How a Mini House Became a Subject of Neighbors' Envy and Turned Owners into Millionaires

Designer Matt Impola built his first cabin entirely on his own in just ten months. He worked on it exclusively on weekends — Matt had a full-time job, and this project was more of a hobby.

When the cabin was ready, Matt received around 500 emails with questions about selling the house. Twenty people were already ready to buy it.

Thus, Matt started his business of building tiny cabins on wheels, which include everything for comfortable living. He founded the studio Hadcrafted Movement, where he works as the main builder, constructor, and designer, marketer, sales manager, and even a photographer.

Despite the fact that the homes Matt builds are small (usually not exceeding 23 square meters), they don’t look cramped inside. Matt shared secrets for arranging small spaces that visually appear spacious.

Carefully plan the layout

If you're just starting out, you have a great opportunity to think through every detail. According to Matt, everything matters — from window placement and how light falls in, to room partitions.

"I love using small tricks, especially when arranging attics," Matt admits. "For example, if you make the floor in an attic as thin as possible, you gain about 10 cm of space above your head — that’s quite a lot. I even developed a system that allows me to make the floor just 2.5 cm thick."

One of Matt's projects. Note the thin floor in the attic.
Don't skimp on furniture

Small houses and apartments always cost less than large ones. Therefore, you will likely have more room to fill them with furnishings. "I don’t like to save on interior design — cheap materials only emphasize the small size," Matt explains.

Often, the designer uses miniature electric fireplaces and small-scale versions of large chandeliers in his projects. These items create an illusion of a larger space, as they are not typically used in small homes.

On finishing

It’s not just fireplaces and chandelers that can visually expand a small space. Matt often uses expensive materials in finishing touches — for example, he makes kitchen countertops from walnut. This adds solidity to the space and makes it look more voluminous.

"This is a psychological trick," Matt explains. "If you can afford such materials, it seems like your home is not so small after all."

Small Danish-style houses you’ll want to live in

If our article hasn’t convinced you that tiny homes are great, check out this inspiring collection.

Apply the Marie Kondo method

Matt noticed that often his clients want to get rid of most of their belongings when moving into a new home. Visually, the space appears more spacious, and it’s easier to live in.

And 8 more great tricks for arranging small spaces
Home mini-office Matt decided to separate from the common space using a partition with a portal. This technique creates an illusion of more space, and the office seems roomy. A similar idea but now with a mini-bedroom — it can be hidden behind a sliding partition. Thanks to this niche, the space doesn’t feel flat. How many square meters do you think it is?
If the bedroom is very small, a bed headboard would look bulky. See how Matt solved this issue: the wall-mounted wooden panel serves as a headboard.
A niche behind the sofa adds depth to a small space. It’s also convenient as an open shelf.
Choose furniture proportionally to the space, and your home or apartment will never feel cramped.
This chandelier could have been hanging in the dining room of a large house, but it was used to light a tiny living room. Now the room no longer seems so small.
If the kitchen countertop were a standard rectangular shape, it would take up extra space and look bulky. Furniture for small spaces should be custom-made to look organic.
What do you think of this fireplace portal design? It visually stretches the space upward and adds dignity to the interior.