Good design requires multiple rounds of revisions and we’re grateful that we were able to partner with a thoughtful architectural and design studio to help fine tune our Tiny Dice House design after winning the Airbnb OMG! Fund competition.
While most of the interior and exterior design remained unchanged from our initial concept submission and vision, we made a few changes that we think will enhance the Tiny Dice House and the overall experience of staying here.
Here were the 6 design changes we made to the Tiny Dice House:
1. Moving the Jenga block staircase inside
Our initial design had the Jenga stairs connecting the first and second levels located outside because we didn’t want the stairs to take up floor space given the small footprint.
However, we were able to rearrange the floor plan to make more use of the height of the Tiny Dice House and place the stairs in a way that integrates beautifully with the first floor bedroom loft and opening into the second story. Now you can go up and down both stories seamlessly and appreciate the modern staircase from inside.
2. Adding an automatic trapdoor from the stairs to the second story
One of the things that allowed us to save space while having the staircase inside was by incorporating an automatic trapdoor that opens up into the second floor. Rather than having a traditional staircase landing taking up limited space, the trapdoor solution allowed us to repurpose the second story for more play space.
3. Incorporating a loft bedroom on the first floor for a more private, cozy bedroom
In our first design, we had the bed placed on the first floor in a studio layout floor plan. We got creative and leveraged more of the 12’ ceiling height of the Tiny Dice House, thereby creating a loft bedroom that’s tucked away behind the Jenga stairs and moved the bed there. This opened up the first floor for more kitchen and hallway space while simultaneously making the bedroom feel more private and cozy.
4. Extending the loft on the second floor and adding a cargo net barrier
The great thing about having tall ceilings in a tiny home is being able to create more loft space that can serve as extra cozy hangout spots or sleeping areas. While we did incorporate a loft on the second story as part of our initial design, in our new and improved design, we extended this second story loft all the way to the end and rather than a traditional railing, we incorporated a cargo net to act as the barrier. This keeps the space feeling spacious, safe, and secure.
5. Repositioning the windows to be more true to dice while maintaining optimal skylights and views
With the improvements we made to the floor plans, we also redesigned the window placements to be more strategic for views and natural light while also staying true to the actual placement of dots on dice (i.e. having the opposite sides add up to 7).
6. Removing the balcony on the second floor
The last major change we made to our initial design was removing the balcony on the second floor. As we thought more about the overall look and feel of the Tiny Dice House, we wanted to stick with a more minimalist and clean look without any other elements taking away from the look of “two giant dice stacked on top of each other”. Removing the balcony also gave us more cost savings to repurpose into other parts of the home.
We love making a good design even better and think these changes have done just that!
Let us know what you think below and follow along on social as we build the Tiny Dice House.