A miniature house is a housing option for city residents who do not have a large plot of land for construction, but want to live in their own home. Additionally, compact cottages are affordable and have many other benefits. Our catalog presents various projects of small houses: cozy country cottages and interesting city houses.
Characteristic features of houses up to 40 sq. meters
Residential buildings with a modest area are usually one-story, less often they have a second floor or attic. All free space inside is used as rationally as possible, therefore in such buildings walls and interior partitions are installed with right angles. Materials used for this type of structure:
- aerated concrete;
- tree;
- a combination of several building materials.
The project of a small house, although it is designed to be miniature, does not lose its coziness. The dining area is grouped in the form of a studio, and the most remote place is allocated for the bedroom:
- at the end of the hallway;
- in the attic;
- on the opposite side of the kitchen.
The compactness of the design also affects the layout - all functional spaces are minimized, and built-in furniture and appliances are used to save space. In bathrooms, instead of a bathtub, a shower is most often installed. As an alternative to conventional cabinets, there are modules and sliding wardrobes hidden in the walls.
The small cottage is designed for two or three residents. This project option is ideal for a young family with a limited budget or an elderly couple who find it difficult to care for a large house. Building a small log house for a summer cottage will cost less than building a brick building. And with a larger budget, you can build a modern small castle made of wood.
The attractiveness of small house projects
A micro-house is economical, lower costs for construction and finishing materials and labor, lower prices for repairs and maintenance. This type of building is beneficial for other reasons:
- versatility - it is suitable for any size and shape of plots;
- ease of adaptation to customer requests;
- speed of design and construction;
- practicality in operation;
- low utility costs.
Choosing a small house project allows you to implement the construction of an economy class cottage in a short time. Depending on the purpose of the structure, heating costs can be easily optimized due to a small insulation area or the choice of materials that retain heat. If the developer wishes, the country house project can be supplemented with a small extension with a sauna or an outdoor swimming pool.
Among our selection of original projects of small residential houses with photos, there are layouts for young people with a modern facade design and discreet classic solutions for mature owners. In addition to plastered facades, in the catalog you can find projects of small houses up to 50 square meters. m. with unusual stone cladding or wood panels.
Today, living outside the city has become very fashionable. In most cases, a small house is built. It is always cozy in it, and to build it, no serious preparation is required. When it is necessary to take into account the number of floors, the construction of an extension.
Project and layout of a small house with an attic
Basically, a house is built according to certain conditions and specific standard designs. The choice of design is made by each owner individually.
Typically, such a house has the necessary premises for living and outbuildings.
Many summer residents build attic floors with their own hands. Such a house usually reaches a maximum area of 60 m2. You can make your own garage in the house. This house is distinguished by its beauty and aesthetics.
When the area of the house is less than 50 m2, you should not start multi-story construction. It is better to build a small house in which the whole family will be comfortable.
Layout of a small one-story house To build a small house, you need to follow a certain sequence:
- interior planning;
- selection of materials;
- calculation of estimates.
A small country house should have free space for three people. Therefore, such a house must have:
- two bedrooms,
- living room,
- kitchen,
- bathroom,
- utility rooms.
The garage must be located separately from the house. If you make an entrance to the garage directly from the house, then exhaust gases will definitely get inside the room. No amount of doors or insulation can help.
When choosing materials for a country house, it is best to purchase energy-saving materials: foam blocks or aerated concrete.
Project of a small two-story country house with a carport It is made for such materials. As a result, the costs associated with future maintenance of the house are reduced. When planning is completed, all necessary materials are selected, an estimate is drawn up and construction begins. How to build a small house with your own hands step by step.
Site selection
To build a house, you need to choose a site so that it is easy to connect to it:
- engineering communications;
- electrical wires;
- gas supply;
- water pipes;
- sewerage
We select the necessary building materials
So, the project is ready, all network organizations have accepted it. All that remains is to implement it.
Almost all projects are developed taking into account certain materials. Therefore, when choosing a project, it would be correct to immediately select the type of material.
Project of a one-story small house with an attic The number of floors, the design of the heating system and the implementation of thermal insulation will depend on this.
Popular materials currently include:
- wood;
- brick;
- foam blocks;
- expanded clay
Then the walls are built. First, the corners are aligned. The first rows are laid with constant monitoring of the building level.
Project with the layout of a small house with an attic The cement layer is made small to reduce the energy-saving properties of the house. After the masonry walls have completely dried and become very strong, they begin laying the second floor.
If the house is one-story, a roof is installed.
