(New 2018 Update! My husband recently started a Tiny House blog called TinyHouse, BIG Design. Please visit it for more info and also for a copy of our complete floor plan!)
I have an exciting announcement about a little project our family has been working on behind the scenes for the past year. And by “little,” what I really mean is “tiny” – we’ve built a Tiny House on Wheels (THOW) to use in the mountains! Here in Charlotte, NC it gets hot hot HOT in the summer (I’m talking highs in the mid-nineties with crazy humidity), so we’ve long dreamed of being able to regularly escape to the nearby mountains. With just a 2 or 3 hour drive you can cool off by about 15 degrees (or even more on a good day) and have a whole new set of activities at your disposal … and pretty views, too!
Why Tiny?
As I mentioned, we always dreamed of being able to spend more time in the nearby mountains, but buying a cabin or vacation house is just not in our budget. So, after putting loads of thought into our options (and being inspired by our recent RV trip and HGTV, of course!), we decided if we went tiny we could realize this dream sooner rather than later.
One of the things we loved about our time in the RV was just how simple life was. It was such a small space to clean and keep up with and didn’t require much in the way of housewares or other “stuff” in general. But, at the same time we are also very much sticklers for things that are well-made and high-quality, so building a tiny house seemed liked the best of both worlds.
Our tiny house is 300-square feet (not counting the sleeping lofts) and, since I am a food blogger and cookbook author, you can probably guess my priority when we were figuring out the design – the kitchen, of course! Many Tiny Houses on Wheels have equally tiny galley kitchens – some even just have a small beverage style fridge and no oven. But, it was super important to me to have a kitchen with plenty of room for cooking and recipe testing. So, here is what we came up with! I honestly love some aspects of this kitchen even more than my kitchen at home!
See our Tiny House Plans
My husband recently started a Tiny House blog called TinyHouse, BIG Design. Please visit it for more info and also for a copy of our complete floor plan (to scale).
Tiny House Video Tour
Only our Most Used Kitchen Tools for our Tiny House Kitchen
We’ve got all sorts of fun kitchen gadgets at home that only get occasional use – such as our panini grill and waffle cone maker – but of course there’s no room for luxuries like that in a tiny house kitchen. So, I thought it would be fun to share the list of our most used kitchen tools and appliances that made the cut for our tiny house. Between inexpensive finds at Ikea, sales at a variety of kitchen stores, and pots and pans that were factory seconds – I’ve been a busy little bee trying to find the best deal on everything we need.
Kitchen Tools and Appliances in our Tiny House
- Pots and pans: 3 Pots (1 quart, 2 quart, 4 quart) and 3 Pans (8″ skillet, 10″ skillet, 3 quart saute pan) – all factory seconds!
- Cast iron skillet: Great for homemade tortillas
- Cutting boards: A combo of wood and plastic all from Ikea
- Good set of knives: Most were a gift from a blog sponsor (yay!)
- Kitchen shears
- Colander and small strainer
- Salad spinner: I honestly didn’t even own a salad spinner before cutting out processed food, now I use it all the time for lettuce, greens and even fresh herbs!
- Steamer basket
- Set of graduated mixing bowls: I hope the big ones can double as serving bowls
- Baking dishes
- Big and small casserole dishes: Also from Ikea
- Pie plate: It’s an extra one from home, but we make quiche enough to warrant having one
- Small baking sheet: A regular sized baking sheet won’t fit in our tiny oven, but it came with one that I hope will work
- Cooling rack: Obviously great for baked goods, but we also use ours for oven-cooked bacon!
- Muffin pan
- Loaf pan
- Cooking utensils
- Basic cooking spatulas/spoons
- Rubber spatulas
- Small whisk
- Tongs
- Roux spoon
- Other small kitchen tools
- Box-style cheese grater
- Carrot peeler
- Small zester/microplane
- Silicone brush
- Can opener
- Potato brush
- Stainless steel measuring spoons/cups
- Glass measuring cups: Both 1 cup and 2 cup size, good for liquids
- Lemon juicer
- Apple slicer
- Small ice cream scoop: Great for spooning muffin, cupcake and cookie batter!
- Wine opener: Of course!
- Meat thermometer
- Small rolling pin
- Small Appliances
- Electric hand mixer
- Slow cooker: Cannot live without this one
- Basic toaster
- Hand-held immersion blender
- Waffle maker: This was our one “not really necessary” splurge, but the girls talked me into getting a Belgian waffle maker (ours at home is just a regular waffle maker, not Belgian), and I liked the idea of having something special like this that we only get to have in the mountains!
