This 480-Square-Foot Garage Became a Tiny House Perfectly Suited for Guests

Seattle designer Hayley Francis and her father, Ken, made the decision it was time to include extra sleepover area to accommodate the steady stream of site visitors to the family members beach front home on Washington’s South Puget Seem. They turned 480 square toes of drop area into a place the place several guests at a time can sleep, look at Tv set, function, prepare dinner, and shower—without adding on or building up. The end result? 1 extremely-efficient small dwelling with multifunctional furnishings, connoisseur kitchen area amenities, and a rest room with a layout twist.

Ellie Lillstrom

Hayley Francis grew up paying summers and weekends at the family seaside home. She remembers beachcombing and producing art initiatives with her late mother, Laurie, also a designer. Hayley however visits frequently, as do her sister, nieces, and nephew, so generating the little residence was all about building far more house for the family members to obtain and preserving the special instances heading. “It was a desire job,” she says.

Ellie Lillstrom

The original garage experienced often been employed far more for resources than autos for the reason that the residence also bundled a carport. For building effectiveness, a crew turned the carport into a garage at the exact same time they produced the garage into residing quarters.

Ellie Lillstrom

With the aid of Seattle architect/designer Seth Grizzle of Graypants, Hayley incorporated a non-public bedroom, an efficient and stylish kitchen area, and a little but luxe lavatory. Vaulted ceilings, French doors where the garage doorways were being, and generous home windows make the guesthouse feel big and ethereal.

Finances-smart secondhand household furniture and open up shelving harmony attractive extras these as brass plumbing fixtures and assertion lighting. And for wet times or motion picture nights, there is certainly a created-in projector above the sleeper couch and a pull-down display screen mounted earlier mentioned the window seat.

Hayley utilizes this sitting spot for breakfast and when remotely managing her design and style business enterprise, Neon Doves. The expandable table, an aged loved ones piece, pulls up to the window seat. The designed-ins include niches tall plenty of to stow the stools.

Tale proceeds

Ellie Lillstrom

“I required a ‘wall’ kitchen area, not a corner kitchen,” Hayley states. “I felt it would make the house truly feel significantly extra open.” For the reason that the set up is on whole exhibit, she gave it significant-kitchen area fashion with a wall-mount faucet and sconces in brass. The backsplash is only 3½×6½ ft, allowing her to use a single slab of soapstone. “I appreciate soapstone it feels rocky. It can be a way of remaining beachy without staying literal,” claims Hayley.

A box beam upgrades the appear of the ceiling peak and hides electrical wiring for mild fixtures. To prevent a lineup of obvious appliances, wood panels camouflage the refrigerator, and a pantry cabinet hides the microwave.

Ellie Lillstrom

Each home added benefits from the spaciousness that arrives with the vaulted ceiling. Classic burled-wooden nightstands, a caned headboard, and window trim all in the exact same tone floor the bed room.

Connected: 14 Essential Decorating Guidelines for a Welcoming, Perfectly-Outfitted Visitor Bedroom

Ellie Lillstrom

A doorway on the facet of the property prospects to the personal areas off the again hallway: bed room, toilet, and a loft that is obtainable by a rolling ladder. A linen closet is opposite the bathroom doorway.

Ellie Lillstrom

Hayley took a cue from all-in-just one European baths and specified a moist area: Hexagonal ceramic tiles include all the surfaces, doing away with the require for a shower stall. “I’ve often needed a entirely tiled tub, and this ended up saving us area,” she suggests.

—Hayley francis

Ellie Lillstrom

Maximizing each and every inch, a custom made cushion fills a berth constructed into the highest area of the ceiling. With no inches to spare for furnishings, a wall sconce accommodates nighttime reading through. A porthole window plays off the home’s seashore locale.

Illustration by Christopher Mills

When it comes to the small house format, sensible ground program decisions support every little thing suit with no a squeeze. Maintaining the living place mild on household furniture ups the overall flexibility. Shallow back-to-back again closets deliver extra obtainable storage than just one deep a person. A floating wall consolidates the plumbing and retains the home from feeling cramped. And in the peaks earlier mentioned the kitchen area and tub, lofted nooks increase a lot more helpful place.