It is better to install it immediately after the cement mortar has completely dried. Such a building will be reliably protected from environmental influences. First, a wooden rafter system is installed. It is designed to attach a waterproofing layer, then lay the outer covering: tiles or metal tiles.
Project of a one-story house with a tiled roof The interior finishing is done last. The ceiling surface is covered with plasterboard, then everything is plastered and painting is carried out.
To get a beautiful view, install suspended ceilings. The walls are first plastered and leveled. They are covered with wallpaper or covered with decorative plaster. The choice of materials depends entirely on the individual taste of the home owner.
Recently, the model of a country home has been a spacious, comfortable cottage built on a large plot. However, in order to get full-fledged housing with a convenient layout, it is not at all necessary to purchase a huge plot of land, especially since land prices are rapidly rising. If desired, a good, beautiful house can be built on a plot of six acres, and a small family can easily accommodate in a house of three or even two acres, however, in this case, you will have to give up such luxury as a garden or vegetable garden.
It’s worth noting right away that if the site is small in size and also has an irregular shape or complex topography, most likely, you will have to build on it according to an individual house design, which will be developed taking into account all the characteristics of the construction site. If your site has a simple rectangular shape and is devoid of any pronounced differences in relief, you can easily select a suitable standard project, saving considerable money.
Site planning
Before you start designing or choosing a project, you must first carry out proper planning of the site and think about the most optimal location of the house. Its orientation to the cardinal points depends on how the building stands. In addition, the layout of the site dictates the location of the entrance portal, garage, windows and other architectural elements.
If the cottage is not connected to central communications, then you need to start by determining the location of the well and septic tank. Specialists will be able to find the well drilling point. The septic tank is placed at the maximum distance from the source of the watershed. At the same time, it must be installed no closer than two meters from the border with the neighboring plot and no closer than five meters from a residential building.
Location of the house
It is better to build the main structure on the site, namely the house itself, as far away from the roadway as possible, but not close to the neighbors’ site, but at least two meters from it. It is advisable to plan the entrance not in the center of the main facade, but shift it to the side so that there is space on the facade for wide living room windows.
The location of a residential building on a site largely depends on what this site borders on. If it is corner, that is, one side faces the alley, you can build almost any cottage of the required size on it. But if massive tall houses are built on neighboring plots, then you need to look for a project in which one or two facades (depending on the situation) are planned without windows. In addition, your future home should be well lit and heated by sunlight. Therefore, a large neighboring house located to the south or east of your site is a rather serious problem that requires a more careful selection of a building site. In any case, you can have windows in living rooms facing the neighboring property only if there is a distance of at least six meters between your house and the neighboring house.
Design Rules
In an effort to save space at home so that all the necessary premises fit in, you need to remember that there are certain rules for housing layout that should not be violated, as this will significantly reduce its comfort.
Before starting design or searching for a finished project, you should decide on the composition of the premises that must be included in its layout. Naturally, when designing a house for a small plot, you will have to give up such frills as a separate dining room, a large dressing room, a guest room, etc. Rooms that you cannot do without are an entrance hall, a kitchen, a living room, the required number of bedrooms, at least one technical room and one bathroom on each floor.
The minimum bedroom size for one person is 9 meters. For a couple you need at least 12 square meters. The passage between the wall and pieces of furniture must be at least 0.7 meters. The children's room should be larger than a regular bedroom (from 15 square meters), because it needs to accommodate a workspace for studying and a small play area.
The minimum size of the hallway is 6, the living room is 17, the kitchen is 8, the bathroom with bath is 3 square meters. A convenient and safe interfloor staircase will occupy 6 square meters. meters. In addition to all of the above, it is advisable to have a pantry in the house to store things that take up useful space in the house and interfere with the aesthetics of the interior.
Features of designing small houses
The lack of building area can be compensated for by the number of storeys. The ideal option would be a house of three floors, one of which is a basement. A cottage with a basement can be built on a site with solid soil and low groundwater. An underground floor is needed to accommodate utility and technical premises, which will save space both in the house itself and on the site (there will be no need to build a shed, cellar, etc.) If you build a high enough base, you can also place a garage in it. But for a deep underground floor, a long sloping drive will be needed, and this will complicate the process of arranging an already small area.
The top floor can be ordinary or attic. Here you need to decide individually. A regular floor means more space and more possibilities in choosing and arranging furniture. But on the other hand, the attic floor can be provided with better insolation, since inclined attic windows can be installed in any quantity, even if there is a neighbor’s cottage nearby.
It is better that the rooms are of the correct rectangular shape. A small square room is much easier to decorate comfortably than a narrow and elongated one. In every living space, it is advisable to provide space for installing a spacious built-in wardrobe, which will replace wardrobes, cabinets and chests of drawers.
