of spaces for hosting and relaxation turn what could have been just a PR exercise into a tiny with incredible potential.

Ironically, given the kind of exposure this tiny got in the media, not many specifics about the build are available. We reached out to David Latimer, architect, designer, and founder of New Frontier Tiny Homes and basically the man who brought the Dunkin' sustainable dream to reality, and we will update the story if we hear back with more details.

Once the Home ended its media tours, it briefly went up as a rental in Nahant, MA, and became the country's most affordable and chicest vacation spot thanks to a nominal fee of $10 for a 2-night stay that included unlimited Dunkin' treats. Sustainable and tasty!