Whether your New Year’s resolution is to live a more conscious and minimalist lifestyle or simply save money, tiny living could be the lifestyle you’ve been looking for.
But where to even start? We’ve popped together a list of tiny house book recommendations to help you on your tiny house journey from A-Z, from initial inspiration to practical building advice and day-to-day small living tips.
Curated especially for the Scandinavian or European tiny house enthusiast!
INSPIRATIONAL
Living Big in a Tiny House
AUTHOR
Bryce Langston
WHERE TO BUY?
DESCRIPTION
This delight of a book was authored by the creator and presenter of the popular tiny house YouTube channel – Living Big in a Tiny House.
Through this book, Bryce takes us on a journey to explore dozens of tiny dwellings, including his own, and provides not only helpful advice but masses of inspiration.
150 Best Tiny Space Ideas
AUTHOR
Francesc Zamora
WHERE TO BUY?
DESCRIPTION
Packed with inspiration galore, 150 Best Tiny Space Ideas explores – you guessed it, 150 tiny living spaces and shares an inside look at the design and functionality of each space.
This book could be considered the tiny house manual for design, covering multiple styles, including minimalism and eco-friendly design.
The book also gives practical advice about making the most out of a smaller home, with furniture ideas and even storage solutions!
A fabulous read for the budding tiny home builder and one that shows just how many people choose to partake in a minimalistic way of life.
Tiny House Living
AUTHOR
Ryan Mitchell
WHERE TO BUY?
DESCRIPTION
If you had to pick one book to get an overview of what tiny living is like, pick this one.
Written by Ryan Mitchell, the creator of one of my favorite tiny home blogs thetinylife.com this book discusses the tiny house lifestyle, living a more conscious lifestyle, designing your dream tiny, and the practical considerations to boot.
One of the best tiny house books we’ve found over the years, and we’re not alone in those thoughts – this piece of tiny living literature has hundreds of five-star reviews on Amazon.
The Giant Book of Tiny Homes
AUTHOR
John Riha
WHERE TO BUY?
DESCRIPTION
This tiny house book is for anyone tempted by the lifestyle but unsure whether it would suit them.
With countless property styles featured, this can help those on the fence – decide once and for all if this is the path they should follow.
Written by John Riha, the former editor of Country Home magazine among many other publications in the real estate niche.
DESIGN AND BUILD
Tiny House Handbook
AUTHOR
Charlie Wing
WHERE TO BUY?
DESCRIPTION
If you’re a visual learner, this is the book for you, packed full of helpful information on designing and building your tiny home from the ground up.
This comprehensive tiny home guide covers design and the whole build stage and provides excellent guidance on estimating costs for your tiny home build project.
Tiny House Basics
AUTHORS
Joshua and Shelley Engberg
WHERE TO BUY?
DESCRIPTION
If you don’t want to waste time reading through a million blog posts or books that never really dive into the details – then fear not because this book is far from that.
In fact, you could describe it as hitting the tiny house info jackpot.
This book helps you design your home and life so that it fits within a tiny space.
Tiny House Design and Construction Guide
AUTHOR
Dan S Louche
WHERE TO BUY?
DESCRIPTION
Most of us are physically capable of building our own tiny homes, but having the confidence and knowledge to do so is often lacking.
One of the greatest aspects of this book isn’t just that it’s well-written and incredibly informative.
It breaks down all the different tasks of designing and building your own home, making everything easy to understand.
And best of all gives you the confidence to take on the challenge!
The Small House Book
AUTHOR
Jay Shafer
WHERE TO BUY?
DESCRIPTION
Written by Jay Shafer, The Small House Book discusses the practicality and benefits of living in a tiny home.
Digging into the benefits, including how small homes and more affordable, environmentally friendly, and easier to maintain.
Shafer, a true expert in tiny home building, shares that knowledge in this book with building and design tips while encouraging his readers to embrace a simpler and minimalistic lifestyle.
This book is an excellent inspiration for downsizing and living more sustainably.
Shipping Container Homes
AUTHOR
John Peterson
WHERE TO BUY?
DESCRIPTION
This book explores the use of shipping containers as a resource for home building. John Peterson discusses the benefits of using shipping containers as the building blocks for a small home.
Including looking at their longevity, sustainability, and affordability.