- Misc. Items
- Handful of jelly jars and lids
- A couple cookie cutters: I use these when making biscuits
- Milk frother: So I can make my Maple Mocha
- Still deciding
- What type of coffee/espresso maker: We tried a French Press and it didn’t go well
- Food processor: Not sure if we’ll have room for one (big or small) and will go without for now
- Full-sized countertop blender: Hoping the hand immersion style will do for a while and hopefully forever
For direct links to some of my favorite kitchen tools and appliances check out my Kitchen Essentials Page.
Other Kitchen Items
- Simple white dishes: Dinner plates, salad plates, bowls all from Ikea
- Basic set of silverware + serve ware
- Cloth napkins: At home we keep our cloth napkins on our chair so we can reuse them a few times before washing, but since we don’t have a table at the tiny house (we hope to mostly eat outside) everyone just has their own designated color
- Glasses: Very durable and also will nest
- Coffee cups: These were a fun splurge to add a little visual interest to our open shelving
- All-purpose wine glasses: Good for red or white, also from Ikea!
- Serving platters: I have the same elongated simple white set from Ikea at home and use them all the time
- Water pitcher: Also from Ikea and can double as a vase for mountain wildflowers!
- Tupperware: I love Lock & Lock brand for being completely 100% leak-proof, which means perfect for picnicking
- Pot holders: These will also have to double as trivets
- Little “nut” bowls – The other anthro splurge, just to add some character other than white dishes to the open shelves
- Insulated thermos cups – great for picnics and hikes without added waste from plastic water bottles!
Whether you live in a small space or need help figuring out what items are most critical when it comes to making real food (or even need ideas for a wedding registry) – this list might be a good place to start!
Also, I’ve never had open shelving in the kitchen before, but it’s obviously great for many reasons in a small space. My plan is to keep glasses upside down and to dust a lot, I guess. Anyone else with open shelving have advice on how to keep things clean?
More Pics
Here are a few more pictures for those who are interested! If you have (or want) a Tiny House on Wheels as well I’d love to hear about it in the comments! :)
Can you tell me how many meters in length your tiny home is please? :)
We have an 18 ft. Trailer that we have taken from Ohio to Montana and Ohio to DC. We have very little storage but manage to get our “full service kitchen” in order. We use collapsible strainers and bowls. We also have a mini mandolin instead of a food processor. (Amazon) Oxo
I’m curious about why you chose a tiny home instead of an RV?? I know the price of tiny homes are much higher than RVs and since tiny homes are heavier I’m thinking they are much more expensive and harder to tow. My husband and I own an RV. We are looking at tiny homes. We are now weighing the pros and cons of both. Any insight would be appreciated.
Absolutely love your tiny house! I’m in the planning stage for a tiny house for my family. I was wondering what company you worked with for your house or if you built and designed it yourself.
Really love this one a Lot what is this one
Hi-
We would love if you shared your house plans and details with us! We have to have house built by July, so we are in a time crunch to get going, and LOVED everything about your house! How long did it take for your house to be completed? Thank you so much!!
Love your very upscale tiny house. Where are the bed and bath pics? Try a small Ninja blender instead of a regular one or food processor. Inexpensive and does everything. Mine has two pitchers and two small 16 oz containers with the motor that goes on top that you press down to turn on. Got it on QVC but they are available all over now for $70- $95.
Can you tell me the name of the gold light fixtures in the kitchen. Or where you purchased them? We are building a tiny pool house and I love the lights- also did you purchase the kitchen cabinets or make them. What color paint is on the lower kitchen cabinets? Thanks so much and we love your 100 days real food site. My daughter in law follows your recipes.
Hi Kim – We got the lights at SchoolHouse.com. The cabinets were custom made and pained Farrow and Ball Hauge Blue. Good luck with your build! – Jason
Wow looks amazing! My dream is to live in one when I get the kids out of the house. LOL
I appreciate you going through what you use in your kitchen.
Absolutely love your tiny house! I’m in the planning stage for a tiny house for my family. I was wondering what company you worked with for your house or if you built and designed it yourself. Thanks.
When do you expect the information about the tiny house to be up on your husband’s new website?
Soon, we hope! Thanks for your patience. :)
This is my favorite tiny home! Great lay out and love all the windows. Where did you get the bedding on the queen bed and the bird fabric near the girls bunks? Would love to know your builder since we decided this was what we are doing instead of an RV. We are researching right now to see what we like.
Hi there. You can go here soon: https://tinyhousebigdesign.com/ for more detailed information.
What are the countertops used in the tiny house? They look like quartz? Which brand and style if you don’t mind?
Hi there. You can go here: https://tinyhousebigdesign.com/ for more detailed information.
