Happy Valentine’s Day Offbeat people. Now, there aren’t too many heart-minded structures around, so we’re going to look at something sort of different today. The cutest thing I could think of for Valentine’s Day here at Offbeat – adorable little offbeat dollhouses…

The Citadel by Lolly’s Dollhouse via Modern Dollhouses and Miniatures – lovely and modern. I can’t believe how realistic this looks.

Well you know I do love me some small spaces, and accordingly I bookmarked a blog I found, Small House Style, a while back. Then promptly forgot about it (as I’m known to do). I recently went back for a look, and it’s so very cool. Actually, it looks a little like a website, not a blog, but I’m guessing blog because you can comment (if you look hard enough). Secondly, it’s got some weird lags between updates – I’m talking weeks. But blogs are a work in process so it’s a-ok.
Also, take away the bad, and you still have …read more

The micro compact home [m-ch], is a super small, super compact house.

One or two people can live in one of these homes; it’s obviously not really an appropriate large family home. This project of micro homes was first launched in Munich back in November 2005. It started as a case study village sponsored by O2 Germany. Below is a shot of the O2 project (students lived there).  The micro homes were clustered in a family-like setting.

Currently this slick project can be viewed at the Museum of Modern Art, New York; through October.
[images via [m-ch]]

Choose me! ME!
I love this house. Love how it was captured on film. AND I especially love the colors.
You will love it too – but you’ll have to leave me to go see it (copyright, and no time for permission issues.) Yeah, I get impatient. Also, there’s more cool stuff to see at this blog, so it wouldn’t kill you to go look.
See the house!
You can thank me later. Or now if you so choose

In the dream, I was dating some famous person (not going there), but the dream took place in Florida (I’ve never been) and the kooky part was that a bunch of people, including me, were visiting this museum of tiny Pennsylvania. It was just this oddball museum, where you’d walk through the halls looking at tiny versions of all the parts of Pennsylvania. In the dream, everyone was very impressed. It was really strange.
Long story short, it got me thinking about this link my friend Marye sent me – Tiny Texas Houses.

These tiny houses are made from 95% recycled vintage …read more

I’ve had this bookmarked for ages and ages, but never posted it, because frankly it’s not so offbeat. But man, I can’t keep bookmarks forever. I’ve wrestled with posting it, and due to the fact that I think it’s a head turner, I’m gonna.

How adorable, right?  It reminds me of some tiny Berkeley homes I saw on my last visit to the Bay area. I would so paint my house like this.
I found this home randomly at Lloyd’s Blog. His blog will get you all lusty for California and easy going architecture. Right now he’s got this post Two Small …read more

In the previous post I said I’d be back with more about Tumbleweed – so, here I am. The benefits of owning and living in such a small home, are of course, huge. Well, unless you have a big family. Then, I suppose, you’d need a bunch lined up, caravan style.
Still, if you’re just one person or a couple, it’s manageable to live in a small space. Benefits include:

Mobile; in some cases.
Learning to live with less stuff. That equals a larger feeling of freedom and simplicity, which in turn can equal less stress.
Tiny costs associated with heating, water, etc. These …read more