Tiny Houses

Not-so-small living: 5 of the best supersized tiny houses

Not-so-small living: 5 of the best supersized tiny houses
The five best larger than life tiny houses we've seen so far
The five best larger than life tiny houses we've seen so far
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We rarely get to see a tiny house that's actually lived in by a family so these photos of the Red Mountain 34' Tiny House are very useful
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We rarely get to see a tiny house that's actually lived in by a family so these photos of the Red Mountain 34' Tiny House are very useful
The five best larger than life tiny houses we've seen so far
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The five best larger than life tiny houses we've seen so far
The Red Mountain 34' Tiny House's bedroom
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The Red Mountain 34' Tiny House's bedroom
Heating in the Red Mountain 34' Tiny House comes via this wood-burning stove, plus standard electric heaters
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Heating in the Red Mountain 34' Tiny House comes via this wood-burning stove, plus standard electric heaters
This bookcase allows the kids to access their bedroom in the Red Mountain 34' Tiny House
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This bookcase allows the kids to access their bedroom in the Red Mountain 34' Tiny House
The Red Mountain 34' Tiny House has a total floorspace of 410 sq ft (38 sq m)
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The Red Mountain 34' Tiny House has a total floorspace of 410 sq ft (38 sq m)
The Red Mountain 34' Tiny House's master bedroom
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The Red Mountain 34' Tiny House's master bedroom
Storage space in the Red Mountain 34' Tiny House
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Storage space in the Red Mountain 34' Tiny House
The Red Mountain 34' Tiny House's kitchen
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The Red Mountain 34' Tiny House's kitchen 
The Red Mountain 34' Tiny House's kitchen units
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The Red Mountain 34' Tiny House's kitchen units
We rarely get to see a tiny house that's actually lived in by a family so these photos of the Red Mountain 34' Tiny House are very useful
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We rarely get to see a tiny house that's actually lived in by a family so these photos of the Red Mountain 34' Tiny House are very useful
The Purple Monster tiny house is the only one of our pick that isn't legally towable on a standard American road
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The Purple Monster tiny house is the only one of our pick that isn't legally towable on a standard American road
The Purple Monster measures 10 ft (3.08 m)-wide, well over the 8.6 ft (2.62 m) legal towing limit
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The Purple Monster measures 10 ft (3.08 m)-wide, well over the 8.6 ft (2.62 m) legal towing limit
The Purple Monster has a pretty unique look that's all its own
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The Purple Monster has a pretty unique look that's all its own
inside, the Purple Monster offers 340 sq ft (31 sq m) of floorspace just on the ground floor
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inside, the Purple Monster offers 340 sq ft (31 sq m) of floorspace just on the ground floor
The Purple Monster's extra width means that its rooms look very large
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The Purple Monster's extra width means that its rooms look very large
The Purple Monster cost over $80,000
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The Purple Monster cost over $80,000
The Purple Monster has a small office space
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The Purple Monster has a small office space 
The Tiny Giant's kitchen includes full-size appliances
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The Tiny Giant's kitchen includes full-size appliances
The Tiny Giant's kitchen includes full-size appliances
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The Tiny Giant's kitchen includes full-size appliances
The Tiny Giant's bathroom includes a horse trough bathtub
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The Tiny Giant's bathroom includes a horse trough bathtub
The Tiny Giant's loft includes a storage chest
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The Tiny Giant's loft includes a storage chest
View towards the Tiny Giant's living room
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View towards the Tiny Giant's living room
The Tiny Giant's loft measures 17 ft (5 m)-long
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The Tiny Giant's loft measures 17 ft (5 m)-long
The Tiny Giant's loft is particularly large for a tiny house, though is still low-ceilinged
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The Tiny Giant's loft is particularly large for a tiny house, though is still low-ceilinged
The Tiny Giant has a total floorspace of 390 sq ft (36 sq m)
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The Tiny Giant has a total floorspace of 390 sq ft (36 sq m)
The Tiny Giant sports an attractive Shou Sugi Ban exterior
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The Tiny Giant sports an attractive Shou Sugi Ban exterior
This unnamed steel-framed tiny home features two overhanging loft sleeping areas, bringing its actual length to 32 ft (9.7 m)
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This unnamed steel-framed tiny home features two overhanging loft sleeping areas, bringing its actual length to 32 ft (9.7 m)
The total cost including everything pictured came to CAD 77,000 (around US$59,400)
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The total cost including everything pictured came to CAD 77,000 (around US$59,400)
This unnamed steel-framed tiny home features two overhanging loft sleeping areas, bringing its actual length to 32 ft (9.7 m)
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This unnamed steel-framed tiny home features two overhanging loft sleeping areas, bringing its actual length to 32 ft (9.7 m)
Inside the steel framed tiny house's toilet
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Inside the steel framed tiny house's toilet
View towards the main living area
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View towards the main living area
The main bedroom
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The main bedroom
The ladder offers access to the secondary sleeping loft
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The ladder offers access to the secondary sleeping loft
The finish throughout is excellent
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The finish throughout is excellent
The kitchen includes a stainless steel fridge/freezer and propane-powered oven
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The kitchen includes a stainless steel fridge/freezer and propane-powered oven
The price for the Vintage XL comes in at US$73,400
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The price for the Vintage XL comes in at US$73,400
The interior of the Vintage XL consists of a large living/dining space that includes a couch with a pull-out bed
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The interior of the Vintage XL consists of a large living/dining space that includes a couch with a pull-out bed
The Vintage XL's bathroom includes a toilet, bathtub and shower, and a vanity unit
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The Vintage XL's bathroom includes a toilet, bathtub and shower, and a vanity unit
The ground floor bedroom of the Vintage XL has a queen-size bed and storage underneath
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The ground floor bedroom of the Vintage XL has a queen-size bed and storage underneath
The Vintage XL is 30 ft (9 m) long and its total floorspace comes in at 355 sq ft (32 sq m)
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The Vintage XL is 30 ft (9 m) long and its total floorspace comes in at 355 sq ft (32 sq m)
View gallery - 41 images

