When you live in a small house, it helps if you can extend your square-footage by taking advantage of outdoor spaces. This home, located in Monte Rio, California, may only be 470-square-feet, but it’s surrounded by a large deck that’s currently outfitted with a hot tub, seating area, and barbecue—adding a lot of lounging space to the petite home. Perhaps most impressively, it was built around the property’s redwoods, incorporating the trees into the design.
This woodsy home gets a big boost from its unique deck
- share
- Share on Facebook
- Share on Twitter
- Share on Pinterest
- Copy Link

This bungalow was built in 2015 and is surrounded by old redwoods. The large deck, which was built to wrap around the existing trees, has a hot tub and barbecue.

Inside, the bungalow has plenty of charm thanks to its high ceilings, exposed rafters, and dark hardwood floors. To save space, many of the furnishings here are adaptable. The grey sofa turns into a double bed and the cube ottomans become bedside tables. Meanwhile the kitchen table, which is built into a wall-unit, conveniently doubles as a work desk. Tucked into the corner is a wood-burning fireplace for those rare, chilly nights in Monte Rio.

The kitchen is narrow, but it has a full-size fridge, stove, and microwave. Rather than installing upper cabinets, the architects opted for large windows that offer views of the backyard. Since this space is so compact, small pot lights over the counters illuminate without adding extra bulk.

In many tiny homes, the bathroom can feel like a design afterthought. Homeowners would rather have spacious kitchens or living areas, so the bathrooms have cramped shower stalls and pint-sized sinks. In this bungalow, however, the bathroom is a showstopper. Surrounded by windows, the large bathtub is worthy of a spa, and the large counter offers plenty of space to get ready for a big night out.

The wraparound deck is full of lots of nooks, perfect for little seating areas like this one. Rather than removing any redwoods that were in the way of the deck, holes were cut to accommodate the ancient trees.
Related Articles

Fall real estate market outlook: More inventory, but sellers are still expecting a lot

This cottage on a sunny lot is listed for $1 million, but it comes fully furnished

Whistler cabin sales decline drastically despite lower prices and high demand
