Micro Living

September 17, 2018
This book by tiny house builder and enthusiast Diedricksen (Microshelters) possesses many of the same qualities as the dwellings he loves: it’s efficient, functional, and full of fun surprises. Because tucking away the essentials is essential in a small space, he showcases storage underneath stairs, roll-away benches and folding tables, and tucked-away stairs and televisions. The homes themselves aren’t the usual builds on trailers, but include treehouses, a houseboat, an Airstream, a bus, a box truck, and a deer stand. Small- and big-house dwellers alike will find ideas for making idiosyncratic connections between the indoors and outdoors via clever decks and porches, expansive window walls, or even a clear floor. The houses also feature the artful use of salvage items—a Gothic church window placed at the back of a cabin; 7,500 bottles used as bricks. The book’s guest contributors, such as Ryan Nicodemus, who recounts his path to minimalism, and Michelle Boyle, who shares rules for small kitchens, offer additional insights. Diedricksen, who writes passionately about his life’s “obsession” and stayed in many of the homes he presents, has a great sense for the kinds of inventive designs that might inspire others to commit to scaling back.