Photo: YouTube/Tru Form Tiny (composite)
The ever-popular trend of small-space living may have its upsides, but at the end of the day, you’re still living in a tiny house on a trailer, lacking basic features and, in most cases, longing for more space. However, it doesn’t have to be that way.
Tiny living first emerged as a viable alternative to traditional housing in the early 2000s, when it was still considered a hipster solution to problems like climate change and a more individualistic approach to mitigating its side effects. Today, tiny living is seen as the ideal solution for those looking to downsize while reaping benefits like greater freedom to move around (with their home in tow, of course), reduced running costs, greater convenience, and a more intentional lifestyle.
Tiny houses are just that: small homes built on top of trailers, which can be classified as travel trailers if they are under a certain size, or park RVs if they are larger. In the latter case, they can only be moved with special permits and, even then, only if absolutely necessary.
Whatever towable tiny house wins in terms of compactness and mobility, it loses in comfort, space, and basic features. In contrast, the larger units, which are more like brick-and-mortar homes except for this ability to be moved occasionally, are larger, more luxurious, and strive to defy the very essence of the tiny living trend.
Photo: YouTube/Tru Form Tiny
The 38-foot custom home toured in the video below is a solid example of this. This is Oregon-based builder Tru Form Tiny's latest build, based on one of the newest additions to their model lineup, the Cascade Max. It's described as “unlike anything you've ever seen,” and, as far as tiny houses go, that may very well be the case.
Like the standard Cascade Max, this unit is mounted on a quad-axle trailer with a total length of 30 feet. It’s 10.5 feet wide and features an asymmetrical roofline that hides its biggest secret: a double-loft layout in a configuration that Tru Form has never done before, and is a rarity in the tiny home market.
Additionally, the unit offers a generous living room that can be effectively used as an entertainment space and guest room in case of a nighttime emergency, a chef-style kitchen filled with appliances and storage, a spa-like bathroom, and a master bedroom on the ground floor. The finishes are the proverbial master touch, adding sophistication and personality to the spaces while enhancing their functionality.
Photo: YouTube/Tru Form Tiny
It might look like a sponcon, but it’s not (*pinky expletive). If you know anything about tiny houses, you know that they’re almost always fascinating examples of how creative design can overcome spatial limitations to provide just the right combination of functionality and style. If it were necessary, this one could give a masterclass in that. It’s not only surprisingly elegant and memorable, but also packed with everyday functionality.
According to Tru Form, the clients had a significant say in the final design, which included the addition of a second “secret” loft located above the bathroom and accessible via a hidden staircase in the walkway between the bathroom and the master bedroom. This space is designed as an open-plan living area that can be used as both a workspace for the parents and a study for the child sleeping in the next room.
On the other side is the main loft, which is the kids' room. Neither loft has any usable height, but they work hard to make up for it with a larger footprint that allows for storage.
Photo: YouTube/Tru Form Tiny
The master bedroom is on the ground floor, with full headroom, a second entrance via a glass door, and not one, not two, but three storage options: drawers built into the wall and under the staircase, a double wardrobe with a coat rack, and a freestanding vanity. Tru Form says the space here could easily accommodate a king-size bed, although that would take up more room than you have to move around.
The devil is in the details, if you believe the old saying. With tiny homes, their personality and ultimately their charm lies in the finer details. With this unit, that means gorgeous styling in understated colors, the option of more affordable features (like a black Venetian plaster backsplash instead of tile in the kitchen), and plenty of natural woods paired with glass and bronze accents.
An all-black kitchen or dark bathroom is always beautiful, but the downside is that they can also feel the opposite of welcoming: uninviting and impersonal, more like showpieces than functional spaces. That doesn’t seem to be the case, where the kitchen feels both family-friendly and party-ready, and the bathroom has a spa-like feel that you’d be hard-pressed to find in most other tiny homes.
Photo: YouTube/Tru Form Tiny
“Our client really wanted a high-end aesthetic, while still maintaining a relatively cost-effective approach,” Tru Form talks about the unit, adding that the kitchen is a good example of how they were able to “get a sophisticated look at a fraction of the cost of traditional tile, without compromising the feeling of luxury.”
Don’t get me wrong, though, “affordable” is relative. A standard Cascade Max unit starts at $189,000 with a single-level floor plan, which means this ground-level double-loft master bedroom unit, filled with custom touches throughout, was the furthest thing from what most of us would consider “affordable” when it comes to tiny homes. But it sure is gorgeous to look at!
