Tiny living, whether in actual tiny houses or RVs adapted for permanent residency, has been around for decades, so it's not like the 2020 international health crisis brought anything new in this respect. But it did boost the tiny house industry in unprecedented ways, and that means more variety for customers.
Due to several factors, ranging from the desire for more mobility, heightened awareness of environmental issues, and, most importantly, the housing and financial crisis, tiny houses are proving increasingly popular as permanent housing solutions. They're smaller and sit on trailers, so they're cheaper to maintain and can travel with the owner whenever they feel like it, which puts them at the intersection of houses and RVs.
Tiny houses also encourage downsizing and intentional living, where you place more emphasis on life experiences as opposed to possession of material things. If you overlook the fact that most tinies remain priced like premium products, you can see why they're such a popular alternative with people of all ages and from all walks of life.
Increased demand has led to a wider range of options, and the market is yet to reach over-saturation. Western Colorado Tiny House is a comparatively newer presence on the scene, having been founded by Daniel Kennedy in 2018, but they're hard at work to disrupt the status quo with what we could describe as the most unusual – and quite awesome – layout for a tiny.
Photo: Western Colorado Tiny House
The builder only offers three models with a limited number of options for each so as to expedite timelines and keep costs down. The mid-range model, the 2-Story Cabin that was introduced last July, is the best example of this unusual layout mentioned above and, because of it, the reason we're focusing on it today.
Most tinies will use a single or dual-loft layout to maximize available space. When you work with such a compact footprint, there are only so many ways in which you can achieve the basics in terms of features and comfort. You can use multi-functional spaces and furniture, or you can expand upwards by means of lofts.
The 2-Story Cabin opts for the latter, but it eschews the most common form of lofted bedroom. Instead, it creates an entire second level over half the surface of the ground level and encloses it almost completely. The vaulted ceiling and the use of expansive glazing (skylights and windows) and mirrors help create the feeling of a much larger and airier space by flooding it with light from all sides.
Photo: Western Colorado Tiny House
Access to the main bedroom is done by means of a simple metal ladder through a hatch-style entryway. This makes the Cabin less suited for people with a fear of heights and cramped spaces, but that seems to be the only visible compromise it makes.
The ground floor holds a lounge area that can double as a secondary or a guest bedroom, an L-shaped kitchen that feels like a separate space, an office by the oversize picture window, and a bathroom. Additional storage is possible on the walls by means of floating shelves integrated into the construction, which, as it happens, helps to keep the space uncluttered and clean.
The kitchen comes fully equipped, with an in-built two-burner stove, a residential fridge, an oven and an extractor, a deep sink, and plenty of cabinets for storage and prep space. A separate nook to one side would fit a washer-dryer unit or serve for additional storage.
Photo: Western Colorado Tiny House
The bathroom is on the narrow side but not smaller than what you'll find in a compact city apartment. It still offers a walk-in shower cabin, a small sink with a vanity, and a toilet, so it does what it's meant to do – no more and no less.
The exterior is Scandinavian Grey wood over a white interior with neutrals for contrast. You get a bit more living space outside, thanks to the teeniest, tiniest integrated porch.
The 2-Story Cabin offers 350 square feet (32.5 square meters) of living space in total and can be ordered with a steel U.S.-fabricated trailer chassis but is not offered with one as a standard. Since it's 10 feet/3 meters wide (and 20 feet/6 meters long), if you opt to have it placed on a trailer, it would become a park model tiny house in most territories, so you'd only be able to move it with special towing permits.
Photo: Western Colorado Tiny House
This impacts movability, but it doesn't do away with it completely. Like with all other park models, you'd still get a mobile home, but you wouldn't be able to pack up and go with it in tow whenever you wanted – like you'd do with a smaller tiny or an RV, for example.
The 2-Story Cabin starts at $69,000 or $67,000 if you opt for half a loft instead of the full one that fits a king-size mattress and some storage options.
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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