“Aloft” Cottage. 624 square feet, plus 208 square feet covered porch. Ground floor with loft. One and a half bathrooms, sleeping loft. Ground floor: entry vestibule, powder room, kitchen, dining/sitting space, laundry space. Loft: sleep area, three-quarter bathroom.

A small home feels larger when it’s open and airy, with tall ceilings and lots of light. For a single person or couple, an open plan with a sleeping loft above can work wonderfully. A small home benefits from a sheltered porch with an attached shed for storage. The classic “shed” roof can hold a lot of solar panels, making “Zero Net Energy” a possibility for this design. This can be a vacation home, rental, guest house, or compact home for a single person or couple.