Incredible tiny homes built from recycled materials
Climbing the first rung of the property ladder is a financial hurdle for many, but thanks to the tiny house movement, you can now design and build your own home for much less. In fact, these inspiring petite pads were all made from recycled or salvaged materials, making them highly affordable and truly unique! With some imagination and a lot of perseverance, this is what you could create from items found in the trash. Let’s take a look at the coolest upcycled tiny homes on the planet. Click or scroll for more…
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Tiny Firehouse, various, USA
This unique tiny home is one of the coolest conversion projects we’ve seen. Known as the Tiny Firehouse – Station No. 9, this petite pad was created by John and Fin Kernohan as a tribute to retired and active firefighters, as well as first responder heroes that are no longer with us.
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Tiny Firehouse, various, USA
The tiny house couple are also behind the United Tiny House Association and the Tiny House Festivals, which showcase across southern America, with all the proceeds going to charitable causes. After creating their dream tiny home, nicknamed the Beloved Cabin, the pair decided to create the Tiny Firehouse, sourcing the building materials from an abandoned fire truck that was sitting in a scrapyard. In fact, the exterior was formed from the truck’s original siding.
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Tiny Firehouse, various, USA
The couple stripped down the fire truck and salvaged plenty of materials, including its hatches which are now storage containers. The home’s fireman’s pole is actually a galvanized fence post, which has been powder coated to give a brass effect. The micro dwelling covers just 148 square feet and features old barn doors, which allows the unit to be fully opened up to the elements.
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Tiny Firehouse, various, USA
The home’s flooring was created from salvaged plywood found in a dumpster, which the couple cut to size, hand-painted and glued in place. The kitchen basin is a chemical lap sink, which Fin purchased on Craigslist, and there is plenty of fun fire truck memorabilia around, including fire hoses, an old siren system, a pressure gauge panel and loudspeaker. The couple also reuses almost all of their graywater, making them true eco-warriors!
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1989 Chevy bus, various, USA
Tiny house bloggers Meag and Ben decided it was time to live more simply, paying off $100,000 worth of debt and slowly downsizing, before creating their tiny home on wheels. In February 2016 the pair discovered a Craigslist offer for a 31-foot long, 1989 retired Chevy prison bus and drove to Massachusetts to take a look…
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1989 Chevy bus, various, USA
The couple paid $8,000 for the bus, which benefited from a Cummings Onan 8000 generator with only 200 hours on it, 19,000 miles on the clock, and power and electrics wired throughout, along with a handful of outlets ready to use. To keep additional costs to a minimum, the pair set out sourcing local recycled and reclaimed materials to incorporate into their new dwelling.
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1989 Chevy bus, various, USA
The pair used reclaimed lumber throughout, loving the character that such materials added to their interior. The blue board wall behind the stove was crafted from hand-picked pieces found at a reclaimed wood lot in Portland. Ben carefully sifted through each board and collected all the blue panels, since this is Meag’s favorite color! Ben also re-purposed old plumbing fixtures to create light switches, while an old butcher’s block was turned into a dining table.
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1989 Chevy bus, various, USA
In the bathroom, the duo incorporated a composting toilet and sourced southern yellow pine to craft the shower. Elsewhere, extra flooring was made into cabinet frames and shelving, while the granite fireplace base was made from an old kitchen cart found at a yard sale. The ladder at the near is also made from the bus’s original stainless steel handrails. Ben and Meag now travel America writing about what they’ve learned during their ‘small’ adventure!
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Yoga sanctuary, Arkansas, USA
As a yoga teacher, Jayme Sweere knew that her tiny home had to be spacious and suitable for all types of movement, designing a cute dwelling to meet all of her needs. As well as being highly functional, the petite pad was also hand constructed from salvaged materials from old homes and demolition sites, making it both one-of-a-kind and super environmentally friendly!
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Yoga sanctuary, Arkansas, USA
Known as Turtle Medicine, Jayme built the wooden home over a two-year period and spent just $12,000, undertaking most of the construction work herself, despite the fact she had no previous experience. All the reclaimed materials that helped form the home have been left in their natural state, giving the space lots of character. The cedar siding, for example, was taken from two barns that were being demolished, while the home’s windows and doors were salvaged from an abandoned house in Missouri.
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Yoga sanctuary, Arkansas, USA
Living Big in a Tiny House recently took a tour around the home, which features hardly any furniture, to further promote body movement. The kitchen is spacious and boasts plenty of stunning natural wood, including the salvaged countertop, rustic shelving and mismatched floorboards. Upstairs there is also a cozy sleeping loft, which can be accessed by a ladder which curves up onto the ceiling, so Jayme can use it like monkey bars to get to and from her bedroom.
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Yoga sanctuary, Arkansas, USA
The lounge doubles as a yoga studio, with the windowsills and open shelving formed from old flower boxes that Jayme dismantled herself. Outside there is a lovely garden and an organic vegetable patch, allowing Jayme to live off the land, while on top of the house there is also a rooftop deck – the perfect spot for morning yoga.
