Tiny living has changed a lot over the years, and more so in the past decade, as downsizing became a way not just to live more intentionally and in harmony with the environment but to do so more affordably. Another significant change to the early-day movement is in the way tiny houses look.
That's a roundabout way of saying that tiny living is… well, not so tiny anymore. The first days of the movement proposed downsizing in very compact and highly mobile units, but right now, you can also choose a much larger footprint if you're willing to sacrifice mobility for it. And if you can afford it, that is.
Increased demand for tiny houses has sparked a wider variety of models on offer because that's how the market works.
Today, whether you're a solo traveler, one half of an influencer couple, a large family, or an empty-nester looking for a fresh start, you can get the home of your dreams as long as you have the money (or the financing) for it, the right builder, and a good idea of what exactly your dream house should look like.
Photo: Indigo River Tiny Homes
Park models are upper-level options in terms of pricing, features, and size, and they're ideal for larger families because they offer the necessary real estate to allow for full-term living in absolute comfort. You can still move them around, alright, but you need special permits and the right towing vehicle, so they're not designed to travel constantly.
The Villakula is one such tiny house. At 395 square feet (36.7 square meters), it's tiny only in name, and it's designed to resemble a fixed home in both comfort and features. It's a 2020 build from Texas-based Indigo River Tiny Homes that's about to re-enter the market as a pre-loved unit, and we're looking at it because it proves that tiny living doesn't always have to mean a lot of compromising.
Based on the Homesteader model with the Deluxe package, this mobile home is 36 feet long (11 meters) and 10 feet (3 meters) wide. It sits on a triple-axle trailer rated for 24,000 lbs (10,900 kg), features a wooden frame with board and batten siding, and uses expansive glazing to bask the interior in natural light – so much of it that it seems wrapped in glass from inside.
Photo: Indigo River Tiny Homes
The seemingly minimalist gray exterior hides a modern interior with all-white walls, dark tops, and stained black ceilings and floors. The contrast creates a relaxing, welcoming space but also serves a practical purpose: darker floors and countertops are better at hiding scratches, wear and tear, and dirt.
The unit has a dual-loft configuration, but the novelty here is that one of the lofts offers stand-up height and double full-size wardrobes. The Villakula was a first in many ways for Indigo River, from being the "biggest and baddest" tiny they had built to featuring the largest kitchen and the largest bathroom up to that moment, and a bike shed up front, with access from the outside only.
The U-shaped kitchen takes up almost half of the ground floor and features only residential appliances. There's a four-burner gas range with a grill in there, a microwave, a double-door fridge with freezer, and heaps of storage and counter space. Next to the kitchen is the dining area, which wasn't yet furnished at the time the video tour below was shot but which now features a table with four seats.
Photo: Indigo River Tiny Homes
The second loft, accessible through a stowaway ladder, is reserved for storage but could be repurposed as a guest room, a kid's room, or even a smaller lounge, should the one below prove not enough for the owner's needs. The main loft is over the bathroom opposite the kitchen and comes with a king-size platform for the bed, a desk for remote work, and the dual wardrobes on the standing-height walk-around.
The bathroom is also unlike what you'll see in standard-sized tinies. For one, it features a laundry station with an alcove you can use for storage. Secondly, it's large enough to fit an oversize bathtub, and it also has a flushing toilet with a bidet and a double vanity. If you think this "tiny" home is fancier than most city apartments and even some city homes, you're right. It really is.
The list of features also includes a tankless water heater, a mini-split and a heat pump, quartz countertops and premium fixtures, Ikea cabinets with a gloss finish, and standard RV hookups for water and electricity.
Photo: Indigo River Tiny Homes
Units like the Villakula are semi-custom tinies, and Indigo River isn't in the habit of listing their prices, but they do offer a tool to calculate an estimated price for your own home, should you be interested in one.
For the rest of us who might not be looking to buy right now or aren't based in the U.S., a tiny home like Villakula is a gorgeous example of how tiny living has adapted to demands for more space and more comfort, to the point where it could rival traditional houses built on the ground. It's how tiny living is moving out of the "tiny" territory and into the "wheeled mansion" one.
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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