“The tiny house movement can help us all gain a better understanding of how we can challenge societal inequalities and environmental degradation by advocating for more choice, not less, in the ways we are able to house ourselves.” -Tracey Harris, The Tiny House Movement
The Big Tiny: A Built-It-Myself Memoir
by Dee Williams
This is a great and emotional memoir about so much more than just building a tiny home. It’s about the physical and emotional journey that brought the author to the point of needing a big change and the process of achieving that change. Williams wanted time, the thing we all want more of, more than anything. Having a small house allowed her that time—for projects, friends and family, travel, and just plain breathing space.
The Tiny House Movement: Challenging Our Consumer Culture
by Tracey Harris
This book is an excellent overview of the tiny house movement, both from a physical standpoint and the mindset of challenging consumer culture. Many people want to work less to pursue their true interests; others seek to remain debt-free; some want to reduce their environmental impact; and often, it is a combination of these. “The transition relates not only to downsizing material goods but also requires a new understanding of what is meaningful and valuable in our lives,” wrote Harris. Consume less, spend less, hurt the environment less. I highly recommend this book! Read my article related to this book for more information.
Tiny Houses
by Sandra Leitte
This great little book features 40 unique tiny homes across the world. From the publisher: “Multi-page spreads feature highly detailed, full-color interior and exterior shots, along with informative texts that explore the inspiration and context of each home. From off-the-grid woodland dwellings that take you away from it all to high-density solutions to the urban housing crisis, these homes pack a lot of design ingenuity into their space. While some of these structures feature state-of-the-art architectural flourishes and luxurious amenities, others are modest and environmentally sustainable retreats designed specifically for travel, creative pursuits, or multi-generational living. Each of these homes offers endlessly innovative inspiration for building and living in your home, in spaces that fit your needs.”
The Small House Book
by Jay Shafer
Tiny house designer and expert Jay Shafer explains the impetus for the tiny house movement. Limiting excess space and stuff allows people to live their best lives. “An economical home affords what is essential to the comfort of its occupants without the added burden of unused space. Excess and economy are mutually exclusive.” The book explains building codes, legalities, and sustainability and features photos of his most popular small builds, with floor plans.
Micro Living: 40 Innovative Tiny Houses Equipped for Full-Time Living, in 400 Square Feet or Less
by Derek “Deek” Diedricksen
From the publisher: “Best-selling author and tiny house enthusiast Derek “Deek” Diedricksen profiles 40 tiny — but practical — houses that are equipped for full-time living, all in 400 square feet or less. Detailed photography and a floor plan for each structure highlight inventive space-saving design features along with the nuts-and-bolts details of other essential systems. The real-life stories of residents impart the pleasures, as well as the challenges, of day-to-day living.”
The Giant Book of Tiny Homes: Living Large in Small Spaces
by John Riha
This is my favorite book about tiny homes because it provides valuable information about ordinances, zoning, and building codes. It also offers detailed reviews explaining specific features in each house as well as multiple photos of each one. Inspiring and full of information, I recommend reading this book! But it also would make a great coffee table book.
by Patricia Martínez
A lovely coffee table book in English and Spanish about various floating houses in Europe and the United States. Features architectural drawings and elevations.
my cool houseboat: an inspirational guide to stylish houseboats
by Jane Field-Lewis
From the publisher: “My Cool Houseboat features boats of all shapes and sizes restyled and refurbished for modern life; from canal boats and riverboats to barges and cruisers moored in marinas from Europe, North America and Australia. Not only static residential boats and floating dwellings, houseboats are now holiday homes, bookshops and vintage clothes stores.”
Tumbleweed DIY Book of Backyard Sheds & Tiny Houses: Build Your Own Guest Cottage, Writing Studio, Home Office, Craft Workshop, or Personal Retreat
by Jay Shafer
Tiny house designer and expert Jay Shafer features Tumbleweed’s most popular small builds, with photos, plans, and elevations. In the last section, the book has detailed how-to instructions on building a tiny home, from start to finish. This is a great book to keep for reference if you plan on building your own tiny home.
Tiny Houses Built with Recycled Materials: Inspiration for Constructing Tiny Homes Using Salvaged and Reclaimed Supplies
by Ryan Mitchell
This book is full of ways to use reclaimed materials and upcycled items to build a tiny house. This reduces cost and is super good for the environment! Ryan Mitchell, author of The Tiny Life blog, shows how to repurpose everyday items in a tiny house and how to use reclaimed construction waste, shipping containers, salvaged barn wood, and reclaimed shingles. He also explains how to find them. Features a section on tiny houses built with reclaimed materials, with photos and floor plans.