I love your kitchen and overall use of space in your tiny home design. Also, your bathroom space is wonderful too.
WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR APPLIANCES?
Hi. You can go here: https://tinyhousebigdesign.com/ for more information.
I LOVE your THOW! We have lived in our Tiny House that has 399sq ft for about a year now and are loving the Tiny House life! I just love all of your hidden away storage! I love your kitchen too. The whole thing is just beautiful! You can ck out my hubby’s blog at: tinyhousehusband.blogspot.com & friend me on FB at: Diana Hutchins Daw to see video’s & photos.
Hi! I love everything, but please, next time, film using landscape mode. You can fit a lot more in the camera and I really missed a wider view of this fabulous house.
Love the storage solutions!!
Love the layout, feels like a home to me. Awesome
Where this area can you inform me
Hello. It is in the mountains in Western NC. More information will be coming soon: https://tinyhousebigdesign.com/.
Hello, I absolutely LOVE the large rug in the living area under the couch – can I ask where you purchased it from?
Disregard! I see in the video it was purchased from World Market :)
What are the square footage of the kitchen area?
Hi. All details will be available soon: https://tinyhousebigdesign.com/.
Good Morning-
Love, love the tiny house! Beautiful!
I was curious as to when the tinyhousebigdesign.com will go live. I recently started a charity that donates finished rooms to families in need or weather-related catastrophes. I am in the midst of planning to build a tiny house for a family in need. I am very interested in this particular layout. I love the openness, the kitchen but most of all the 2 beds for the girls on the main floor. A little safer than a loft bedroom. Thanks! Julie
Hi. More info is on its way: https://tinyhousebigdesign.com/.
Love this tiny home what is the pricing range
More info is on it’s way: https://tinyhousebigdesign.com/
Love your tiny house on wheels! We have a large motorhome that we take for a month or more at a time. I have about 2/3 the amount of countertop you have and a smaller oven accompanied by two induction plate cooktops. What I found interesting is that your list of must-haves for your kitchen resembles what we take quite closely with a few exceptions. We didn’t do a waffle maker and we have an electric temp adjust teakettle instead of an espresso maker. Otherwise, the list was very close!
You should try a Biatelli Moka Pot instead of French press. I loooove my Nespresso but for trips I take just the frother (that I noticed you already included ) and a Moka pot. Try it and thank me later. Added bonus, it will look super cute on your open shelving.
I’ve followed the tiny house movement for several years, subscribing to a couple of the main tiny house newsletters, so I’ve seen (pictures, at least) of a *lot* of tiny homes and this is absolutely one of the best layouts and most attractive homes I’ve ever seen. Building on the 10′ trailer was absolute genius (makes you wonder why more folks don’t) since that addition 2′ over the standard 8′ trailer makes a world of difference. Bravo to you guys. I subscribed to the TinyHouseBigDesign blog, too, so will look forward to reading more. Well done!
I would also love to know who the builder was so I subscribed to your tiny house site to see if you discuss any of this information. Thanks!
More information will be coming soon: https://tinyhousebigdesign.com/
Love this home, what is the price?
Would love more information.
Most of them can be pretty pricey. This one looks like it is.
Hi. Musch more info is coming: https://tinyhousebigdesign.com/.
Can I know who built your tiny?? And how much it costs?
We will be making more info available soon: https://tinyhousebigdesign.com/
I love this tiny home! Wondering what your budget was and how much it cost total to build? Everything about it is beautiful!
More information will be coming soon: https://tinyhousebigdesign.com/
Absolutely love your beautiful tiny house. I would also like to your floor plans because they are perfection.
More info will be availbale soon.
Great post! We put an offer in on a almost-tiny house in Blowing Rock NC last year. 900 square feet, however it did not work out. We are still on the hunt! Cheers, Kary~
I am so eager to get more information on your plans and build! Thanks for sharing – its an inspiration.
Your detailed list of kitchen items can be very helpful for anyone trying to downsize. Thank you for sharing.
Can you also share the floor plan of your home?
More information will be available soon.
This is the very first tiny house that I am in love with Everything in it. What are the floor plans? I want to build my own and this is perfect. Great use of space for everything. The bunk beds are a wonderful idea!
More information will be available soon.
Love your floor plan. Where is the bathroo?
You can see it in the video above.
What size is your refrigerator? I love it but have no clue what size it is
More details will be available soon.
I would. also like to know your floor plans. I have plans to make a tiny house for college.
I would love to learn more about your process of building your tiny home! I especially would love to know what plans you used. This is the first tiny house I have seen that I love everything about it.
I would love to know the floor plans and other helpful info, this is my new goal to build my own even if it’s little by little.
