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

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

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

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

Despite their small size (usually not exceeding 23 square meters), the houses Matt builds inside do not look cramped. 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 all details. According to Matt, everything matters — from window placement and how light falls in, to room partitions.

"I like using small tricks, especially when arranging attics," Matt says. "For example, if you make the floor in an attic as thin as possible, you can gain about 10 cm of headroom, which is significant. I even developed a system that allows me to make floors just 2.5 cm thick."

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

Small houses and apartments always cost less than large ones. Therefore, you’ll likely have more room for filling them with items. "I don’t 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 larger space, since they are not typically used in small homes.

On finishing touches

Besides fireplaces and chandeliers, Matt also often uses expensive materials in finishes — for example, he makes kitchen countertops from walnut. This adds a sense of solidity to the space and makes it look more voluminous.

"It's a psychological trick," Matt explains. "If you can afford such materials, it feels like your house isn't that small after all."

Small Danish-style houses you want to live in

If our article didn’t convince you that tiny houses are great, check out this inspiring collection.

Use Marie Kondo's method

Matt noticed that often his clients themselves 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 tips for arranging small spaces
Home office in a mini house

Matt decided to separate the home office from the common space using a partition with an archway. This creates an illusion of more spaciousness and makes the office appear larger.

A similar approach, but now with a mini bedroom — it can be hidden behind a sliding partition. This niche makes the space not seem flat. How many square meters do you think this space has?

If the bedroom is extremely small, a bed headboard would look bulky. Here’s how Matt solved this problem: the wall-mounted wooden panel acts as a headboard.

The niche behind the sofa adds depth to the small space. It’s also convenient for use 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 a large dining room, but it was used to light up a tiny living room. Now the room doesn’t seem so small.

If the kitchen countertop were a standard rectangular shape, it would take up extra space and look bulky. For small spaces, furniture should be custom-made so that everything looks organic.

How do you like this fireplace archway design? It visually stretches the space upward and adds solidity to the interior.