Tiny Homes on the Move: Wheels and Water
by Lloyd Kahn
From the publisher: “Tiny Homes on the Move chronicles 21st-century nomads — people who inhabit homes that are compact and mobile, either on wheels or in the water. In photos and stories, this fascinating book explores modern travelers who live in vans, pickup trucks, buses, trailers, sailboats, and houseboats that combine the comforts of home with the convenience of being able to pick up and go at any time. With over 1,000 color photos accompanying the stories and descriptions of these moveable sanctuaries, this is a valuable and inspirational book for anyone thinking outside the box about shelter.”
by Sheri Koones
This book is inspiring! From the publisher: “Smaller, more environmentally friendly houses seem to be the wave of the future. As people chose to move out of cities, finances and lifestyle will limit the size of the houses these buyers will choose…It compiles lots of previously difficult-to-find information in one place. The sidebars describe home systems and new materials helpful to any homeowner concerned about the environment and hoping to save money on energy and maintenance.”
Prefabulous + Almost Off the Grid: Your Path to Building an Energy-Independent Home
by Sheri Koones
This is an excellent book, full of terminology, well-explained methods, examples, photographs, and resources. Most of the homes have zero energy or near zero energy and many have a gray water system, Energy-Star-rated appliances, and reclaimed materials. The most important thing I learned about prefabricated homes is that though they traditionally have had a bad reputation (if they were poorly built), newer ones are built much better and often with energy efficiency in mind. Prefabricated often cost less money to build and are also not site-built – they are built in a climate-controlled facility where rain or moisture cannot intrude. This reduces the chance of mildew and mold growth, not to mention weather delays. This makes for a healthier home! I highly recommend this book to anyone considering building a prefab or near-zero energy home.
Houses That Can Save the World
by Courtenay Smith and Sean Topham
Though this book wasn’t quite what I expected, and sometimes it was challenging to understand which images went with which text, I still found the book beneficial, with lots of inspiring ideas across the globe. From the publisher: “Nothing short of a design revolution is underway as architects, designers, engineers, self-builders, and artists confront climate change, polluting plastics, global migration, rapidly expanding cities, and an ageing population. Part handbook, part manifesto, Houses That Can Save the World shows how creative thinkers are embracing the new challenges we are all facing.” Every type of structure embraces sustainability and the real consequences of living with the effects of climate change.
Never Too Small: Reimagining Small Space Living
by Joel Beath and Elizabeth Price
This is a book full of large images of inspiring and efficient small spaces, all under 540 square feet. From the publisher: “Through the lens of five small-footprint design principles and drawing on architectural images and detailed floor plans, the authors examine how architects and designers are reimagining small space living.”
How to Live in Small Spaces: Design, Furnishing, Decoration and Detail for the Smaller Home
by Terence Conran
Though published in 2007, the principles about living in small spaces remain the same: it’s all about maximizing space through design decisions and making spaces multipurpose around activities. “Think about areas of activity, rather than ‘rooms,’ Conran wrote, such as eating areas and rest areas. The author also reminds us to live functionally. “There is nothing worse than a large ‘trophy’ kitchen that no one ever cooks in and is often installed at vast expense to impress the neighbors.” This book is full of useful tips about design, color, light, attic and basement conversions, etc.
Beautifully Small: Clever Ideas for Compact Spaces
by Sara Emslie
This is more of an interior design book than a book about small living, but it does offer some unique ideas for small spaces. I recommend at least flipping through it!
Small Green Roofs: Low-Tech Options for Greener Living
by Nigel Dunnett, Dusty George, John Little, and Edmund C. Snodgrass
From the publisher: “Until now, the green roof movement has been limited to large-scale, professional endeavors and public buildings. But homeowners everywhere are catching onto the benefits of a green roof—water conservation, energy savings, and storm water management…Small Green Roofs is the first book to focus on small-scale and domestic green roofs. More than forty profiles of small and domestic-scale projects of all shapes and sizes include green roofs on sheds, garden offices, studios, garages, houses, bicycle sheds, and other small structures, as well as several community projects.” It includes a lot of detailed information.