With the abundance of US-based television shows and books dedicated to the subject, the tiny house phenomenon might seem like very much an American thing. Yet, there seems to be a global trend going on, as we're seeing plenty of tiny houses popping up in New Zealand, France, Italy, Canada and more.

In the Netherlands, high school teacher Remco Stadhouders built this 206-square-foot (19 square metres) tiny house for himself, after being inspired by the ones he saw on a recent trip to the United States. The modern design of "Breda" is punctuated by lots of great layout and storage ideas, epitomized by the stairs to the loft, which is tucked at one end of the house and separated visually from the main living space by a partition. The result is a more private and safer way up to the sleeping loft, in contrast to having a finicky ladder. But the stairs aren't wasted space either; if you lift up the steps, there is storage space hidden underneath -- pretty ingenious.

The main living space, which has an L-shaped couch that has storage hidden underneath and behind the backrest. The line of horizontal windows on three sides is a smart move: it lets natural light pass in more directly into the immediate area, while still maintaining privacy.

The kitchen is an efficiently designed space, using cabinets from Bruynzeel. It features a full-size stove and oven from Belgium that can run on bottled fuel, as being able to run the house off the grid was a big consideration for Stadhouders. The same idea applied to the bathroom, which has an incinerating toilet.

On the opposite side is a second counter surface that functions as an extra prep space, or can be used for dining or working on. The counters are made with a material that has a honeycombed interior, meaning they are more lightweight and therefore more suitable for a house that can be towed.

The little entrance hallway has a cabinet for clothes, the door to the bathroom, and is also the place where that secret stairway lands.

Up in the loft, one sees that the roof slope is rather gentle; Stadhouders wanted to be able to have a bit of headroom up here to move around easily. Thanks to the layout, the loft feels more private than other lofts we've seen. In addition, there's an extra window just off the stair, which serves as an emergency exit.

Even though Stadhouders had no building experience, in the beginning, the end result is impressive: a small house that has distinct zones for sitting, cooking, working and rest, and feels and looks like any conventional home. To see more, visit Tiny House Breda and Facebook.

[Via: Tiny House Talk]