The Cottage Company of Whidbey Island, Wash., decided to fully embrace the concept of a tiny home community, and the result is Third Street Cottages, a community of eight tiny homes. According to The Cottage Company, the community is located about an hour away from Seattle on Whidbey Island, and each home has less than 1,000 square feet of space.
According to Third Street Cottages, Ross Chapin of Ross Chapin Architects designed the homes in accordance with the "cottage housing development code," and this community is the first of its kind. As the code stipulates, the ground floor of these cottages could not exceed 750 square feet, total area within the cottage could not exceed 975 square feet, all the cottages had to face a usable commons area, and the parking areas had to be screened from the street. Creating a tiny community that doesn't feel like you are living on top of one another is quite a challenge, but Chapin conquered what had up until this time been a problem by placing the open side of one house against the closed side of the neighboring house, thereby maximizing the  homeowner's privacy. 

A room-sized covered front porch is just the right spot for coffee, dining, a glass of wine or hosting friends. The...

Posted by The Cottage Company on Thursday, March 29, 2012
In accordance with the code, each cottage has about 650 square feet of ground floor space and 200 square feet of loft space. Such a tiny space can feel quite confining, so to counteract the claustrophobic feel, Chapin included high ceilings, large windows and skylights. The large, open floor plan and extra natural light gives the feeling of more space. 
The white pine paneling and white beams give this bedroom a very shiny and elegant atmoshpere. 

The main floor bedroom enables single level living. Rich architectural details include whitewashed pine paneling and painted exposed joist ceiling detail.

Posted by The Cottage Company on Thursday, March 29, 2012
The dining area is also full of natural light, thanks to the beautiful skylight. 

Cozy dining niche is tucked under vaulted ceiling with skylight. Whitewashing pine paneling is used on walls throughout the home. Developed by The Cottage Company

Posted by The Cottage Company on Thursday, March 29, 2012
This cottage has everything one needs on the main floor, including a beautiful laundry room, also with vaulted ceilings. 

Main floor laundry with extra storage tucks neatly under vaulted ceilings. Developed by The Cottage Company

Posted by The Cottage Company on Thursday, March 29, 2012
The bathroom doesn't disappoint either. It has the same elegant, wooden style the rest of the home boasts. 

Main floor full bath with lots of storage overlooks private rear yard garden. Developed by The Cottage Company

Posted by The Cottage Company on Thursday, March 29, 2012
This would be the loft second bedroom, perfect for guests or a child. 

Upstairs loft bedroom with sink tucks under vaulted ceilings and openable skylight.

Posted by The Cottage Company on Thursday, March 29, 2012
And there's plenty of storage! 

Multi-purpose attic storage room tucks under the eaves.

Posted by The Cottage Company on Thursday, March 29, 2012
Here one can fully appreciate what "open space" means. 

Main floor 'great' room living, dining and kitchen. Perfect for summertime entertaining! Developed by The Cottage Company

Posted by The Cottage Company on Thursday, March 29, 2012
The Cottage Company points out that these tiny homes wrap around a community garden, providing a feeling of warmth and privacy while still giving the homeowner the security of having neighbors.  With the high ceilings, natural light and cozy rooms, these cottages provide a great alternative for those who don't want to have a huge home and are concerned about the impact lavish homes have on the environment. Third Street Cottages points out that the homes sold out very quickly. In their words, "The cottages are the equivalent of the Mini Cooper—small, sensual, well-engineered and reliable."