Skip to main content

First looks can be deceiving with this Elizabeth Herrmann Micro House

Tiny houses don’t have to look, feel, and actually be close and cramped, with every horizontal and vertical inch tasked with multiple functions. Architect Elizabeth Herrmann’s Micro House more than proves the point with this tiny home that features massive spaces.

Herrmann was commissioned by an artist to build a small house on a hillside in Vermont. The client, who is also a square dance caller, told Design New England he asked for “a beautiful, tiny, energy-efficient house, large enough to square-dance in.”

The house also had to fit within a $150,000 budget. Absolute requirements included a bathroom with a tub, a sleeping area, kitchen, clothing and household storage, a dining and work table, living space that could do double duty as guest space, and a sleeping loft.

The 430-square foot house, not counting the sleeping loft, is built on a foundation on a hillside with an open view of a peak in the Green Mountains called Camel’s Hump, due to its resemblance to a dromedary’s upper anatomy. The house has a basement for storage, mechanicals, and washer and dryer. No first-floor space is wasted for basement stairs, as a hatch door in the floor lifts for access to the stairway.

The main floor of the house has subtracted corners at opposite ends. Those architectural elements accommodate a covered entrance porch and the second-floor sleeping loft. The interior walls created by the cutouts save the openness from being box-like, and help define at times overlapping functional areas. Large windows and a high ceiling on one side of the house add to the feeling of spaciousness. The sleeping area and bathroom are directly under the low side of the roof’s slope.

The variety and size of the interior spaces surprised the client. According to Design New England, he told Herrmann, “You gave me a jewel box. The house is so well done, you have made it impossible to add to it.”

For more on tiny homes, check out our roundup of the best tiny houses (or the best tiny homes on wheels!).

Editors' Recommendations

Bruce Brown
Digital Trends Contributing Editor Bruce Brown is a member of the Smart Homes and Commerce teams. Bruce uses smart devices…
Get this Roomba robot vacuum for $160 instead of the usual $275
iRobot Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum cleaning a foyer.

Crutchfield is currently selling an iRobot Roomba 694 robot vacuum for a fantastic discount. Usually costing $275, it’s down to just $160 for a very limited time only. One of the best robot vacuum deals around, the sale is only on until March 16 so you haven’t got long to snap one up. If you’re keen to streamline the cleaning process at home, check it out now before the sale ends.

Why you should buy the iRobot Roomba 694 robot vacuum
The Roomba range provides some of the best robot vacuums around meaning it’s the perfect brand to consider. With the iRobot Roomba 694, you get a 3-stage cleaning system with an edge-sweeping brush, dual roller brushes, and powerful suction. Alongside that, there are Dirt Detect sensors that inform it when it needs to give more attention to dirtier parts of your home.

Read more
The Blink Mini 2 features an updated design, support for outdoor use
The Blink Mini 2 placed on two books.

The original Blink Mini was one of the best indoor cameras thanks to its affordable price, 1080p resolution, and support for Alexa. Now, Amazon is making the gadget even more enticing with the new Blink Mini 2, which boasts a sleek new design and is capable of working both indoors and outside in the elements.

While it's still small and compact, the Blink Mini 2 looks slightly different from the old Blink Mini. Its corners are much softer, its entire chassis is white (instead of a white chassis and black faceplate), and its camera takes up a bit more space on the front of the device. The differences are apparent when the two gadgets are placed side by side -- and the minor changes add up to make the Blink Mini 2 look a bit more premium than its older sibling.

Read more
This 4-camera Lorex wireless video surveillence system is $200 off
A Lorex 2K Wireless camera mounted on an outside wall.

One of the best security camera deals today is over at Crutchfield with $200 off the Lorex 2K Wireless NVR System. Usually priced at $550, it’s down to a fantastic $350 until March 17. That means you don’t have very long to enjoy the significant discount. If you need to know more, we’re here to help with some insight about the security system below. Remember to buy it before March 17 if it sounds like the right setup for you.

Why you should buy the Lorex 2K Wireless NVR System
Sure to be one of the best home security camera systems for many people, the Lorex 2K Wireless NVR System is packed with features. It comes with an easy-to-use network video recorder along with four weather-resistant 2K cameras which are battery-powered and wireless. Any time the cameras notice motion, you’ll get a notification to your smartphone. You can then opt to view the live feed as well as talk to anyone on the other side. Its motion-based detection system does a great job of highlighting things only when there are people rather than objects, cutting down on false alarms.

Read more