My sister asked me to design something that she called her “writer’s cabin” and that could be placed on family property on a harbor in Nova Scotia, our father’s birthplace. Here is my take on a tiny house. It has all the basics, small kitchen and bath, a small table and chair. The bed doubles as a couch or can be folded against the wall for more floor space. The large sliding door opens to the view and onto a small deck with a retractable awning. And there’s an outdoor shower because, after all, this is a summertime place. The whole thing could be put on a truck, or built on a trailer bed and moved, folding the deck against the wall for transport.

Regardless of the future for the tiny house movement it has helped many people to re-think what they need in a house. Thanks also to Sarah Susanka and her books on designing a house that’s not so big, that’s just right. www.notsobighouse.com