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The Covo Mio Tiny House May Be Incredibly Small but It’s Also Very Smart

Today, tiny houses are a very popular option for cutting costs, a more mobile lifestyle, and stress-free ownership. But before they were trendy, tiny houses were revolutionary in a lot of ways, including how they tried to draw in the millennial working from home.
The Covo Mio tiny home is a true smart home that paved the way for the others 14 photos
Photo: Covo Tiny House Co. (Composite)
The Covo Mio tiny home is a true smart home that paved the way for the othersThe Covo Mio tiny home is a true smart home that paved the way for the othersThe Covo Mio tiny home is a true smart home that paved the way for the othersThe Covo Mio tiny home is a true smart home that paved the way for the othersThe Covo Mio tiny home is a true smart home that paved the way for the othersThe Covo Mio tiny home is a true smart home that paved the way for the othersThe Covo Mio tiny home is a true smart home that paved the way for the othersThe Covo Mio tiny home is a true smart home that paved the way for the othersThe Covo Mio tiny home is a true smart home that paved the way for the othersThe Covo Mio tiny home is a true smart home that paved the way for the othersThe Covo Mio tiny home is a true smart home that paved the way for the othersThe Covo Mio tiny home is a true smart home that paved the way for the othersThe Covo Mio tiny home is a true smart home that paved the way for the others
2020 changed the way we work and socialize, but most importantly, it changed how we relate to our surroundings, which is why downsizing is such a hip thing to do today. If you're good at selling this lifestyle on the socials, it can even be a profitable endeavor. A win-win-win!

A good three years before we even started thinking about working from home as the norm, at least on such a large scale, Covo Tiny Homes suggested it as a viable option – one that would also allow for endless traveling. And it had the perfect solution for working from home wherever the home might be or how much it'd move around: the Mio.

This tiny home builder from Portland, Oregon promises to deliver high-quality hand-crafted homes that foster a sense of complete freedom – be it freedom from stress, debt, and clutter or freedom to move around without thinking about leaving your possessions behind.

The Covo Mio tiny home is a true smart home that paved the way for the others
Photo: Covo Tiny House Co.
Their lineup includes three models as of the time of press, with the flagship being Mio. Mio was perhaps one of the first true smart tinies on an emerging market when it was introduced in the summer of 2017 – three years before the international health crisis that would fuel soaring demand in tiny houses and other types of mobile homes. Mio is a pioneer in the niche of smart tiny homes, and that's why we're still talking about it today.

Mio started from a very simple premise: if you had all the comforts of a luxury residence, would you still mind the more compact footprint? Would you care as much about the lack of space if you could work inside your home as you would in an office and still had some room left to entertain guests – as long as they weren't more than two at a time?

The Mio is a very small home, even by 2023 standards when we're already familiar with the extremes of downsizing. It sits on a 26-foot (7.9-meter) double-axle trailer and offers a little under 330 square feet (30.6 square meters) of space, which includes the two lofts – one that doubles as the main bedroom and the other that's for storage. That's a cramped space however you look at it, and even keeping in mind the creative gimmicks meant to create the illusion of an airier one, like the awning window or the breakfast bar overlooking it, the minimalist furniture, or the oversize deck.

The Covo Mio tiny home is a true smart home that paved the way for the others
Photo: Covo Tiny House Co.
Then again, with a smaller footprint comes a higher degree of mobility, and that was the gist from the start. Designed to appeal to the millennial working from home, Covo Mio aimed to offer a space that was both home and office in equal measure, in the same elegant and towable package.

With the main sleeping area out of sight in the larger loft and the possibility of creating a storage space in the smaller one, the ground floor is taken up by the kitchen with the adjoining living room and the bathroom. The kitchen is almost residential-sized, with a three-burner gas range and oven, a fridge and freezer, and plenty of space for storage and meal prep. The bathroom is standard fare, with a small shower, a composting toilet, and a sink with vanity. A garage for extra storage is at the rear, accessible from the outside only, and it's spacious enough to hold a couple of bicycles.

There is nothing truly special about the layout or the way in which it's adapted to the Mio, so Covo aimed to stand out through extra features. In other words, the Covo Mio is a true smart home at a time when few other tinies could boast of that.

The Covo Mio tiny home is a true smart home that paved the way for the others
Photo: Covo Tiny House Co.
The Mio can be fitted with Alexa control technology, Lutron Casita smart home lighting, Nest thermostat, Bluetooth-connected Yamaha tuner and speakers, and Schlage connect door. Every function inside the home can be monitored and adjusted according to preferences on the smartphone, from lights to heating and audio.

To further enhance the smart experience, Covo added a 55-inch 4K monitor and TV that looks even bigger and more impressive because it's inside a tiny home, an automated sit-stand work desk for those who spend enough time in front of the computer to be concerned about posture and weight gain, and built-in USB charging ports throughout. In short, with the Mio, Covo created the perfect space for work and relaxation, which, as it so happened, could also come along with you on your travels.

The Covo Mio is still available today in the exact spec. Pricing starts at $60,000 and can go as high as $100,000 if you opt for all the add-ons, which puts it in the niche of premium tiny homes. One thing that hasn't changed all these years, even with the boom in popularity of tiny homes, is the fact that neither exceptional good looks nor smarts can be had inside one without a hefty budget.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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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.
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