It's time to part with your worldly possessions. Your college textbooks, your orange couch, your already-half-destroyed Billy bookcase—they're out. Your bed that can actually fit two people? A luxury. A kitchen counter? Unnecessary. Headspace? What are we, billionaires? The allure of microliving is not hard to grasp; it means fewer things taking up emotional space, cheaper rents, and an easy departure from all the things (the tchotchkes from in-laws, the terrible host presents, the failed re-gifts) that bog us down. What's more, there's innumerable ways to make microliving doable; indeed, microhomes seem to be one of the most diverse architectural subsets out there. Still, living small—whether that's in micro house barges, rural teepees, nature huts, or high-falutin octahedrons—is not for everyone, so it can be important to dip a toe in the water first. Here now, Curbed presents the 11 types of microhomes available on the rental market right now.
The Argentinian Pyramid:
↑ In San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, a woman named Muriel offers up a sleek pyramid-shaped chalet for visiting hikers—which, interestingly, have only the walk to the bus stop to complain about. In fact, the rest of the comments about this "perfect," "cozy and private," $42/night rental are rather stellar. Have a look.
The Hand-Crafted Gypsy Wagon:
↑ Say you're not quite ready to commit $2,500 to owning a gypsy wagon outright. Maybe you want to try out the mobile fortune-telling lifestyle first. Well Airbnb offers the experience for $55 a night in Seattle. The wagon is made entirely from birch, Douglas fir, and cedar, with handmade stained glass windows. Have a look, above.
The Idyllic-as-Heck Austrian Cottage:
↑ This cottage in a sleepy Alpine village in Southern Austria boasts 430 square feet over two floors. The catch? It asks a not-insignificant $904 a week, plus $28 in "cleaning fees."
The Vintage Log Cabin:
↑ Asking $995 a month in Nicasio, Calif., this two-story studio was built in 1915, and comes with a full kitchen, slate floors, and a claw-foot tub. Oh, and at 400 square feet, it's practically a compound estate.
The Garden Hut:
↑ This Seattle cabin may not come with a kitchen or in-house bathroom, but it's got a mini-fridge, microwave, and Wi-Fi, so, really, all is possible. Oh, and the reviews are stellar: "10/10 would rent again." The ask? $55 a night.
The Hawaiian Lovenest:
↑ Lovingly called "Kailua Coconut," this morsel of a home asking $65 a day (that's roughly $1,950 a month) in the Honolulu suburbs includes a private deck ("under mango and hau trees"), a happy key lime pie color scheme, and a bed that, per tenant review, "is the most comfortable ever."
The Desert Studio:
↑ This two-story barn-style studio in Joshua Tree, Calif., goes for $85 a day and offers views of the nearby national park as well as nearby hiking and rock climbing. Other highlights: a pergola with a hammock and a fire pit.
The Dome Home:
↑ Tucked behind a copse of oak and madrone trees and next to a redwood grove, this rental retreat boasts a geodesic dome cap lined with 144 plywood triangles, plus a large deck, travertine shower, and a French coffee press. Asking $100 a night, the "Mushroom Dome Cabin" is one of Airbnb's most popular rentals—check out the photos to see why.
The Writer's Cottage:
↑ People who've stayed at this 15-square-meter (about 161-square-foot) abode in Trolldalen (Sweden's "oldest community of summerhouses") call it a "cottage directly from a fairytale," "quiet, romantic," and a "great secluded little place on the shore." It's got Internet, a fireplace, a small kitchen, a grill and a "minishower." Perfect for spending a week finishing that novel. Rent's not cheap, though: the place asks $124 a night.
The Woodland Cabin:
↑ For $800 a month, this cottage in Washington's West Puget Sound offers a "fully equipped" kitchen, a washer/dryer, and "dependable" Wi-Fi. It all sits on two acres with lawn and herb gardens.
The Teeny Weeny Capitol Hill House:
↑ This 252-square-foot house in Washington DC asks $1,200 a month, a price justified by its primo Capitol Hill location. There's no hiding the fact that this place is meant for micro dwellers; the video brochure, a 30-second tour dragged out to nearly two minutes, showed off the half-a-foot-wide sink and distressingly narrow hallway to the dulcet tones of It's a Small World.
· All Renters Week 2013 posts [Curbed National]
· All Micro Homes posts [Curbed National]
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