Shipping Container Homes walks through step-by-step instructions on turning a shipping container into a functional and beautiful home.
With multiple design styles covered to suit everyone’s style and plenty of examples of finished projects.
Tiny Homes: Simple Shelter
AUTHOR
Lloyd Kahn
WHERE TO BUY?
DESCRIPTION
Exploring the growing trend of minimalist living and tiny homes, Lloyd Kahn’s book features a variety of unique tiny living spaces.
It covers the practical aspects of building and living tiny, from design and materials to building code regulations (although this doesn’t cover Scandinavian tiny house rules).
Offering countless creative solutions allows the reader to embrace the idea of downsizing without compromising quality of life.
Tiny Homes on The Move: Wheels and Water
AUTHOR
Lloyd Kahn
WHERE TO BUY?
DESCRIPTION
Another book by Lloyd Kahn, this time focusing on tiny homes on wheels and tiny homes on water, aka houseboats.
The book features a variety of home designs and profiles of the people that have chosen to live in these unique dwellings.
As well as the expected building and design advice, this book also digs into the environmental and societal benefits of living tiny.
Nomad: Designing a Home for Escape and Adventure
AUTHOR
Emma Reddington (Images by Sian Richards)
WHERE TO BUY?
DESCRIPTION
For the wanderer at heart, the nomad, the adventure bunny – this beautifully written book by Emma Reddington combines evocative storytelling with stunning images by Sian Richards.
For many, the nomadic lifestyle is hugely appealing – but it’s not without its unique challenges, and before living on the road, it can be hard to know what to prioritize.
This book is the cheat sheet for the beginner nomad, drawing on the expertise of nomads before you, and showcasing tiny houses and vanlife.
Read along as they share design inspiration, tips, tricks, and resources to make your foray into life as a nomad as smooth as possible!
THE TINY LIFESTYLE
You Can Buy Happiness (And It’s Cheap)
AUTHOR
Tammy Strobel
WHERE TO BUY?
DESCRIPTION
This must-read book breaks down what we actually need to be happy in life, and spoiler alert – it’s not much.
Written by Tammy Strobel, this book follows the journey that she and her husband take from living the middle-class lifestyle that was well beyond their means to the tiny lifestyle with some fun tales along the way!
She shares how you can make the switch, step into minimalism and live a happier and more fulfilled life.
The Big Tiny: A Built-It-Myself Memoir
AUTHOR
Dee Williams
WHERE TO BUY?
DESCRIPTION
Life is short, and while it’s easy to forget sometimes, a near-death experience certainly brought it to the forefront of Dee Williams’ mind.
That experience set her on the path to discovering a more conscious lifestyle.
A lifestyle that allowed her to focus on spending time with the people she loved over spending money on the things she didn’t.
This book is an exceptional reminder that all of us can benefit from and is quite the adventure!
Surf Shacks: An Eclectic Compilation of Surfers’ Homes from Coast to Coast
AUTHOR
Indoek
WHERE TO BUY?
DESCRIPTION
For those days you want something a little lighter, with fun pictures and lighthearted stories – this is the book for the occasion.
This tiny house coffee table book is a fun gift for a tiny house friend.
Focusing on the story behind the surfers than getting into the nitty-gritty of build or design.
If you’re looking for some design inspo for your beach town tiny home, this is a great starting point and a nice book to share with friends and show them the joys of this lifestyle!
Tree Houses: Escape to the Canopy
AUTHOR
Peter Eising
WHERE TO BUY?
DESCRIPTION
If you’ve been looking for a quirky and unique style of tiny dwelling, then perhaps a treehouse-style home is the one for you!
Re-live your childhood Swiss Family Robinson dreams and explore the world of tiny homes in the treetops with Peter Eising’s inspiring look into treehouse architecture and the people behind the designs.
Join Peter as he tours treehouses around the globe, and maybe you’ll get some inspiration for your tiny home build, whether in the treetops or on the ground!
Final Thoughts
You don’t need an excuse to buy new books, so whether you’re looking for some inspiration, motivation, education, or just a little relaxation – all of the books covered in this list are some great picks.
And let me tell you, in the 17 years it took me to get my own tiny home – reading books kept me going, and now as I sit here writing this from my tiny home; these books are always teaching me new things or giving me new ideas to add to my house on wheels.
Keep Living Tiny xx
Nadia.