As well as the growth in luxury tiny houses, another trend in the small living movement that's taken us by surprise is the increase in very large models. These supersized tiny houses offer the freedom that comes with any towable dwelling, but with much more room inside than you'd usually expect. Read on to see our pick of the five best examples.

A big tiny house sounds a bit like a contradiction in terms. Some even make an argument that given their size they should be thought of as trailer homes. Admittedly, the differences between the two categories are pretty small, but unlike trailer homes, all but one of these tiny houses can be legally towed with a pickup truck or similar vehicle, and the aesthetic is also different.

More than that though, the thing that sets tiny houses apart is the community, DIY spirit, and anything-goes attitude that often just wouldn't be possible in mainstream architecture projects, RV, or trailer construction.

Without further ado then, here's our pick of the five best supersized tiny houses. You can also head to the gallery for a closer look at each one.

Purple Monster

The Purple Monster tiny house is the only one of our pick that isn't legally towable on a standard American road
The Purple Monster tiny house is the only one of our pick that isn't legally towable on a standard American road

The aptly-named Purple Monster by Colorado's Tiny Diamond Homes is the only house covered here that isn't legally towable on an American road. Not a sight you're likely to ignore, it measures 10 ft (3.08 m) wide, well over the 8.6 ft (2.62 m) legal towing limit.

The Monster reaches a length of 38 ft (11 m), offering 340 sq ft (31 sq m) of floorspace on the ground floor alone. That extra width really makes a difference and the home looks huge inside. Rooms available include a spacious kitchen, lounge area, and a bathroom with bath/shower.

The master bedroom is downstairs and the second bedroom is upstairs, which provides a nice sense of separation between – something lacking in many tiny houses.

The Purple Monster gets its power from an RV-style electric hookup and cost over US$80,000.

Tiny Giant

The Tiny Giant has a total floorspace of 390 sq ft (36 sq m)
The Tiny Giant has a total floorspace of 390 sq ft (36 sq m)

The Tiny Giant, by Utah's Alpine Tiny Homes, stands out thanks to some interesting design choices. It measures a total length of 39 ft (11 m)-long and is partly clad in Shou Sugi Ban siding, a centuries-old Japanese technique that involves charring the wood to preserve it.

Inside, there's a total floorspace of 390 sq ft (36 sq m). The interior includes a living room with a small home office area and an entertainment center, in addition to a kitchen. Surprisingly, there's just one bedroom but it's very spacious and measures 17 ft (5 m)-long. The bathroom is interesting on this one too, and includes a bathtub made from a repurposed horse trough.

A solar power system enables the Tiny Giant to run totally off-the-grid and it also has water tanks for fresh, gray, and black water installed. The home was recently sold to a family for $70,000.

