“Gimme Shelter” Cottage. 460 square feet. One and a half stories. One bedroom, one bathroom. Ground floor: kitchen, dining/sitting space, bathroom with shower. Upper floor: sleeping/sitting space, walk-in closet.

A friend who loves small homes believes they can have a small footprint – no more than sixteen feet on a side. We asked our friend if that footprint could include an upper floor or loft — he agreed it could. We loved the challenge of making a simple, livable cottage within such a compact footprint. The roof can hold enough solar panels to make a significant contribution to energy use. This could be a fun vacation home, guest cottage, rental, or compact home.