5 Tiny Home Interior Ideas and Design Tips

If you’re considering making the switch to a tiny home, you’re not alone: According to a recent survey of 2,000 Americans, 56% of people would live in a tiny home and 86% would consider one for their first home purchase. The tiny house movement is booming, so there are more tried-and-tested tiny home interior design options than ever before.

The benefits of a tiny home go beyond the sticker price. Tiny homes are eco-friendly, using 90% less energy than traditional homes. Since United Tiny Homes are all DMV-compliant, you can move them around the country for affordable adventures.

In exorbitantly priced real estate markets like California and New York, a tiny home allows you to be a homeowner. Many families also opt for tiny homes as affordable vacation cabins.

What about their interior design, though?

Since tiny home square footage is limited, many assume that tiny homes can only have a few pieces of furniture and a minimalist aesthetic, but this isn’t necessarily the case. In all art, including home design, placing more boundaries leads to greater creativity in the finished product.

Interior design for a tiny home is often more efficient, innovative and interesting than designs in traditional homes. Also, since you save upfront and over time by choosing a tiny home, you can invest more money in every element of your design to achieve a luxurious result on a budget.

Tips for Any Tiny Home Interior

Before we get into the array of design ideas for tiny homes, there are a few principles that apply to any tiny home interior design.

Let the Sunshine In

Natural light is crucial to any living space. It has scientifically proven benefits for mood, and windows soften the line between indoors and outdoors, making a space seem bigger than it is. A well-placed window can give a wide-open feeling to even a small bathroom.

When tiny house shopping, make windows a top priority. An all-white or light-colored interior won’t feel airy without plenty of natural light in your tiny home. All of United Tiny Homes’ options feature multiple large windows set high on walls to allow for maximum natural light. Tiny home skylights are another great option.

Everything Is Storage

Tiny homes were originally for the minimalist, but today, the tiny home movement is expanding. You no longer have to part with most of your belongings to live tiny as long as you’re smart about storage. Choose pieces that creatively combine function with storage to make the most of your tiny home interior.

Hollow ottomans provide prime storage space. Choosing kitchen countertop dining instead of a table lets you push in stools for more room. Floating shelves add storage without adding bulk. Even your staircase and interior walls can be storage opportunities, as United Tiny Homes builds smart cabinets and cubby holes into every available surface.

Embrace Outdoor Living Areas

Tiny homes vary in square feet, but one easy way to spread out is with outdoor living areas. With the Seville model from United Tiny Homes, it’s possible to augment the generous 500 sq. feet of interior area with two levels of porch space. One perk of tiny house living is the freedom to move to an ideal climate, so spending time outdoors most of the year is a real possibility.

Scale Furniture Down

Scale is one of the seven elements of interior design, and in tiny home interiors, it’s all-important. A too-large couch or chair will make a space feel cramped.

The good news is that large furniture isn’t necessarily any more sturdy or long-lasting than small furniture. Some of the most comfortable chairs in the world, like the famous Eames chair, are smaller and airier than the average puffy recliner.

Love Your Loft

Almost every tiny home interior features a trusty, space-saving loft. Though these spaces may seem tight at first glance, the enclosed nature of a loft is a benefit, not a drawback.

Lofts are cozy and private, perfect for tiny home bedrooms and hobby rooms. When designing, lean into this by choosing plenty of plush textiles like quilts and pillows. Add relaxing features like a miniature bookshelf, a TV, a gaming system or a basket for a small hobby like embroidery, and you’ll never want to leave your loft!

Retain Essential Home Features

Today’s tiny homes are beyond a camper, so there’s no need to compromise on function when shopping. United Tiny Homes all feature full-sized appliances, electricity and plumbing.

In the excitement of going tiny, many buyers underestimate the importance of essential home features, only to regret that choice later.

Stay away from a DIY tiny home that promises “easy” plumbing installation or inelegant “solutions” like compost toilets. Even if you want your tiny home off-grid, a flush toilet and hot water are amenities you don’t want to go without.

Tiny Home Interior Design Ideas

There are a variety of simple yet elegant tiny home designs. Here are five tiny home interior ideas with accompanying United Tiny Homes models to start from.

1. Classic Minimalist Tiny Home

The quintessential design for a tiny house is clean, airy minimalism. This style dominates Pinterest boards for a reason: It’s timeless, sophisticated and easily makes a small house feel spacious.

United Tiny Homes’ one-bedroom Cheyenne model is a perfect fit for this aesthetic.

White Color Scheme

Nothing opens up a room like white walls and cabinets, which reflect and amplify natural light. To prevent an all-white interior from looking sterile and bland, use the design principle of contrast with your accents.

Dark wood cross beams add depth and personality to the Cheyenne tiny home. Add gracefully falling houseplants or natural wicker baskets (which offer bonus storage) to bring in even more warmth.

Simple Furnishings

Tiny home living means never having to buy expensive furniture to fill a room. Instead, cut back to the essentials to maximize space. One loveseat and a couple of ottomans are enough for a living room in your tiny home. Shelving for your minimalist tiny home should be open-concept. Consider an outdoor or porch dining room, rather than trying to fit a table and chairs inside.

2. Rustic Cabin Tiny Home

Any lover of the outdoors will appreciate a tiny home interior that resembles a handcrafted cabin in the woods. The Denali Extreme from United Tiny Homes features stunning wood walls, ceilings and flooring for an aesthetic that hearkens back to a simpler time.

Thoughtful Wood Accents

The handcrafted movement uses traditional woodworking elements to add beauty to a home. One example of this is the delicate wood screen that separates the loft of the Denali Extreme. It adds privacy without cutting the loft off from the rest of the space.