It is better to design a single-flight staircase, stretched along the wall. The space under the stairs can be converted into a storage room or a closet with drawers.
In order for the house to have at least one sufficiently spacious room, the guest area must be designed according to the open plan principle. This means that the living room, hall and kitchen should be separate parts of one whole room. With this layout, different zones can be separated by sliding partitions that can be easily removed. The dining area in the form of a dining table with chairs is usually located next to the kitchen and functionally separates it from the living room.
Today, with the help of modern building materials, as well as simple architectural techniques, you can build a small house that will be no less comfortable and convenient than an ordinary medium-sized cottage. In this article we will talk about what small private houses are like, how you can decorate their interior, and what projects they are built according to.
Mini-house projects
Designing mini-houses is a special area of low-rise architecture. In order for a small house to fit all the necessary planning elements, it is necessary to very competently distribute its internal space, using every square meter with maximum benefit. It should be taken into account that the house must have an attractive interior.
In small houses, the premises are designed to be multifunctional. There are no corridors. This includes the use of built-in wardrobes and minimalist furniture. Console beds are often installed in such houses. No free corners or niches are left - under the stairs, along the low slopes of the attic, as well as under the attic ridge, pantries and racks for storing things are planned.
There are many ready-made mini-house projects that are developed by construction and architectural companies. They are quite diverse, and from them you can choose the most suitable option for construction. But if you wish, you can order the development of an individual project. It will cost more, but it will take into account all the wishes of the customer.
Video description
In this video we will look in detail at the cost of each stage of building a small house:
Individual design is used mainly when it is necessary to build a house on a site with steep terrain or a complex irregular shape. If you plan to build a small house on an ordinary plot, you can easily select one of the inexpensive standard project options.
On our website you can find. You can communicate directly with representatives by visiting the “Low-Rise Country” exhibition of houses.
Who builds mini houses
Small cottages become an ideal option for private housing in many cases. Here are just a few of them:
if you need an inexpensive country house;
if you need to build a house for year-round use with a minimum budget;
if a gradual expansion of living space is planned;
if it is necessary to build housing that will be extremely economical in construction;
if it is possible to build a separate house for guests;
if there is space on the site to build a house for rent.
In all of the above cases, mini-houses are built, and it is very important that these are well-designed buildings. Planning errors here can lead to a significant reduction in the functionality of the building.
Most often, mini-houses are built as country houses, for the elderly or for young families without children. They are also relevant for construction within the city, where large plots for spacious cottages are too expensive.
Small houses have their advantages. They usually have a very convenient location of the premises. In order to move from one zone to another you need to take only a few steps, while in other cottages you need to cross wide corridors and halls. In addition, a compact house does not require complex maintenance. It is easy and quick to put things in order.
Mini-house for permanent residence
A compact house intended for permanent residence can be built from any materials. It can be brick, aerated concrete, porous blocks, etc. But usually such architectural structures are erected from lightweight, economical wall materials - logs, timber, sip panels.
Lightweight materials are not only economical in themselves, but, due to their low weight, they make it possible to build houses on inexpensive strip foundations. This is convenient in all respects, since strip foundations do not require the use of complex construction equipment during construction, and are erected quite quickly. In addition, a small country house built from lightweight materials can, if necessary, be dismantled and built in another location.
A house for permanent residence should have everything you need - a comfortable kitchen with space for a work area with a full set of household appliances, a dining area, a living room and cozy bedrooms. To save space, an open plan method is used. It involves combining all day care premises into a single living space. The living room, dining room and kitchen are usually combined. Often the hallway falls into this group, but when building in regions with a cold climate, it is better to make the hallway isolated.
A mini-house for year-round use must be well insulated. It must have a modern heating system. But if the rooms are designed to be very small, you can get by with simple electrical heating appliances.
Secrets of saving space
The main rule of living in a small house is to always keep the rooms tidy. The fewer things and objects in visible places, the more spacious the room seems. Therefore, such houses have built-in furniture where everything unnecessary can be removed.
When decorating the interior, you should adhere to the principle of rational minimalism. The rooms should have only the most necessary furniture. Moreover, you need to select furniture in one light, very limited color scheme. It’s better to just choose one color for all interior items and wall decoration.
The ideal option is transformable furniture that can be folded or put away in a special niche for a time when it is not needed. The use of such furniture should be planned at the design stage. In general, when developing mini-house projects, the interior should be thought through right away. The architect must know how the furniture will be arranged and, in accordance with this, calculate the layout of all rooms.
