Tiny House Books We Recommend
Some of the most useful and best-loved books on designing, building and living tiny. Whether you want a technical build manual or a hit of inspiration, there is something here. Click through to find each title at your preferred bookshop.
Building & construction guides
Tiny House Design & Construction Guide
by Dan Louche
A practical, technical road map for building a tiny house on a trailer, written by an experienced builder. Walks through framing, flooring, roofing, insulation, plumbing and electrical, with plenty of photos and diagrams. A favourite of hands-on builders who want substance over inspiration.
Find this book →Idiots Guides: Tiny House Designing, Building & Living
by Andrew & Gabriella Morrison
A beginner-friendly, visual guide that breaks construction down into clear steps, and also covers the legal side, utilities and off-grid setups. Co-authored by a builder who helped write the tiny-house section of the International Residential Code.
Find this book →How to Build Your Own Tiny House
by Roger Marshall
A carpentry-focused manual with hundreds of step-by-step illustrations, covering everything from a bill of materials to running wiring and building compact furniture. Strong on the raw building skills.
Find this book →Tiny Houses Built with Recycled Materials
by Ryan Mitchell
For building sustainably on a budget: how to source, prepare and safely use salvaged and recycled materials in a tiny-home build.
Find this book →Building Your Tiny House Dream
by Chris Schapdick
A friendly, start-to-finish guide to designing and building a tiny house on a trailer with your own hands. Good for first-time builders who want a clear path through the whole project.
Find this book →The Joy of Tiny House Living
by Chris Schapdick
A practical how-to covering the real-world considerations of building, owning and living in a tiny home on wheels, from someone who has done it.
Find this book →Design & inspiration
150 Best Tiny Home Ideas
by Manel Gutierrez Couto
A large visual collection of tiny and small homes from around the world, leaning into eco-conscious design ideas. Good for gathering layout and style inspiration.
Find this book →Big Book of Small Home Plans
by Design America Inc.
A catalogue of over 360 plans for small homes, cabins, cottages and tiny houses under 1,200 square feet, with advice on rightsizing and storage. Handy if you are gathering layout ideas.
Find this book →Tiny Homes: Simple Shelter
by Lloyd Kahn
A beautifully photographed classic showcasing hundreds of small dwellings from around the world. More inspiration than instruction, and a long-time favourite of the movement.
Find this book →Living in Tiny Homes: Big Ideas for Small Spaces
by Marion Hellweg
An interior-styling guide full of room-by-room examples of multi-functional furniture and clever, minimalist organisation.
Find this book →Tiny House: Live Small, Dream Big
by Brent Heavener
A compact, photo-driven tour of small-living setups, from cabins to converted vans and treehouses. Pure visual inspiration.
Find this book →Memoir & lifestyle
The Big Tiny
by Dee Williams
A warm, personal memoir about downsizing into a tiny home built by hand. Less about construction, more about why people go tiny and what it feels like to live small.
Find this book →Tiny House Living
by Ryan Mitchell
Part inspiration, part practical guide to living well in under 400 square feet, with strategies for decluttering and making the most of a small space. From the founder of The Tiny Life.
Find this book →