Charming details are key to this aesthetic. A miniature French country rooster statue or a set of ceramic jars are great ways to add personality to the Denali Extreme tiny house kitchen. The under-the-counter wood cutting board slides easily away, leaving plenty of counter space for appliances and accessories.

Natural Light

Windows are especially important in this style of tiny home interior because the walls and ceiling are slightly darker in color. Natural light not only opens up the space but also brings out the beauty and complexity of the wood itself.

The Denali Extreme has plenty of windows, and to reflect even more light, consider lighter textile choices. Natural linen sheets and pillows enhance the handmade look. Sheer cotton canvas curtains are a cost-effective way to add airiness to a tiny home living room.

3. Mid-Century Modern Tiny Home

Mid-century modern is one of the most popular choices in luxury home design today. This style reflects trends in 1950s and 1960s postwar America, but it’s perfect for a modern tiny house interior as well. United Tiny Homes’ chic Seville model features design choices that make this high-end style accessible and affordable.

Blend of Textures

A key factor of mid-century modern design is a blend of natural and manmade elements to create contrast and visual interest. This means spacious-looking white walls, like in the pure minimalist aesthetic, but also wood or stone accents and transitions between outdoor and indoor living areas.

The glass sliding doors on the Seville home give a view of nature, plenty of light and an easy transition to a porch all in one feature. Wood floors and accents on its stairs bring in warmth and textural interest. The fireplace is a finishing touch that incorporates the feeling of a mid-century home into a tiny home interior.

Simple Lines

This design aesthetic is known for its simple outlines, but simple doesn’t have to mean boring. The loft separation in the Seville home features clear panes with crisp black accents, bringing to mind the popular mid-century artist Mondrian.

Daring Accent Colors

In mid-century modern design, a pop of color isn’t optional. Don’t be afraid to use bright colors in moderation to give energy to your space. A lime backsplash, a sunny yellow throw pillow or a fire-engine-red runner can all add both uniqueness and sophistication to your tiny home interior.

4. Sanctuary Tiny Home for Families

Tiny homes can be practical and effective solutions for families with children. The Park line from United Tiny Homes is designed for comfort with multiple inhabitants, and the Aspen model sleeps up to six people. Soothing color choices and separate kids’ and adults’ spaces can make a tiny home a sanctuary for the whole family.

Minimalism Without the White

An all-white tiny home interior is a stylish choice for adults, but white tends not to stand up to the challenges of daily life with children. Taupes and other light neutrals also reflect light but are more forgiving.

A brown throw blanket can cover a lighter-colored couch when needed to keep furniture clean while maintaining an airy color scheme. Open shelving placed high on walls keeps objects safe from small children.

Lofts for Kids

The Aspen features an innovative tiny home floor plan, including a huge loft space with its own dedicated windows. This space is perfect for a kids’ room. Since the loft is separate from the main living area, toys and kid-friendly, easy-to-clean textiles can remain in the loft without cluttering your tiny home or detracting from the overall design.

The Power of Color Theory

Psychologists have confirmed that the colors of an interior design have a real impact on the energy levels of the inhabitants. For a soothing family home, choose a monochromatic color scheme with many shades of blue. Neutrals create a grounded environment and blend well with whatever natural beauty you choose to surround your tiny home.

5. Bohemian Tiny Home

Most of the design ideas thus far have focused on giving a small space a big feel with your tiny home. However, there are those who don’t mind a tiny home interior looking tiny!

A bohemian design scheme may not bring the airiness of minimalism, but it can make your small space feel cozy, comfortable and lived-in. It’s also a more adventurous and less common choice for a tiny home design. The simplicity of United Tiny Homes’ Denali model makes it a great canvas for this fun tiny house interior aesthetic.

Break Some Rules

A bohemian look thrives on personality, so don’t be afraid to purchase something not traditionally seen in a tiny home, like an antique clock or a large hanging chair. These statement pieces are a better choice than small knick-knacks that can clutter your space. To keep your design on track, consider basing a room’s furniture, art and color choices around one standout piece.

All About Upholstery

A bohemian look should be eclectic, but instead of contrasting large elements like furniture, consider pattern-mixing with your blankets and upholstery. As long as you stick to one color scheme, intricate throws, curtains and cushions can blend for an appealing bohemian style.

Tons of textiles make this aesthetic feel plush and inviting. To save space, floor cushions can provide seating for a bohemian living room in your tiny home.

Tiny Home Interior Crafted by Professionals

Whether you’re considering the creative solution of a tiny home for yourself or as an Airbnb, it pays to turn to professional builders. Like tiny home interior design, building a tiny home comes with challenges that can make it more difficult, in some ways, than building a traditional home.

Insulation, plumbing and electricity have to fit within smaller walls. Less square footage lowers the margin for error in all aspects of the build. It’s great to DIY furniture and accents for your tiny home, but building any house isn’t practical for those without proper training and experience.

It’s equally important to choose a company you can trust. With any popular trend, there are good and bad quality options on the market.

Some tiny homes are built out of shipping containers, which may sound like a neat, eco-friendly idea on the surface. Unfortunately, there are good reasons people don’t live in old shipping containers. Most have been exposed to the elements or dunked in the ocean, which affects their structural integrity. Even with a new or like-new shipping container, insulation and plumbing must be installed. This is expensive and drastically cuts down on living space for your tiny home.

United Tiny Homes are built from scratch like traditional homes. They’re also designed creatively by professionals who are passionate about tiny house living. Tiny home interior design is easy with United Tiny Homes, which range from 263 to 500 square feet and already come with stylish features. Browse our selection of tiny homes and contact us for a quote today.