If there is very little space on the site, you need to build a two-story mini-house. But in this case, the design must be even more careful. Part of the space will be occupied by an interfloor staircase, and this must be taken into account. Properly designed two-story mini cottages are more functional and have more space for living quarters. In addition, they look more solid on the site.
Interior of premises in a small house
It’s not easy to furnish the rooms in a mini-house with everything you need. You need to carefully select furniture, discarding unnecessary items. But at the same time, the result should be a comfortable and cozy interior, which is difficult to create without additional decorative elements.
Video description
Interior solutions for mini houses
Bedroom interior
The most important item in the bedroom is the bed. It should be comfortable and large enough. There is no point in saving space in the bedroom at the expense of the size of the bed. There should be a minimum of other furniture in this room. If there is very little space, you can use hanging cabinets instead of chests of drawers and bedside tables.
It is advisable to allocate space in the bedroom for a closet in which personal belongings and linen will be stored. But you will have to give up such items as armchairs and a dressing table.
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Design options for small bedrooms
You can give your bedroom an attractive look with the help of 1-2 decorative elements. The main decoration is often the window drapery. The second element can be a picture above the head of the bed. Instead of paintings, paintings, photo wallpapers, and original decorative finishes are sometimes used.
Kitchen interior
To get a functional full-fledged kitchen in a mini-house, you need to order a kitchen set that will be made to order, taking into account all sizes, including the dimensions of the built-in appliances that will be installed.
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Rules for arranging a small kitchen
You should carefully consider in advance the relative position of all elements of the working kitchen area. This primarily applies to the stove, sink, cutting table and refrigerator. If everything is placed correctly, then even in a small space you can cook any dish without experiencing any difficulties.
In small houses, kitchens are usually designed as part of the guest area. To preserve its space, it is advisable to decorate the kitchen and guest areas in a single color palette and in the same style.
Dining room interior
The dining room in mini-houses is planned as part of the kitchen. In houses with a large area, the kitchen is often decorated with a bar counter, and next to it there is a dining table with chairs. In a small house this option is not always acceptable. Here it is better to simply place a small table directly in the kitchen area.
If the house is so compact that there is no room for a separate dining table, you can combine the guest and dining areas. To do this, it is advisable to have a folding dining table, at which you can eat while sitting on the living room sofa. In many cases, the interior of a mini house assumes the presence of a space that serves as a dining room and living room at the same time.
Living room interior
The living room is the main room in the house, which receives maximum attention when decorating the interior. When decorating it against a background of light shades, you can use some contrasting color accents.
It is very important that the living room has large windows, as well-lit rooms seem more spacious. There is no need to curtain them. To protect from direct sunlight, it is better to install light-colored roller blinds or blinds.
The central element of the living room is the sofa. The ideal option would be a folding sofa, which, if necessary, will serve as a sleeping place for guests.
If you have high enough ceilings, you can create a second level in the living room - a console. This architectural element is most often used to place a bed. But depending on the specifics of the project, the console can be equipped as an office, a workshop, or just a cozy place to relax.
Children's interior
To furnish a small children's room, it is best to purchase a set of modular furniture with a second tier. If the child's bed is on the second tier, you can put a desk under it or create a place for games.
Project options
Mini house projects are very diverse in architecture, layout and design. Let's look at some of them.
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Project of a small house with three rooms
The most compact cottages are designed like a one-room apartment. So, a small house, the design of which is presented below, has one living room, a kitchen, a hallway and a bathroom. It is distinguished from an ordinary small-sized apartment by the size of the kitchen-dining room, wide glazing and the presence of a comfortable spacious terrace.
The layout of this house is quite rational. The terrace serves as a porch. If desired, it can be glazed and equipped with a heated veranda. The kitchen here is a walk-through, but the passage from the hallway to the bedroom takes up minimal space. A niche in the bedroom can become a modest home office or dressing room.
In the next mini house, the layout includes all the elements of a regular cottage. There is a kitchen with a dining room, a living room, a bathroom and two bedrooms as far apart as possible. There are even two terraces. But all this is designed to a minimum size. In addition, all rooms have a well-thought-out arrangement. Thanks to this, the building turned out to be quite miniature.
It is worth noting that this project does not include an entrance hall. The entrance from both terraces leads directly to the guest room. This means that such a house is ideal for a summer holiday. If it is used for year-round use, the rooms will be too cold, and this will lead to too high heating costs.
Metal containers are often used to build compact houses. A separate direction in the construction of mini houses is the construction of residential buildings from sea containers. They are insulated, connected to communication systems, and lined outside and inside (sometimes only from the inside). The result is quite stylish and comfortable buildings.
