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Having enough storage space is a concern in any home, so moving a family into a tiny house kind of gives me nightmares. Creative design is definitely needed and this staircase is something I’ve had in my mind for awhile and I’m so happy I’ve finally found a photo. The area could easily combine book, CD and DVD storage needs, although I’ve kind of had my heart set on putting a built in desk system under the stairs. Either one is doable and the design is fantastic. The stain could easily be changed to fit your overall decor or change from wood to plastic, glass, even cement. The design possibilities are endless as well as the storage configuration.

Photo Credit: Purple Area

Although we aren’t expecting to have another child anytime soon, or ever, I think it’s important for the future of Tiny Houses that we design with the idea that our house is open to a baby, even if it’s just a grandchild. If tiny houses can function as family centers, then an entire new market will open for sales. I’ve found a few things that are pretty cool for babies and children, but this tops my list.

A cardboard cradle.

It’s ingenious! Seriously, how long do you use a cradle? Not very long, then you have to find somewhere to store it or someone to give it to, and eventually it ends up in a dumpster for all of eternity. The cardboard cradle stores flat, is recyclable, and even TRAVELS! Hello! Your baby would be snug as a rug, and it wouldn’t kill you to move it from room to room when needed.

This cardboard cradle meets all the usual standards. It’s flame retardant and meets the EU’s safety and performance for cribs and cradles. However, unlike traditional cribs, you won’t need any tools to assemble it and you can either store flat when done or recycle the cardboard.

This cradle can be ordered from Rose and Radish.

When I look at our two kitchens right now I realize how much space we waste, especially in our refrigerator. First, I need to get control of my bottled water habit, I know, yes, we have a filter, but dammit, I love bottled water. Ahem. Anyway, our fridge rarely has a lot of food in it because we have to shop weekly due to switching houses every week, and of course wanting to buy fresh fruits, veggies and meats and not eat a lot of prepared foods. Right now we have a freezer that is a drawer and I think it works really well, so I’m leaning towards a kitchen based on drawers in our tiny house. I think it’s a better use of space and actually better for energy costs.

So far I’m loving this 3 drawer fridge from Summit. It’s compact, stainless which I adore, and with 3 drawers I think you would avoid the problem of having to really dig for things as you could separate your produce by having one drawer for fruits/veggies, one for meats/cheeses and one for condiments and other foods. I also love the bars because we have a fight in our house over where the tea towel hangs! I still haven’t figured out where the milk container goes though, hmmmm.

It’s also available at one of my favorite small appliance websites with easy online ordering, which makes it perfect: Summit 3 Drawer Fridge with Towelbar Handles

Moving into a small house with no guest bedroom can be an issue for people who live away from family. While my family doesn’t visit that often, making it kind of unnecessary to have an entire room waiting for them, when they do visit, I don’t want to send them to a hotel. So finding a sofa bed that meets my design criteria is high on my list.

I love this sofa bed and I think it would work even for someone living on their own as their main bed. It looks so comfortable and the design is so clean. You could easily spruce it up with colored throw pillows. The white does scare me with kids, but not so much that I haven’t done it before and will probably do it again at some point.

The wood is mahogany stained cherry wood frame and it supports a bultex mattress and cushions upholstered in white cotton. You can find more information at FutureSeen.com

Small couches with style can be hard to find, unless you really love modern design, which I do, but it’s interesting to find other shapes and inspiration. This couch, called the Principessa, by Moroso is inspired by a fusion between India and Europe and the affect is classic styling with a touch of worldly flare. I look at this couch and want to travel which is a wonderful feeling.

My Beautiful Backside is a collection of seats whose backrests are a composition of highly coloured, floating cushions in various shapes. The wider your seat, the more cushions you can have. Our use of oversize symbols, such as the buttons on cushion backs, is a way of conveying a variety of messages. These symbols also provide a means of customising each chair, making it unique, just as you would add little distinguishing touches to an article of clothing. We used a new wool fabric designed by Giulio Ridolfo for Kvadrat. We teamed it up with felt because it’s a combination that reminds us of old-fashioned clothes with stiff starched collars.

There is also a lovely blue available on the company design site. I think both colors are great for a small home because they aren’t overpowering and the prints really allow for an eclectic style. While Moroso is an Italian company, they do have distributors in the US, which you can find on their website.