Vintage XL

The price for the Vintage XL comes in at US$73,400
The price for the Vintage XL comes in at US$73,400

The Vintage XL from Wisconsin-based firm Escape is the smallest of our selection and is "merely" 30 ft (9 m) long. However, its clever design offers a total floorspace of 355 sq ft (32 sq m) and sleeps a maximum of eight people.

Sporting a traditional cottagey aesthetic, the Vintage XL's interior layout is centered around a large open living space which includes a couch that pulls out into a double bed. A fold-down dining table and a kitchenette with full-size sink, range cooker, and refrigerator handle dinner duties and the bathroom also boasts a bathtub and shower.

The Vintage XL's master bedroom is on the ground floor and includes a queen-size bed with storage underneath. The main upstairs loft is reached by ladder and can be used as either a bedroom or a storage area, while another optional upstairs loft can also be installed at cost to serve as yet another bedroom.

Admittedly, eight people living in a tiny house full-time doesn't sound fun but it's an impressive feat of design and could be very useful for family vacations and the like.

The Vintage XL can run off-the-grid with solar power and its total price comes in at $73,400.

Steel-framed tiny house

This unnamed steel-framed tiny home features two overhanging loft sleeping areas, bringing its actual length to 32 ft (9.7 m)
This unnamed steel-framed tiny home features two overhanging loft sleeping areas, bringing its actual length to 32 ft (9.7 m)

Vancouver's Mint Tiny Homes used a steel frame on this unnamed tiny house instead of the more typical wood, cutting the weight of the frame by some 30 percent and allowing the firm to build a very large home that still remains relatively easy to tow.

The tiny house measures 32 ft (9.7 m)-long and is clad in stained Canadian cedar and topped by a sloping metal roof. Inside, there's a generous floorspace of 326 sq ft (30 sq m), which is split between a kitchen, bathroom, primary sleeping loft and secondary storage/sleeping loft.

The finish looks really high-end on this one and it's nice and light inside, with an open layout that would make it feel bigger than it actually is. The owners of this model also opted for an RV-style standard electric hookup and the price of the tiny home came to $59,400.

Red Mountain 34' Tiny House

The Red Mountain 34' Tiny House has a total floorspace of 410 sq ft (38 sq m)
The Red Mountain 34' Tiny House has a total floorspace of 410 sq ft (38 sq m)

The Red Mountain 34' Tiny House, by Colorado's Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses, measures 34 x 8 ft (10.3 x 2.4 m). It's clad in rusty corrugated wainscot, barn wood board and batten, and cedar shakes, which lend a rustic appearance like an old barn.

Inside, the home offers a total floorspace of 410 sq ft (38 sq m) and looks pretty roomy. It includes a small office nook, a lounge, and a dining area with a folding dining table. The sizable kitchen has plenty of storage space and leads onto a bathroom that boasts a full-size clawfoot bathtub and shower.

There's two bedrooms inside the Red Mountain 34' Tiny House. The master bedroom is accessed by a standard tiny house-style storage-integrated staircase, while the kid's bedroom is reached by climbing a bookcase that doubles as a ladder.

The Red Mountain 34' Tiny House gets power from a standard RV-style electric hookup and cost $105,000.

View gallery - 41 images
4 comments
4 comments
RolandReagan
Tiny houses? No, a house has a foundation these are built on travel trailer frames. They are very expensive travel trailers.
Tom Lee Mullins
I think those are really nice. I would not mind living in anyone of them.
TimFuller
These are tiny homes on WHEELS. Nice if you want a handcrafted mobile home on permanent axles and have a vehicle to tow it with. I could build a nicer tiny home on a foundation for less than the cost of the tow vehicles in these shots. Enjoy.
Daishi
Everyone always comments about how expensive tiny homes are assuming there is just a lot of margin but that's not really the case. I thought this too until I researched it some. An empty box is cheap to build, kitchens, bathrooms, plumbing, electrical, windows, and doors are expensive. Tiny homes take all of the expensive components of a home and cram them into a tiny space so the construction cost savings over a larger house aren't nearly as significant as most people expect them to be. The real benefits come in being compact, mobile, and not being taxed as a permanent structure. If you are in the construction business and want to build one yourself you could streamline a lot of cost though not paying labor and being able to pad a lot of supplies into other jobs you bid to reduce your costs. For most other people just buying it seems like higher end camping trailers offer better bang for the buck with maybe better resale potential.