The project presented below is the development of a miniature house. It can serve as a cottage with two living rooms or a mini hotel with two rooms with shared amenities. Such a building can also be equipped for the permanent residence of a small family. In this case, one of the bedrooms is equipped as a children's room.
House project from 3 containers Source freeinteriorimages.com
A mini house can be built from several containers, combining them into a single building. For example, in this project three containers were connected. The result was a home with a living room, a kitchen-dining room, a small bedroom and an office. The office can be turned into a nursery.
This version of a container house is more spacious and comfortable. It is quite comparable to an ordinary two-room apartment. The layout is quite rational. There is no separate hallway. But the walls of the containers are airtight, and if such a house is properly insulated, it can be easily heated in winter.
Project of a small square house Source konveyt.ru
If you build a small house on two floors, there will be much more space in it. The next project is the development of a compact dwelling, square in plan, with a small bay window. The second floor is full, not attic, so its area is not reduced by the low slopes of the attic. It is traditionally reserved for the sleeping area.
The advantages of this house are the presence of a buffer zone in the form of a lockable vestibule, two large bathrooms, a glazed bay window to accommodate the dining room, and access to the backyard through the living room. The right and left facades of the first floor are designed without windows, which means that a garage or carport can be attached to the house on either side.
Project of a small attic house Source ac.org.ua
A miniature attic house that looks like a classic country cottage, only small in size, is an excellent option for economical construction. Such a house will fit perfectly into country architecture and the natural landscape.
On the ground floor there is a guest area and one bedroom. Another bedroom occupies the entire attic floor. A mini-house, the design of which includes an attic, with proper interior design, will be a very cozy home, especially if inclined windows are installed in the attic roof.
Project of a house with a high attic Source: seattlehelpers.org
The next version of the project is another attic house. But in this case, the attic is designed high so that the area of the upper rooms is not lost. The small kitchen is planned to be separate. The living room is combined with the dining room. On the second floor, in addition to two bedrooms, there is a fairly spacious hall. The designers propose using it as a billiard room. But instead, you can arrange a second living room, a home theater, a place for children to study, or anything else depending on the needs of the family.
Conclusion
Projects of small and small houses require a special approach when developing. They are carefully thought out and serve as the basis for the construction of cottages that are modest in size, but quite comfortable for living.
This category of projects is very popular not only due to its economic accessibility. Of course, not every family can afford to build a pompous three-story country mansion. Yes, this is of no use if you just need a cozy country house, which you can come to at any time of the year to spend your vacation or holidays there, or just change your surroundings on the weekend and be away from the hustle and bustle of the city. If you think through the heating system in advance and take care of thermal insulation, then such a building can function not only in the summer. For example, elderly family members can live there all year round, whose health will benefit from fresh air, and their grandchildren will join them during the holidays.
The smaller the building, the more economical it is for the developer, but also the faster it is built and, accordingly, the sooner it is possible to arrange such housing and move in.
Advantages of small houses
- Due to its modest size, the building can be located on any site, even a very small one.
- The ability to build even on soft soils, since the load on the foundation will be insignificant.
- Compared to a larger house, energy costs (lighting and heating) are much lower.
- The living space is used as efficiently as possible, the premises are designed compactly, nothing superfluous and everything is at hand.
- It is easier to equip several living rooms with everything necessary and create the greatest comfort for residents.
- You don’t have to spend a lot of time maintaining and cleaning a small house, which is especially important for older people.
Collection projects
Despite their small size and compact layout, this type of home may contain a number of additional features and amenities.
- Glazed veranda- a mini-dacha project or an interesting house with a studio in all respects
- Covered terrace- projects, and in various modifications.
- Carport. Significantly simplifies the problem of parking and car safety. Possible options:
- carport for two cars, like in a two-story cottage;
- for one car, as in projects, or in an elegant cottage
- Availability of a garage- houses and also two-story.
- Attic floor. The attic in this case allows:
- move the sleeping area to the upper tier of the house, increasing the active daytime area, as in the project and with the second light;
- or give preference to a studio device, as in both modifications of the house and.
It is also possible to equip your home with a sauna, as in the project. This will require additional costs and increased waterproofing, but will be fully compensated by the healing and cosmetic benefits that can be obtained from regular use of a Finnish sauna.
This section of the collection consists mainly of one-story buildings. The simplicity and functionality of the planning solutions is combined with the discreet design of the facades. We can say that the motto of the “small houses” category is rationality in everything plus maximum convenience of life.