Like yourself I am a family of four with my husband and two kids. We have an existing shell of a structure on my land that is 315 sq. ft and was looking for ideas on how to plan out our space. I am very inspired by your layout and the storage , and was wondering if you had a floor plan available on your tiny house?
More information will be available soon.
Very beautiful. We are in the process of going Tiny and I was wondering where you got your gold chandelier light figures?
Can you please share what your budget was and if you were able to stay within it?
Off topic: I would like to ask that you consider having your new cookbook printed in black instead of grey. Many of us, I’m sure, have trouble reading the light grey print.
Love your recipes, your blog, your new tiny home and much more.
BTW: I’m a friend of your mother-in-law from Naples
You have the nicest tiny home I’ve seen. The layout is perfect!!
Would also love to know who built or if plans are available. Love it…one of the best I have seen!
I have never been a fan of tiny houses but yours has certainly peaked my interest! I just love it.
Would love more details on architect and costs.
Thanks
I would love to know more about your tiny home, love it!
I really like the idea of a 10′ wide trailer as well as the fantastic layout.
Haven’t seen any responses to who you had design and build your tiny house? Are there plans for this house that I could use or purchase?
More info will be available soon.
Thank you. Really looks mg forward to knowing.
Fantastic job! Yes, it would be great to see the work as it progressed. Do you do it all yourselves or have someone else build it? It’s really lovely! I like the layout and the more private looking loft! The kitchen is ideal, too! Let us know how it works out for you after being in it awhile! Thanks!
More information will be available soon.
I wo’uld love to see it all and see from start to finish how you did this and how much did it all cost. Thx great job.
Details will be available soon.
Hi. I love your design. I am just getting started with my plans to buy a tiny home. Would you mind sharing with me your building plan and cost? Any helpful tips would be truly appreciated.
More information is coming soon.
Can’t wait for info! I love everything about this tiny house!
Hi, I’m interested in your floor plan and the company that built your tiny house. I can’t seem to find it here. Thanks
More information will be available soon.
Perfect. Want to build me one? Please share more
Stunning kitchen. Wow! Thanks for sharing the gray pics. Is your tiny house 8 or 10 feet wide?
Love this tiny house!!!
My husband and I are going to build and live in a tiny house. I’ve looked at so many tiny houses and I love the fact that yours looks so “homey”. Please post plans/elevations! We kinda want to copy yours. Thanks!!!
How much did your Tiny House cost to make? Do you have the plans for it? I love it, my family needs a new direction other than renting…Things are getting so expensive.
More details coming soon.
I saw more details coming soon re:plans / cost / budget was this posted somewhere?
Love the kitchen layout, would like to see the bathroom & loft(s)
Love your plan, solves issues I’ve been concerned about. Would love more info cost, plans etc. thanks for sharing!
More details coming soon.
I have a farm with a beautiful view to the mountains. Love the “picture” windows and the kitchen. Would love to have a tiny house. Will you please share the builder or plans?
More details coming soon.
I watch all the tiny house shows I can find, and I think this is one of the smartest designs ever! I am usually thinking “where are they going to put their clothes, towels, etc” but you have it covered, including the vacuum! Well done! As far as keeping the dishes on the open shelves clean, maybe a few cute dish towels or extra cloth napkins folded & placed on top of the plates & casseroles would help.
I just love this tiny house. But need more info. Cost more pictures. Everyone else wants more info but I did not see any answers from you?
More details coming soon.
i am interested in the slatted wall. what is the material and where did it come from? i love the hidden tiny closet.
More details coming soon.
i am interested in knowing what the slatted wall material is? i love how the little closet is hidden. where did it come from?
I have seen MANY tiny homes, and this BY FAR is the nicest one. Loved your thorough tour as well! I would also love detailed info (I see other people asking) ps. I just like to tell where I saw this and it was on Pinterest!
are there any photos of the bathroom??
who built this for you??
More details coming soon.
I’ve been researching tiny houses for a long time. Totally in love and want to go tiny. But the kitchen has been my problem. This solves that!! Would you be willing to share info on builder/plans/etc?
More details coming soon.
Thank you for sharing. I love it! The kitchen is so smart and I love the stairs as well. The overall layout is fantastic.
I would love some additional info, as others already requested, like more details, builder, etc.
Hello, I’ve tried reading through the comments, but haven’t found any replies regarding cost, plan, paint colors . . . am I missing something?
More details coming soon.
I love the floor plan would like plan on bath & laudary
I have looked at ALOT of tiny homes and this is the first one that looks exactly like what I need! Would you mind sharing who your builder is? Thanks!