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Breezeway, Texas, USA
Known as Breezeway, this compact dwelling was designed by Tiny Heirloom and offers a stunning, sleek finish, despite being formed almost entirely from recycled materials! Let’s take a look inside…
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Breezeway, Texas, USA
Sitting at 32 feet in length, the tiny cabin resides in Texas, USA, and was inspired by a valley cutting between two mountain peaks, something that is reflected in the shape of the home’s attractive butterfly roof. The exterior of the wheeled cabin is clad in 100% recycled steel panels, which is complemented by tight knot cedar tongue and groove.
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Breezeway, Texas, USA
The micro home continues its contrasting theme inside, as industrial and organic materials blend beautifully together. Reclaimed barn wood lines the kitchen walls, while LED light strips sit behind the home’s wine racks, adding modernity to this rustic pad. At the end of the kitchen, there is also a full-size garage door, which can be opened up entirely to provide the home with air and light, perfectly connecting the interior with the outside world!
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Breezeway, Texas, USA
While the building materials are reclaimed or recycled, the smart tiny home boasts plenty of brand new technology too, including a Bose sound system, a linear actuator TV lift and touch activated storage door openers. As well as a gorgeous marble bathroom that doubles as a utility space, there is also a handmade built-in dog kennel, allowing the owners to pamper their pet with its own space. If this is what a recycled home looks like, we want in!
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Shipping container home, Texas, USA
This stunning tiny house was designed by Poteet Architects and is one of the coolest and most unique recycled pads on the planet! Formed from a single shipping container, the home is located in San Antonio, Texas, and offers a truly contemporary interior.
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Shipping container home, Texas, USA
Created in 2010, the impressive property is highly sustainable, thanks to the architects’ use of recycled products, including the stunning shipping container itself! The house boasts a planted roof, which provides shade and airflow for the interior and reduces the heat gain associated with a steel structure.
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Shipping container home, Texas, USA
The interior of the container is well insulated with spray foam and lined with bamboo plywood, giving an attractive natural timber finish. All the graywater from the property is saved and used to hydrate the rooftop garden, while the composting toilet further helps to make this home highly eco-friendly.
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Shipping container home, Texas, USA
The tiny home’s other recycled materials include its foundations, which are formed from reclaimed telephone poles! The exterior terrace was created from recycled soda bottles, while the yard light fixtures were formerly tractor plough blades, which were sourced locally!
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1982 Bedford MJ ex-army lorry, various, UK
At the age of 23 Tom Duckworth, an apprentice metal worker, decided to put his skills to good use and convert a vehicle into an amazing tiny home. In September 2016 his wishes became reality when he purchased a 1982 Bedford MJ ex-army lorry. Tom created the home’s structure from six sections of steel and clad the shell in reclaimed wooden pallets, which he sourced from local businesses and building sites and dismantled by hand!
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1982 Bedford MJ ex-army lorry, various, UK
The leftover pallets were then used to cover the interior ceiling and walls, as well as to create the shell for the kitchen and the built-in sofa surround. In the kitchen, countertops were formed from the lorry’s original bed, while cupboards were built from old ammo boxes. Tom found drawer handles in his grandad’s workshop and created plywood shelves from off-cuts that were being thrown away at his workplace.
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1982 Bedford MJ ex-army lorry, various, UK
Tom bought a second-hand Chesterfield sofa on eBay for only $126 and has incorporated plenty of secret storage under the floorboards. He covered the ceiling with an old map of the UK, as well as cut-outs from The Dandy magazine. Tom also created a pulley bed using ropes and brackets, so that his bed can be folded away when not in use. Large opening flaps also allow the interior to be opened up, while a permanent terrace made from a single pallet sits atop the lorry.
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1982 Bedford MJ ex-army lorry, various, UK
Thanks to his profession, Tom was able to craft the roof from Zintec steel, folding sheets of metal before cutting them and bolting each sheet in place. Solar panels sit on the roof, giving the home its power, while in the bathroom lies a shower created from recycled copper pipes. An old picture frame and mirror were used to make the bathroom cupboard, while a composting toilet sits below. Tom’s blog, The Lorry Life, offers further insight into off-grid living.
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Self-contained mobile home, Pembrokeshire, UK
Katy Fox and her partner Andy were holidaying in the Scilly Isles, when they decided to change their way of life. The couple sold their townhouse in Sussex in order to build a self-contained mobile home and live a low-impact life in picturesque Pembrokeshire. Thanks to Andy’s profession as a natural builder and carpenter, and Katy’s background in sustainability, the couple knew they wanted to build from reclaimed and upcycled materials.
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Self-contained mobile home, Pembrokeshire, UK
The couple wanted a hut that was small enough to tow, so they decided upon a 16-foot long design. With a $7,000 budget and a two-ton weight limit, the pair sourced a low car transporter trailer for just $2,300. Katy and Andy used locally sourced recycled materials wherever they could, creating the main structure from lightweight marine plywood and crafting the windows from polycarbonate instead of glass.
