Derek Diedricksen

Micro Living by Derek Diedricksen showcases 40 tiny houses, giving profiles and floorplans. Each entry has a plethora of gorgeous pictures bringing the home to vibrant life. The tiny houses are divided according to square footage size, ranging from large tinies to truly wee little homes. Deek encourages people interested in micro living to make use of the plans and profiles inside to inspire ideas for their own home. I love tiny houses! If I could afford it, I would have a wee little house. show more I love feeling snug and safe, and I love being up high, so a loft bed is a plus! While not containing a loft, I also really liked the refurbished airstream home.

***Many thanks to the Netgalley and Storey Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. show less

A not-so-serious illustrated narrative packed with some seriously useful information. The large black-and-white illustrations were hard on my eyes, but I'm sure for all the comic book lovers out there this would be a great way to absorb Deek's tips and tricks. Fun read, not likely to pick it up again, though; I'd much rather read his other book, Microshelters.

2.5 stars

Derek Diedricksen is well known in the US tiny house community and he was able to visit all of these houses personally and stay inside many of them for one or more nights. This is a distinct advantage over some authors of similar books who cull their examples from the many excellent websites devoted to tiny houses. The advantage to the personal approach, in addition to being more honest, is that design shortcomings and strengths are much more apparent when you stay in a place. (I often tell show more clients I can diagnose their house in a weekend if they will let me sleep over.) Mr. Diedricksen has also been able to ask designers and residents for their honest opinions of their dwellings – the good, the bad, and the less than optimal. These personal insights are valuable, if too short.

This is a competent book with good photos and designs. Whether it is worth buying, rather than just leafing through in the bookstore depends on your own motivations. Adding another physical book to your collection just adds to the hassles of tiny living and, as of this writing, the electronic edition is pretty pricey.

I received a review copy of "Micro Living: 40 Innovative Tiny Houses Equipped for Full-Time Living, in 400 Square Feet or Less" by Derek Diedricksen (Storey) through NetGalley.com. show less

They say good things come in small packages, and that's definitely true here! Being a fan of cabins and rustic homesteads, and drawn to small homes with little room for clutter (because my life is so cluttered!), I was looking forward to getting a look at this book, and it didn't disappoint.

Written with humor and passion, the book includes "Tiny Houses", "Backyard Cabins, Camps, and Hideaways", "Tree Houses and Stilted Shelters" and homes "On Wheels". This is then followed by a list of tools show more and materials, outlines where to salvage supplies and how to decorate on a budget, and an offering of six plans for backyard microshelters that you can build.

I enjoyed the author's writing and creativity (many of the structures were designed and built by the author), and the photography did a great job of showcasing the designs. I only wish that there were more homes ("Tiny Houses") and fewer of the other designs which mostly amount to shacks and clubhouses. While clever and well thought out, shacks and backyard clubhouses were not quite what I was looking for.

But overall this is a great effort, and perfect for people looking for a "tiny" bit of inspiration. show less