The Most Beautiful Tiny Houses in the World

Tiny houses might not have much interior space, but there's plenty of room for creativity. In recent years, nonprofits and private contractors have been offering increasingly original designs and amenities for this eco-friendly architectural trend, which in some cases undermine this housing option's affordability. (Though many tiny houses can be found across the country for under $20,000.) The following are some of the most luxurious and inventive residences around the world still cozy enough to qualify as tiny houses.

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The best thing about this 400-square-foot home in Fayetteville, Arkansas, isn't the main house, it's the attached 120-square-foot trailer that both looks and functions as a giant amplifier. This was the brainchild of Trans-Siberian Orchestra's electric violinist Asha Mevlana, who enlisted the help of designer Brian Crabb, among others, to build the adjoining L-shaped structure for her to play outdoor concerts at home and on the road.

Related: 36 Bucket-List Destinations for Music Lovers

This aerial view of the house shows the spaciousness of the home's deck area, which Mevlana uses as a stage that she sometimes shares with local musicians and those passing through town.

The pot rack in Mevlana's kitchen lowers and raises via a welded bicycle crank pulley system. The kitchen countertops are Silestone, and the room also features a full-size cooktop and range, refrigerator, and stacked washer/dryer.

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Next to the kitchen is a living room space with a full-size couch. The garage door can be raised to bring the outside in and make the room feel even larger.

Olympia, Washington, resident and small-living specialist Zyl Vardos built this evocatively named tiny house in 2016 using Dutch-style doors, mahogany ply walls, cork floors, large sleeping loft, full kitchen, and a curved shape reminiscent of a Hobbit home or other fairy tale dwelling. Priced at $117,000, the Moon Dragon house design isn't available to build until 2023.

One of Vardos' design stamps are windows of many different sizes, shapes, and even colors (he uses stained glass in some of his tiny houses). He also notes that his windows have solid wood frames, high-performance low-emissivity glass, stainless hinges, and weather sealing.

Vardos says that he builds some of his tiny houses "overwide" — the Moon Dragon is 9 feet across, allowing for plenty of elbow room in the kitchen, which also serves as a desk area. The loft bedroom even has a balcony and two closet spaces.

Related: Charming Tiny Home Communities Across America

The large, round corner windows and Dutch door let tons of natural light into the Moon Dragon's living space during the day, while the mahogany plywood walls allow for warm glows at night.

The tiny home's split Dutch door is accompanied by a custom porch light. Vardos works with a lot of custom craftsman and vendors to add details to his tiny structures. 

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Introduced in 2016, this modernist design quickly became a bestseller for the Wisconsin-based contractor Escape Homes, which has been building well-equipped tiny homes and delivering them directly to customers for roughly 25 years. The 175-square-foot Vista sells for $66,475 and comes with pre-finished cedar siding and panoramic windows on the outside, hardwood flooring and optional kitchen range on the inside, and recycled cell foam insulation to help lodgers withstand any weather conditions.

This tiny home's kitchen features maple cabinets, a stainless steel sink, butcher block countertops, and open shelving. Though it's not shown here, the model also offers an optional cooktop and range.

The home's panoramic windows combined with pine-lined walls and ceiling allow for tons of natural light. Escape Homes offers an optional pop-up flatscreen TV with Blu-ray option, too. 

The model comes with a double bed — with an option to upgrade to a queen size. The bedroom also features LED lighting and under-bed storage, and the panoramic windows in this space open.

The Quebecois woodworkers at Daigno designed this tiny-house boat to be the perfect sustainable base for a summer lake trip, with a millwork cedar structure sitting atop a floating pontoon base. The boat draws from solar panels for electricity and propane fuel for its cooktop and heater, while the sink and shower use a custom-built system to draw clean water from a cistern or directly out of the lake. The most basic form of Le Koroc starts at $123,350.

With an emphasis on environmentally friendly products, this tiny home's interior uses responsibly logged white cedar and a lightweight architecture for a lower carbon footprint on the road and on the water.

A more expensive and larger version of Le Koroc  the L'équinoxe —  allows for a hammock to be installed at the tiny home's bow end. This model incorporates a bistro table and stools, mini-bar, barbecue, and other additional features. It starts at $154,000.

In addition to stellar views out a wide window, the Le Koroc kitchen includes a two-burner propane stove, mini-fridge, and stainless steel sink.

Located on a popular estate for weddings in New South Wales, this Australian tiny home is purposely remote from other dwellings to create a sense of off-the-grid solitude amid the area's rolling hills. 

Related: 29 Amazing Treehouse Vacation Getaways

The JR's Hut's A-frame structure is an architectural standout built of local timber, steel, and galvanized iron. Though not many square feet, high ceilings give the impression of plenty of space. 

The open floorplan puts the bedroom, living area, and fireplace all in one area, while the glazed front wall and sustainable Australian hardwood deck make it easy to enjoy the scenery at all times.

This corner of the hut highlights views of the surrounding Murrumbidgee River flats and nearby rolling hills.

A wood-burning stove keeps the house toasty and heats the kettle. JR's Hut is off-grid on a 7,000-acre working sheep and cattle farm.

Built by Oliver Nest Tiny Homes, the Elsa is one for anyone who'd like to downsize without giving up their garden. The 323-square-foot main house has a bedroom loft and full kitchen and living area with pullout couch to accommodate guests, while an adjoining 85-square-foot trailer consists of a covered mini greenhouse to complement the wooden deck and porch swing. The model was previously listed and sold for $81,000.

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The 85-square foot outdoor space includes a greenhouse and porch with a pergola and porch swing.

The tiny home's builders took their inspiration for the space's decor, including a white shiplap ceiling and light-colored walls and flooring, from their Scandinavian heritage.

With a total of 14 windows, the space features lots of natural light. It also has plenty of storage available via cabinetry, under-stairs compartments, and open shelving.

A comfortable sitting area and space for working, eating, or just window-gazing completes the other end of the tiny home.

Named after Ahab's ship in "Moby Dick," the Pequod is a beachy 208-square-foot mobile home made to order by Greg Parham of Rocky Mountain Tiny Homes for an Indiana family of four. It has an aquatic look from the outside with wavy roof, brown shingles, and blue bottom, while inside feels spacious thanks to smart design choices such as a pullout pantry, foldout dining table, and a kitchen sink cover that creates more room for dinner prep.

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The tiny home's cooking area sports custom-crafted countertops made of hickory and walnut as well as a gas stove and full-size refrigerator.

This table, seating bench, and ottoman can be pulled away from the wall for meals and pushed back to create more space when not in use.

Stairs lead to one of the sleeping lofts, and a catwalk can be used to reach the other. Tiny, antique brass porthole windows add character to the home's interior.

A large garden window in the bathroom lets in lots of natural light while also giving the tiny home more storage for essentials and some pretty, leafy non-essentials.