You always wanted a little place to call your own.
Not your actual abode — your significant other, children and nosy neighbors have already laid claim to that.
Instead, consider DROP Structures, crafters of luxury, standalone spaces that cover as little as 106 square feet. You can customize them how you see fit … and then place wherever you want, no permit needed.
All the models by DROP — which stands for Detached Relocatable Outdoor Properties — are built in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
Their main tiny dwelling is The Mono. This 106-square-foot ready-to-use cottage can be delivered anywhere in North America and won’t need much in terms of advance prep work (and in most places, no building permit). It’s a minimalist shape: a long, linear floor with a vaulted ceiling and your choice of windows (skylights, back, side, full glass front wall, etc.).
The idea here is you can customize these versatile tiny homes how you want — a loft, Murphy bed, blinds, AC, micro kitchen, cabinets and solar power are options. The flooring and interior finishes are also up to you. This way, you’re the one to decide if you’re buying an exterior office, exercise room, studio or hyper-efficient Airbnb rental.
The insulated dwelling arrives with an attached four-foot covered deck, six LED pot lights, four receptacles and one exterior plug. It’s built to survive all forms of severe weather.
Prices start at $21,450, with an additional dollar per kilometer of transportation. Constructed from a single engineered truss frame, the Monos take 6-8 weeks to build before they’re shipped.
Need something a bit roomier? DROP also offers customized spaces up to 600 square feet, with multiple levels, plumbing and kitchens available. Two examples of their custom work: Ghost Lake, a sloped-roof motorcycle shop with built-in kayak storage (via a clever pulley system), and White Rock, an out-of-home office/studio space.
The tiny home space is, ironically, getting crowded. If the Mono isn’t quite your speed, we suggest one of these other unique (tiny) living options:
Conker: Funky, spacious “globes” that you can customize how you wish, but probably serve best as an office or studio (since they don’t appear to have bathrooms).
MADi: Two-floor modular A-frames available in three sizes that arrive flat-packed and take just six hours to build. Plumbing, electricity and kitchen included.
Slow Cabins: Just need an off-the-grid getaway? Take a leisurely, digital-fre time out in these self-sufficient eco cabins, placed at secret and secluded locations around Belgium (and soon, the rest of Europe). Once you book, they’ll send you the coordinates. Getaway offers a similar tiny home rental escape around the Northeast.
Escape: An array of portable, energy-efficient RV tiny homes that can moved around — or you can test ‘em out at Escape “villages” and campgrounds around the country.
Le Koroc: From Quebec design house Daigno, this tiny house rests on three marine-grade aluminum floats. You can haul it with a truck or large SUV, so Le Koroc is very amphibious. What we’ll call “lake-hoppable.”
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