How a Family of Four Lives Comfortably in a 236 Sq Ft House

When it comes to downsizing and embracing the tiny home lifestyle, we’ve noticed one big trend that we sometimes have a hard time getting behind. You see, plenty of these homeowners do an incredible job of paying attention to the inside function of their abodes, but we rarely see one that makes use of the outside land—however tiny it may be!

Eventually, curiosity got the cat, and—after some furious Googling—we were able to find today’s incredible tiny house for you. It was built entirely by a husband and wife architect team, so you know it’s going to be good…

When Karen Jelnes and her husband were making plans for designing and constructing their summer home 9 years ago, they looked back into their own Danish culture for inspiration.

In the past, Danes living in cramped apartments were given plots of land called allotment huts—a small house with a surrounding garden, so that the inhabitants could take advantage of the fresh fruits and vegetables and get some time outside.

The two loved this idea so much that they based their tiny home around this one theme and then modernized it.

As you can see, the Jelnes’ made sure that the inside structure’s main views are always facing outside towards the garden, which makes the space feel bigger. Since the family loves to cook, the dynamic designers solved the age-old problem of kitchen space by expanding the counter space to the outdoor patio.

Once inside, we see that the dining area is actually quite sufficient for a family of 4. (Remember, their kiddos are still little!) They have managed to fit a fairly large table inside, and can even supplement with some patio furniture if need be.

As for the bedroom, Karen simply slides open the red panel and—voila! —a beautiful multi-tiered sleeping space with an attached bath.

The tiny homeowner explains that the house was built before she and her husband had kids, so the room was actually quite comfortable for two back then. These days, she does admit that the area would be “cramped” if the family were to live in it fulltime.

With that said, the installation of the bunk beds for their two little ones really helps keep the small room as open and clutter-free as possible.

In her video interview for GoDownisize, Karen discusses her passion for tackling design problems in tiny homes. “I really like designing small spaces because you have to consider every square meter—how you use it,” the architect says. “There’s really no leftover space at all.”

We’ve seen plenty of tiny homes in our day, but we don’t know if we’ve ever seen one that was designed with so much forethought! To get a full tour of the Jelnes summer home, be sure to watch the video below. Who knew such a large kitchen could fit into such a small space?

We know you have plenty of opinions about tiny homes! How do you think this one rates compared to other ones we’ve covered? Do you like the allotment hut inspiration? Is there anything you would change about the design?