Building Your Tiny House Dream: Design and Build a Camper-Style Tiny House with Your Own Hands

This appealing guide from tiny house builder Schapdick (The Joy of Tiny House Living) is for those who have already decided to construct their own small living space and are ready to start building. Schapdick’s plans are for a camper-style tiny house on wheels measuring a particularly tiny 50 square feet, though he notes “dimensions, sizes, and materials that you use may be different than mine.” The first of the book’s two parts covers creating the shell of the camper, while the second discusses customizing it. Some familiarity with power tools and construction materials is recommended—though, Schapdick concedes, simply having “assembled numerous pieces of IKEA furniture” could suffice. Along with plentiful photographs and diagrams of the building process, Schapdick suggests alterations to the build, as well as alternative uses for one’s tiny house for homeowners who retain their previous, non-tiny house, among them as an office space (since, he presciently notes, “more and more people have the luxury these days of being able to work from home”), a hangout area for one’s teenager, and a music studio. Those looking to go small will appreciate this solid how-to. (Aug.)