Price list
| Campervan consulting | €90/h |
| Tiny house consulting | €90/h |
| Initial consultation | 30 min, donation-based |
| Hands-on work, per hour | on request |
| Travel to and from site | by arrangement |
Tiny House PRO | Tiny House knowledge
Fittings & furniture
… turn the tiny house into a living space
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A house is far from being a home. For your tiny house to be liveable and comfortable, it needs furniture. Somewhere to sit, a table and a bed, but also storage and suitable fittings for the kitchen and bathroom – what you need depends above all on your individual requirements.
What can be bought ready-made and what is better made to measure varies from house to house. In the Consulting I work that out for your floor plan; and I will take care of the installation on request myself.
In principle, the same furniture can stand in a tiny house as in any other home. Even so, there are a number of clever solutions designed specifically for small living spaces. Because in a small space it pays to think in multifunctional terms: a shelf unit is a staircase at the same time, and the seating platform becomes a bed in the evening.
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The same applies in the living area, kitchen and bathroom: with as little space available as there is in a tiny house, you should work out at the planning stage what you actually need and where you want to have things.
There are a number of clever solutions designed specifically for small living spaces – storage and stairs, for example, can be combined beautifully.
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Topics:
How ready to move into should it be? | Furniture & storage | The kitchen| The bathroom | The electrics
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How ready to move into should it be?
You can have your tiny house in various stages of fit-out, depending on how much you want to shape yourself. Your tiny house can be handed fully furnished, part-furnished or unfurnished over to you. Adding a shelf unit or a cupboard on the spur of the moment, as you would in a flat, or storing things in the cellar or the loft, is not readily possible in a tiny house. It is therefore an advantage to include the furniture in the planning from the outset. That way you can be sure that everything that is to go in the house also finds its place.
Fitting out the house yourself can certainly be fun, but it also takes a lot of time and needs some practice.
Turnkey
This means that the complete house is standing, the roof is covered, the façade is fitted and all the pipework and cabling (water and electrics) is in place. Walls and ceiling are clad on the inside and a floor has usually been laid. In the bathroom, if desired, basin, shower and toilet are installed. A kitchen can be fitted as an option.
Part-furnished
This stage of fit-out includes the same as the turnkey house. In addition, the kitchen and large elements such as platforms, storage staircases and seating areas are installed. Part-furnished is not really firmly defined. How many pieces of furniture there are, and which ones, varies by agreement.
Fully furnished
Fully furnished means that, alongside the fixed installations, all the other furniture is built by me as well. The house is furnished and handed over practically ready to move into. This does not include upholstered furniture and mattresses, however; these should be planned in, but they are not made by me.
Joinery quality
Whether chairs, benches, tables, cupboards, shelving, chests of drawers or beds – the furniture I fit is made in the joinery workshop from high-quality materials and is specially adapted to the needs of a tiny house. By now I have a great deal of experience with furniture designed for small spaces. That includes above all well-thought-out, practical multifunctional solutions such as folding tables, storage furniture and ideas for small kitchens and bathrooms.
Furniture & storage
Where there is little space, it has to be used as efficiently as possible. Special solutions lend themselves to this, for example platforms, storage staircases and
chests built into benches.
chests built into benches.
Multifunctional furniture lets you make use of
every centimetre.
What do I need?
When planning, it helps to observe yourself – do I need a kitchen table, or do I mostly eat on the sofa anyway? Do I want a separate workspace, or do I do that at the dining table and gain more free space or room for other furniture?
Where do I store what?
When planning storage, it is also worth thinking about where each thing can go. Which items do I need close to hand in everyday life, and what is only needed rarely? Things like that can easily be stowed away in a bench or a platform.
Things that are used often in the kitchen, living area, workspace and bedroom should also be stored there and within easy reach.
A great deal can be stored inside platforms.
A storage staircase is cupboard and staircase in one.
Also of interest to you: Layout | Floor & Walls | Heating
The Kitchen
A passionate home cook or a frozen pizza fan? How big the kitchen is and how it should be equipped depends largely on what you intend to do in it. The questions of how much you actually want to cook, how elaborately and for how many people should therefore come at the very start of the kitchen planning.
Pots, crockery, cooking utensils, groceries – a kitchen often accumulates
quite a bit that needs to be stored. Toasters, food
processors, juicers and rice cookers also quickly eat up the space on the worktop. In a tiny house kitchen you should think carefully about what is really needed.
It is best to watch yourself for a while as you work in your own kitchen. What do you need in order to cook in a relaxed way and enjoy it? What do you want to have directly to hand while cooking? With that in mind, take a look at other people's kitchens as well and let yourself be inspired.
Kitchenequipment
Sink
A sink is found in virtually every kitchen. In tiny houses they look no different from those in any other kitchen. The key question here is: one bowl or two? That is primarily a question of space. A simple metal sink is a good choice, as it is light and robust. Ceramic or wood are possible as well, however.
Cooker
The cooker takes up space too, so the question arises whether you need four rings or can manage with two. Whether you choose a gas or an electric cooker is a matter of taste as much as of the connection available. If there is no gas connection on the plot, gas bottles can be used instead. These do have to be changed from time to time, though.
Extractor hood
An extractor hood that carries air outside while you cook is advisable in tiny houses. It not only reduces the moisture in the house, it also cuts down the smells that spread quickly in a small house. Windows in the kitchen make sense too – if only for light and atmosphere.
