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As we all know, the kitchen is really the heart of the home, and unfortunately it’s also the room that has the most, um, stuff, in it. Stuff isn’t great in a small home, so designing a kitchen that is attractive, functional, and small is always a challenge. I find it difficult to pick out appliances, cupboards, countertops and accessories individually, I get overwhelmed, so I’m loving that more companies are designing entire kitchens that come as a package with everything thought out in detail.

The Touch Tatoo Kitchen from TM Italia, one of my favorite companies, is compact, functional, and stylishly modern. When closed, everything is hidden in compartments. Cabinets and drawers open electronically with just a touch, and doors disappear so they aren’t in the way, important in a small house. The outside and inside are available in different colors so you can customize the kitchen to your decor.

Stairs often take up a lot of space, so I love finding designs that either make the space feel more open, allow for storage in the “dead” space, or actually take up a very small footprint.

These stairs, designed to fit in the space of a closet, are very unique. I love the lines of the angles and the wood grain. I don’t think the design would work with carpet. I’m not sure how safe they would be with small children, or adults that are balance challenged like myself (I trip going UP normal steps!), so I would probably need to see them in action before making a final decision on using them permanently in my own small home design.

Photo credit - Stair Porn

Functional, ergonomic, small, and colorful, you can’t ask for much more from the Corral dining table and Bronco chairs by UnicaHome when designing a modern small home. I’m not one for gimmicks usually, but I love the soft light of this table and can imagine changing the colors for the season, or when guests are invited for special occasions. Not having to commit to one color is a positive as I’m not sure I would choose a primary colored dining room table as the focus when decorating a small home if I would be stuck with it forever.

The design of the seats really stands out. Based on a horse saddle, the seats provide ergonomic support for your back while also giving you a place to keep your drink (which I’m not sure if that’s handy or a really bad idea since my drink of choice is wine). There is also a light available to match the table which is basically an upside down version of the table, making very interesting lines in your interior design. The light has color filters available to complement the table or create contrasting interest.

I’ve never really thought much about the design of my toilet other than avoiding pink or blue. Apparently designers are spending a lot more time in the bathroom these days. There are a lot of choices in toilet and bidet designs, including green/bio products that I’m not quite sure I’m prepared to switch over to yet.

The Suspended Toilet and Bidet from Simas are small enough to make a difference in a tiny house plan, without lacking in modern appeal. I think they are small enough to consider actually having both which has never really been a consideration when putting together a floor plan for a small home.

I’m hungry, so let’s talk kitchens! I’m not the cook in the family, but I definitely have final say on what is included in the kitchen since I clean it, it’s a rule. There are so many cool things I can’t wait to show you, but unfortunately you can’t include all of them in one kitchen, so I think it’s important to start with an overall kitchen design and then fit everything into it. (Or start with one way cool appliance and build your kitchen around that, but I digress.)

This compact kitchen from TM Italia (Warning, site plays pseudo porn music!) keeps the lines clean, has a lot of storage which is important when building a tiny house for a family, and I love that it has a built in breakfast bar, because I’ve been toying with the idea of not having a dining table at all, just a built in. I love the curves, especially the end cabinet, I think it could work even with a doorway right there. The open cubes would be great for displaying beautiful dishes or a glass bottle collection, or cookbooks if that’s your thing.