The Scandi is a small house that you can rent

Getting fully into the world of tiny houses can be intimidating, even for people who are seriously considering living there. After all, questions abound: will it be too small? How much do they cost and where can they be parked? Where do you store all your things? Are there any legal aspects involved with them?

It can be dizzying to understand such concerns, so it makes sense to try the tiny lifestyle before you dive in head first. Luckily, there are plenty of cottage rentals to choose from, whether you’re looking for one located right in the city center or perhaps a little further afield, like this Scandinavian-inspired cottage rental near Berlin, Ohio. , about an hour and a half from Columbus or Cleveland and right in the heart of America’s largest Amish community.

Designed by hosts Kevin and Liz of Tiny Stays Berlin and built by Greenwood Tiny Homes, there are some interesting design ideas in this cute little gem of a cottage. We have a tour of the aptly named Little House Scandi via YouTuber and Little House enthusiast Levi Kelly:

The Scandi’s compact exterior features sleek black metal cladding, along with wood accents. There is a spacious terrace and a privacy fence, which allows guests to comfortably relax outside.

Upon entering, we enter the living room, which has a convertible sofa bed. The sofa is placed right under a large window, making it a comfortable place to read a book or watch a movie on the large screen TV set up in the space.

Going further into the house, we enter the kitchen and the dining room. The kitchen is small but has most of the basics: a sink with a pull-out spray faucet, a counter for preparing food. There are plenty of pots, pans, and utensils tucked away in the black-tinted cabinets under the counter, which are fitted with simple yet stylish leather handles. The open shelves and the absence of hanging cabinets help create a feeling of openness to the space.

In the corner shelves tucked away at the end of the counter, there’s a microwave and hotplate that visitors can plug in if they want to cook, plus a few board games for rainy days.

After the kitchen counter there is an apartment size refrigerator for storing food. And rather than being placed somewhere where it doesn’t seem out of place, the refrigerator here fits nicely into the overall arrangement here and is placed above a built-in storage cabinet so that it fits. located at a height where you do not need to bend too much to retrieve objects. Thinking about ergonomic movement is essential in any kitchen, including the smallest.

Opposite the kitchen counter, there is a dining counter and two high chairs, opening onto a large bay window. Part of the dining room counter curves gracefully to make room for access to the stairs.

The bathroom is located just below the mezzanine and is large enough for a small house. There is a corner shower, toilet, sink and vanity, plus a combined washer and dryer for guests.

Going up the short staircase, we enter the mezzanine, which is nestled under a skylight. The loft has been designed in such a way that there is a kind of long step, which allows the occupants to stand completely beside the bed.

There are a few smart design cues here that you don’t often see with small sleeping lofts. First, there’s a sleek safety rail here that folds up so you can lie down, and then it locks into place to keep you from falling out of bed in the middle of the night.

Then there is this folding step integrated into the base of the bed, which gives you a convenient extra step to get into bed.

Better yet, there’s this mini-sauna a short walk from the Scandi, which completes the experience.

There are a lot of nifty little ideas in this tiny house that would make any small space more livable. If you want to try it out, you can visit Tiny Stays Berlin and Airbnb.