5 Great Tiny House Websites

The tiny house movement is gaining more and more steam – and with it, more press. Just last week, ABC Nightly News with Diane Sawyer devoted more than two minutes to the topic (which is actually a LOT in the televised media world!). You can watch the coverage by clicking here.

If you’re jumping on the bandwagon, but unsure of where to start, I’ve brought together a list of 6 of the best resources from around the web to put on the right track towards a smaller lifestyle.

Tumbleweed Houses:

These guys are legit. Videos, books, weekly blog posts and more give visitors everything they need to go from enthusiast to tiny house resident. Not only that, but Tumbleweed offers in person workshops that teach the ins and outs of the tiny house craft and offers plans they craft plans for some of the most popular tiny house designs available.

In addition to the expert workshops they provide, their founder walks the talk. If you want to get a more in-depth perspective on the people who are involved in making tiny houses a reality, check out the film "Tiny" which is on Netflix. A preview is included below. The founder of Tumbleweed is featured several times in the film. They have never asked us to write about them, but we are happy to do so. (Transparency note: Any links on Poplar to Tumbleweed are affiliate links and we earn a commission on any purchases from Tumbleweed.)

TINY: A Story About Living Small - International - Trailer from TINY on Vimeo.

The Tiny Life:

Tiny House builder Ryan Mitchell and his staff have been featured everywhere from The New York Times to Treehugger, and for good reason. While new articles are only published once every week or two, the content of the site goes far deeper than aesthetic discussion, proving to be an inherently valuable first-hand resource for anyone actually constructing a tiny house.

Tiny House Blog:

This straightforward, photo-friendly blog is a great source of inspiration. The article topics are plucked right from real life, covering a range of news and inspiring construction stories. One of their best offerings is the digital Tiny House Magazine. Issue 17 just came out this past weekend ($3.99).

Rowdy Kittens:

Tammy Strobel not only lives in a tiny house, but also she takes awesome photos with her iPhone. Check out her inspiring photoblog which will make you hunger for the taste of fresh vegetables and thirst for the scent of strong coffee as you imagine yourself perched on the porch of a tiny abode overlooking the valley of all you survey, but choose not to own... :). She is also the author of a book on living the simple life.

Tiny House Talk:

Blogger Alex Pinot is one passionate dude when it comes to the tiny living lifestyle, and his blog has slowly but surely been gaining traction since its inception 2009. He covers a ton of ground, offering content on a wide variety of design sizes and styles, as well as more myopic but equally critical topics like furniture and bicycles.

Tiny Doubleshot in the Twitterverse:

If you're someone who's always on Twitter, there are two Tiny House experts who can keep you up to date on the world of micro dwellers. Sean David Burke (@SeanDBurke): Want to really stay on top of all things technology and cutting edge in the world of tiny house living? Mr. Burke is your man. Plus, he sends out just plain entertaining tweets rather often, too. Mark Burton (@TinyHouseUK): This witty tiny house designer from across the pond keeps it real in the Twitterverse, regularly providing updates on cool builds he’s discovered.

OK, so maybe this is more than five resources for learning more about Tiny Houses... As you learn more, I'd love to hear from anyone who's moving beyond the planning stage and actually taking the plunge. And if you are not on Netflix, here's a link to the website for Tiny the Movie, mentioned above, where you can order a DVD.