Tiny Houses and Small Homes

Continuing from Small Homes and Tiny Houses, today I would like to share some of the coolest video's on youtube with regards to the title.

1) A Tiny Apartment Transform into 24 Rooms

credit to JellyWoo1014

Previously only a studio-like apartment, he install slides shelves that function as partition for new room with new function. The partitioner slides to reveal shelves that will transform the room to a new one such as a library, a guest room, a kitchen, a bathroom with a bathtub and many other.

2) Designer Builds Home Out Of Shipping Containers - Hatteberg's People TV

credit to Larry Hatteberg

It's energy saving / efficient because they recycle used shipping container (the real one that travel on the ocean back and forth from one side to another side of the world). Off course the one in the video is taking massive modification that it doesn't really look like one, but it is really practicable recycling it to a better use. And its pretty cheap to as I heard someone can get it for free! (who doesn't like free stuff?)

3) 10 x 10 x 10 feet cube house

credit to hypnoguy1

Its a 3m x 3m x 3m tiny house, everything is pack inside and kinda like those tiny house on wheels except smaller.

4) Amazing NYC Apartment - Transformer Style..Storage in Disguise!

credit to Rob Monahan

The video is full off space-saving ideas. Cool (",)

5) Home Care Cottage Tour- Little House on the Trailer

credit to LHOTT1

Another design of tiny houses

All of this video-watching makes me want to grab some tools and wood and start making my own tiny houses. Only problem is I don't have the spaces and the budget. Probably in the future.....

Small Homes and Tiny Houses

If one think about small, it is natural to associate it with tiny, less, little or even unimportant. However, small is also synonym with cozy, easy and more often saving. I found a documentary video on youtube about small homes that really open my eyes and my mind to new perspective, just like the old saying less is more.

The documentary titled "We the Tiny House People" was made by Kirsten Dirksen for her channel on youtube (i think its for the channel, don't know if the documentary was for TV somewhere). And I find her channel very interesting where she covers the life of all this people who live in tiny apartments/homes and how they manage that. She also have a websites here.

Previously, I had an entry where I talked about a Lego style Apartment, turn out its from her channel. She also got tons of other video with the same theme.   I've list some of the episode which I think is more interesting than the others.

1. Maison garage: old parking as tiny home in Bordeaux, France

 From a garage, it is turn into a small yet cozy home. It has everything, even a patio.

2. 16 year old builds tiny home to guarantee mortgage-free future

There's no doubt that he is thinking of his own future, so his parents must be relieved. Do you remember what we did when we're 16? I do - play all the time and not worry about mortgage or anything. It's really amazing what this kid is doing.

3. Simple life Manhattan: a 90-square-foot microstudio

90-square-foot is roughly the size of an MPV (motor power vehicle). Imagine that cramp with your stuff - bed, closet, desk, 'kitchen', bathroom - its hard right? Well this girl has done it.

4. Tiny, Portable, Prefab Cube Shelter

Look at the adorable little house. Serves perfect as hotels or homestay-like house for tourist or whoever wants. I am falling in love with the small and tiny houses like these. Aren't they cute?

Extras:

5. A downtown live/work dream house

6. House in a Suitcase

7. Bus as a House

8. Tiny Home Cube: Bathroom + Kitchen + Closet.

9. Living on a Boat

10. The use of different level Platform

11. Bathtub under a bench

12. Toolshed as Homes

13. Shipping Container Homes

So, thats that. There are lots of others scattered on the internet, feel free to search about them. I''ll probably write again something similar to this in the future. So stay tuned (",)

Japan's Apartments / Nihon no Apato

Do you know that apartments in Japan are superb, yes tiny but wonderful at the same time. I wish there are small apartments like that here in Kuala Lumpur. I find them very practical for a single tenant, you don’t have to search for housemates (which often lead to various problems because you don't really know them). But off course it’s only an opinion from one person, others may find the small space a ridiculous thing.

Basically, there are different types of tiny apartment or apaato as they called it; 1K, 2DK, 2LDK and probably some more that I don’t know. The number signifies rooms, K means kitchen, D means dining room and L means living room. Want to know more about the different types of apartment, go here.

So basically 2DK apartments are 2 bedroom plus kitchen plus dining room (no living room, but I think the room can doubles as both). The shower room is separated with toilet because that’s the culture (very much same to Malaysia but modern houses nowadays combines them both). Most apartments also come with a fridge, a microwave oven, stove, washing machine, internet access and closet (sometimes TV).  Here are some pictures and videos, enjoy;

Key for the apartment, a very strange one in my opinion

Then you have Genkan which is a place where you take off your shoes because Japanese culture do not wear shoes inside the houses (same like Malaysia)

The basic Hallway that lead to your room. Most of the apartment layouts are toilet and shower on one side and kitchen, washing machine, closet/storage on the other side.

Among the cool thing about the toilet is the fact that a sink is placed on top of the water tank for the convenience of washing your hand after you're done and recycling the water for flushing, ain't that green?

Also a cool thing is the dryer in the shower which are meant to dry clothes. Just hang it and turn it on to the setting you want, it's that simple.

These are different interior that I found (it's not limited to only these). Personally prefer the top-left, seem so much bigger than the other. Here a tour video, credit to the owner (",)

Also, I find that apartment in Korea shares similar styles as these tiny apaato. Comparing the two, Korean use keypad thingy to replace key which are useful if you left your key in the apartment), the shower don't have tub, kitchen area is not in the hallway but integrated as part of the room, some have loft for sleeping area and some don't have specific sleeping area at all. Also, they have floor heat system which is important I guess. Whatever the differences, I love both Japanese and Korean apartment (",). Here is one video I found on youtube;