Work surface
With the worktop, it is not only a question of what material it is made from and how it looks. Above all, what matters is how much work surface you need in the kitchen. Pull-out or fold-down elements make it possible to increase the surface area even in small kitchens.
Appliances
Large household appliances take up a lot of room, mostly at the expense of storage space. So you should ask yourself whether you really need a dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer or freezer. Would a freezer compartment in the fridge be enough? Many appliances are also available in smaller, space-saving versions. It is worth paying attention to the energy efficiency of the appliances too. I have a number of appliances that I fit as standard. It is also possible to fit your own appliances yourself; I will then prepare the connections accordingly.
Connections
In the kitchen you will of course also need connections for electricity and
water. Where they run depends above all on where the sink, cooker and other appliances are placed. Beyond that, though, you should also give some thought to where and how many sockets you need.
water. Where they run depends above all on where the sink, cooker and other appliances are placed. Beyond that, though, you should also give some thought to where and how many sockets you need.
You can think about lights at the same time. Where will you need light in your kitchen? Is a ceiling light enough, or should extra spotlights illuminate the worktop? Where could indirect lighting be integrated so that the kitchen is pleasantly bright even on cloudy days?
A tiny house kitchen can be fully equipped: with a large fridge, oven, a large sink and an extractor hood.
A very simple kitchen serves its purpose too.
A striking colour and an unusual work surface turn the kitchen into a real eye-catcher.
A mini kitchen with a hob and sink can even hide away in a drawer.
Also of interest to you: Layout | Floor & Walls | Heating | Moisture avoid
The Bathroom
A tiny house can be fitted with all the usual bathroom installations. Since bathrooms in tiny houses tend to be rather small, however, it is advisable to keep things minimal here as well. Whether basin, shower or storage – small, space-saving solutions are usually chosen. But a tiny bathroom can be comfortable too, if it is well thought out.
All the work should be carried out by a specialist firm. The pipework should also be installed professionally, so that nothing drips or leaks.
Bathroom furniture
Besides the sanitary fittings, a bathroom also needs some furniture. A mirror is important to most people, and so is a cupboard or shelf for toiletries and cosmetics. Where can a small supply of toilet paper go? Perhaps you would also like to keep the cleaning products in the bathroom?
Basin
Whether a classic porcelain one or an unusual eye-catcher made from a large, hollowed-out natural stone – every kind of basin is possible. Most basins are 30–40cm in diameter. There are of course smaller and larger versions as well.
Shower/bath
Whether angular or rounded, in principle any shower tray model can be installed in a tiny house, just as in any other bathroom. Accessible showers are possible too. A bath is of course an option as well; there are extra small models that need less space and so help save water at the same time.
Toilet
Almost all toilets in Germany are flush toilets, in which what is left behind is flushed into the sewer system with water.
As a rule, a tiny house is also connected to the local water supply and sewerage network. A normal toilet can therefore be installed without any problem. But you can also consider whether you would like a composting toilet or a separating toilet in your tiny house. If the house stands on a site where you have to rely on water tanks, that can be a sensible and water-saving alternative. It is an advantage, though, if you also have a garden where everything can be composted properly..
Separating toilet in a tiny house
Related to this topic: Moisture in the Tiny House | Creating & using ventilation options | Avoiding moisture | Windows & Doors
Basins and bathroom fittings come in a wide variety of materials and versions.
Natural stone basin and tall double window
Baths are available in tiny house format too.
The shower cubicle is a central element in the bathroom.
The Electrics
Without electricity the tiny house stays dark in the evening, and neither laptop nor
mobile phone can be charged. Living that purist a life may be quite nice for a weekend, but in the long run it is not particularly practical. Tiny houses therefore have electrical installations just like any other house. These should be planned in from the outset – that way cables can be run invisibly inside the walls and light fittings built straight in.
The entire electrical system and the corresponding connections are installed by a qualified electrical firm.
Light sources
Besonders schön ist es, wenn man im Wohnraum sowohl direktes als auch indirektes Licht hat. So kann die Beleuchtung je nach Tageszeit und Situation variiert werden. Indirektes Licht bietet eine angenehme Hintergrundbeleuchtung und ist oft stimmungsvoller. Direktes Licht wird überall dort benötigt, wo man es besonders hell braucht, zum Beispiel auf dem Ess- und Schreibtisch, in der Küche oder in der Leseecke. Spots, die das Licht fokussiert auf eine Stelle bringen, können Objekte, Bilder oder Raumsituationen besonders hervorheben. Lichtquellen können übrigens auch in Möbel integriert werden – dies sollte jedoch mit eingeplant werden.
The type of bulb can be relevant in a tiny house as well. They not only have different light colours, they also use different amounts of electricity. That is important particularly if you are aiming for energy self-sufficiency. LEDs are then a good, power-saving alternative.
Switches and sockets
Where would sensible places for sockets, light switches, TV and internet connections be? Where could lamps and lighting be fitted?
To plan the electrics you should take a moment and think about where you will need power and network connections. It therefore makes sense to plan the positions of lamps and sockets together with the furnishings and fittings.
The house can be fitted with all the usual connections for electricity and telecommunications. The question here is: traditional or thoroughly modern? Everything is possible, from the minimal solution to the installation of a smart home control system.
Where will I need sockets for a laptop, mobile phone and other electrical devices? Where will light be needed in the evening? Which connections are needed in the kitchen and bathroom? Mark the relevant places on your floor plan. If you do not want to plan every socket yourself, I will install the electrics in the way that suits your tiny house best.
Also of interest to you: Layout | Floor & Walls | Heating | Windows & Doors