Hello, I am in love with the layout of your tiny house and also would love be to know if the plans are available to buy and, perhaps, who your builder is. Thanks!
SOLD!
I love it. Plans. Builder. Cost.
We’d be interested in knowing all three.
Thank you.
I’m also one of those who want to know more about your tiny house design!!
This. This THOW is behind a shadow of doubt my absolute favorite! I love your floor plan! My husband and I have a tiny home less than 270 square feet. It’s basically a shed upgraded to a tiny home. We are fixing it up to sell and now I see what I really want. I’m so in love. thank you for sharing!
Where do you keep staples (flour, sugar, pulses, lentils, beans, canned) and other food items? This space is for a family of 4. I enjoyed the layout but also curious where everyone eats together?
I love the paint color of your cabinets! Would you mind sharing the brand and name?
Many thanks!
I was also wondering who you worked with to build the tiny house! It is the best design and layout I’ve seen in my research. I would love to use this as insipirstipn for when we build our tiny house. Would you mind sharing what builder/company you worked with ? Thank you for sharing the beautiful home with us!
I would love to know this too
Me three
Love your design! What fridge and couch do you have in your THOW? Also love your kitchen cabinets – where is the hardware from?
I love the design of your tiny house. My husband and I are planning on moving into a tiny house in the next year. Would you mind sharing who you worked with to build your THOW?
This is the loveliest Tiny Home i’ve EVER seen and I’ve studied a lot of them (I’m NC Mountain Realtor) and we get lots of requests for small mountain getaway’s.
We don’t have them.
So we are getting read to build a “small home” community. Your kitchen is inspirational. TOP NOTCH!!!
Love to see the floor plan and a photo of the bath. Thanks so much for sharing.
Judy Wagner
I would love to know how you went about building the tiny house! Did you use a company or pretty much go it on your own? It’s a lovely place and we are looking for something similar for the mountains up here. Cheers!
Where did you get your daughters lap desks? Those look so functional!
Love your tiny house! I’ve been obsessed with then for years now. If you are still looking into a coffee maker you should consider a Euro Press. I have one I use a work and LOVE it especially if you like a really good cup of joe! You can find them at Bed Bath and Beyond and on Amazon (line below). I would like to know if you have enough storage space in your tiny house for your clothes/shoes? That is my biggest concern when thinking about going tiny. Thanks! Cheri
https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503158358&sr=8-1&keywords=euro+press
Would like to know who built your tiny home. Thank you!
We live in Fort Mill, just across the boarder. Who was the builder and what was the cost?
Where did you find those lapdesks that slide open? They look like a great option for backseat entertainment on roadtrips!
I absolutely LOVE your new THOW! I have lived in a 427 sq. ft. 5th wheel for the past two years, with my husband and two homeschooled children. I would highly recommend a small Cuisinart 3 cup Duet Food Processor & Blender. We use ours all the time, to shred blocks of cheese quickly, to make black bean hummus, smoothies, etc. We also have, use, and love the simple Shark steam mop and a Shark Rocket stick vacuum. Both hide behind a door when not in use.
I’ve also learned that my crockpot is the best and biggest bowl I have for letting bread dough rise! Enjoy your THOW! Congratulations!
What a lovely place, love the creativity and complete organization.
Love your tiny house. Will you please share where you got your house and approximate cost? I would love to have a small mountain cabin retreat for a weekend escape from the city. Thank you—
I wonder, does she ever answer questions?
Would love to know where the plans are from as well. That is the perfect layout for my family.
Yes where did you get your plans? This looks like a great size and fit for our family.
Wow! gorgeous!
Sooooooooo CUTE!!!!!!!
Love the idea of bunk beds for the kids! I love tiny houses but trying to squeeze the whole family in can be tricky. Love your layout! Now it’s got me dreaming how we could do the same. So did you purchase land along with this?
I love this so much!! I know your main focus is food but would love to see a blog post or two on how the actual build process was and where/how you guys plan to keep and move it!
This might be in the comments somewhere but could you ever tell me what your countertops are? I love them! Do you have the name of them? Thank you!
Hi. Your tiny house is awesome. Great job and all the details. Where did you get the cute lap desk for the girls?
I love the layout of your tiny house! I also love in charlotte and am going through the process of planning my own tiny house. Where did you get your plans?
Thank you for sharing your beautiful mountain house. I’ve spent alot of time in the NC mountains, so I understand your desire to be there!
For your dining situation, have you looked into stacking stools that will fit under the cubby-area where your clear ones are currently? If you can find them to fit, that would give you 2 more seats: one at the end of the counter and one on the kitchen side. Not perfectly ideal, but would still allow for family dinner time if rains should hit.
Thank you again for sharing!