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Self-contained mobile home, Pembrokeshire, UK
In just 75 days the duo created the tiny home, with a lot of time dedicated to cleaning up and cutting their reclaimed timber to size. The couple visited reclamation yards to source their floorboards, sink, waterproof membrane, earthwool insulation and even their screws and bolts! The couple was also lucky enough to receive plenty of freebies, including solar panels, the kitchen framework and vintage wine boxes, which they cleverly made into drawers.
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Self-contained mobile home, Pembrokeshire, UK
There is also a separate shower shelter and toilet, which was also made from reclaimed materials. The couple moved the hut to a gorgeous plot of land and now rent it out to visitors, so you can experience a taste of life in a tiny upcycled home!
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Off-grid tiny home, Melbourne, Australia
This awesome off-grid home is positioned on 12 acres of land on the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia, and was created almost entirely from hard rubbish. In fact, its owner, Glade, loved building the house so much that he started his own tiny house construction company afterwards and now helps others build their dream miniature dwellings. The large solar system on the cabin’s roof powers both the property and Glade’s construction workshop!
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Off-grid tiny home, Melbourne, Australia
Glade and his partner Cloe built the property using recycled materials that they found on their land, taking windows from old sheds and sourcing the main French doors from a landfill site. The exterior cedar plywood cladding was collected from a house around three kilometers away, costing them just $25. The home recently featured on tiny home YouTube channel, Living Big in a Tiny House.
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Off-grid tiny home, Melbourne, Australia
Due to Cloe’s Italian heritage, the couple wanted the kitchen to be the heart of the home, incorporating plenty of storage space and countertops for cooking. There is even an electric oven and a dishwasher, all powered by solar! Since most of the construction materials were salvaged, and all the labor was undertaken by the couple themselves, the home was built for only $7,000.
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Off-grid tiny home, Melbourne, Australia
The exterior is beautifully simple, with exposed timber cladding and two striking staircases that Glade built from steel. These steps lead to two identical bedroom lofts, one for the children and one for the adults. Open step rises also aid with light flow and make the interior feel much larger.
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196-square-foot home, Idaho, USA
The design for this gorgeous tiny house came to Macy Miller in a dream in 2011. She woke up the next morning and begun crafting her 196-square-foot tiny house. A year later she met James, who helped Macy complete the project. The couple now resides in the cute abode, which is located in Boise, Idaho. Macy’s blog, Mini Motives, is dedicated to her family’s amazing ‘tiny’ adventures.
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196-square-foot home, Idaho, USA
The house is built on top of a 24-foot gooseneck trailer. After a thorough renovation in 2015, the former back patio has been transformed into a five-foot extension which is now the bedroom of Hazel and Miles, the couple’s two young children! Costing just over $13,000 in total, the home is formed from mostly reclaimed materials.
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196-square-foot home, Idaho, USA
The interior is light-filled and spacious, with a crisp white color scheme aiding with the appearance of space. The home’s siding was formed from a shipping pallet, while all the windows were reclaimed, making them much more affordable. The home also boasts plenty of green technologies, including a composting toilet and radiant floor heating.
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196-square-foot home, Idaho, USA
Due to her dedicated use of sustainable materials, the build process took longer than Macy had anticipated, eventually moving in full-time in 2013, two years after her initial dream. In 2017, the family decided to downsize once again, this time to an 84-square-foot vintage camper van, which they now travel around America in!
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Cedar Haven, Texas, USA
This 200-square-foot micro dwelling sits on wheels and lies in Austin, Texas. The rustic pad recently sold with Tiny Home Builders for $31,000, despite the fact that it was created from locally sourced, reclaimed materials, meaning the original owner probably made a rather nice return on his initial investment!
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Cedar Haven, Texas, USA
The minute mobile home, nicknamed Cedar Haven, was built in 2016 from unusual reclaimed and natural materials, which include its tin siding and its attractive interior bamboo floors and ceiling.
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Cedar Haven, Texas, USA
Deceptively spacious, the wooden home boasts two levels, one of which is home to a queen-size bedroom. There is also a full-sized shower and composting toilet, while the wheeled property can be also be hooked up to electrics, water and wastewater systems, making it ideal for both staying put and traveling around.
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Cedar Haven, Texas, USA
The frame of the home was created from southern yellow pine and is naturally insulated with sheep’s wool. Even the furniture in this tiny home has a vintage vibe, adding to its laid-back, rustic appearance.
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Pocket Shelter, various, USA
Aaron Maret’s Pocket Shelter tiny home was a labor of love taking five years to complete. With an emphasis on using recycled and reclaimed materials, it’s the ultimate recycled home with the exterior made from salvaged barnwood siding.
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Pocket Shelter, various, USA
With double entry doors, that are also made from reclaimed materials, the tiny home has a micro-porch to make somewhat of a grand entrance.
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Pocket Shelter, various, USA
Inside, the home is rustic yet modern and features pine wood flooring, sliding glass doors to separate the living spaces and all the home comforts you could want. The main living space boasts comfortable bench sofas, a wall of windows and shelving for some extra handy storage.
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Pocket Shelter, various, USA
Ready for roaming, the tiny 196-square-foot house on wheels also has a mini built-in composting toilet as well as bio-based spray foam insulation so this pint-sized homestead is prepared for anything, whatever the weather.
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