Mashup

Small Space, Big New Thing

After years of building ever-bigger houses, we’re looking for new values, the average size of new homes has swelled by 50 percent since 1970, despite that the average family size decreased during the same period.

There has been a backlash against conspicuous consumption, and we’re seeing a new understanding of smaller, higher functionality houses. During the late 1980s and 90s Heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson occupied a mansion now abandoned in Southington, Ohio. The property lies eerily quiet, cold, a shell of what was once a home. fortunately people are now fed up with such wasteful spaces as five bedrooms, several living spaces, seven and a half bathrooms, a full kitchen, a mini-kitchen/washroom, two attached garages, one external garage, full-size pool and Jacuzzi, tiger cages and a basketball court - sustainable design is no longer just for the Birkenstock set.

Most tiny houses are tailored for middle-class and wealthy families who made a conscious decision to “build better, not bigger.” It’s a challenge, of course, balancing people’s memories and the functionality of their new spaces but we’re seeing a new understanding that true luxury is comfort, solace and connection. It’s a practical response to reconnecting with family and friends in deeper ways than in show-off houses like Tyson’s decked out, abandoned mansion with crystal chandeliers, a pool larger than most homes.

1.     “Downsizing to Smaller Homes is the New Trend,”  Tallahassee Magazine, accessed May 20^th, 2015, http://www.tallahasseemagazine.com/July-August-2014/Downsizing-to-Smaller-Homes-Is-the-New-Trend/

2.     “Inside Mike Tyson’s Eerie Abandoned Mansion” News.com.au, accessed MAY, 22^nd, 2015,  http://www.news.com.au/sport/american-sports/inside-mike-tysons-eerie-abandoned-mansion/story-fnq2nnu6-1227286085514

3.     “Tiny Houses With Big Ambitions” Time Magazine, accessed May, 22^nd, 2015, http://time.com/130959/tiny-houses-with-big-ambitions/