These two little houses in the woods have differences, especially at first glance, but they also have a lot in common.
One of them is warm, quite traditional and uses materials such as wood that has always been used in forest regions. The other is minimalist, decorated in cool colors, and has a modern design, with windows designed to allow sunlight to enter directly from the ceiling.
However, they have much more in common than it seems: both are located in the forest, they have all the necessary comforts in a very small space, they are designed to be inserted into the ecosystem with respect and, most importantly, they allow the people who inhabit them live the way they want, in contact with nature, without spending more than necessary and without worrying too much about home maintenance.
Little Malisa
The first of these houses, called “Malissa”, was built in 2012 and is located in the town of Snohomish, in the United States.
It was designed by its owners and was soon admired for the creative way they took advantage of small spaces. The bedroom, for example, is elevated, taking up a little more than the space of the mattress.
However, it has windows on both sides, space for two people to store their belongings, and more sleeping space compared to a traditional bed.
The kitchen, also made entirely of wood, is barely the size of a hallway; however, it has more shelves and a larger countertop than many larger homes.
This schematic shows the internal layout of the small cabin.
minimalist cabin
Inside a forest in Ottawa, Canada, the UUfie studio built this modern cabin, with surreal shapes and defying the idea that anyone has of a house in the woods.
The only thing that remains of a traditional cabin is the classic gabled roof. But inside it hides big surprises.
The ground floor has large windows to take advantage of natural light, including that reflected by the snow. The window frames mimic the surrounding trees.
The environments, much smaller than in any house, seem much larger due to lighting and perspective!
Each of these houses has its own personality, and at the same time they share a common concept. This shows that there are always many possible ways to do the same things, and that they can all be great.
In which of these houses would you like to live?