Simplicity 2 Tiny House Lives Up to the Name: Extreme Downsizing, but Still Stylish

Tiny houses first popped up as a suitable alternative housing solution in the early 2000s, when environmental concerns forced a shift in perspective in younger homeowners. The idea was simple: downsize your home and you downsize your carbon footprint; focus on using sustainable materials and construction processes, and you further reduce that carbon footprint.

The bonus was that, with these, you also got the chance to live more intentionally. Unhindered by material possessions, you could focus more on experiences, live a more stress-free life, and get in touch with the surrounding nature.

In recent years, the sustainable aspect of tiny living has been lost to a certain extent. Tiny houses today place more emphasis on reduced monthly costs, more affordability in terms of ownership, and the ability to travel the country with your home in tow, which, in turn, allows you to combine work and leisure in the most pleasant way possible.

Decluttering has also achieved a slightly different meaning, especially in countries like the U.S. and New Zealand or Canada, where palatial-like tinies allow you to pack in more features and more of those worldly possessions smaller units have no place for.

Kingdom Tiny Homes (KTH) is a Kansas, U.S.-based builder that tries to cater to both segments of the market, offering compact tinies and larger models that qualify as park units. The Simplicity 2 unit, though, is strictly for those for whom downsizing retains the original meaning of two decades ago: a compact and very basic tiny home that, nonetheless, won't sacrifice functionality or even style.

Introduced at the end of last year, Simplicity 2 is the second model in the builder's lineup to try a return to basics, as its name clearly shows. That said, it's a more extreme take on the trend of downsizing, but KTH swears it can still work as a permanent, full-time residence. The only condition is, quite obviously so, that you be willing to truly go tiny.

Sitting on a dual-axle custom trailer, Simplicity 2 offers just 150 square feet (13.9 square meters) of living space, all of it available on the ground floor. You have no lofted areas, or hidden storage spaces closer to the ceiling: this is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get type of mobile home.

On one end of the trailer is the living room slash bedroom, while the bathroom is behind a pocket door at the opposite end. Given how cramped the space is, let's just say that you're not looking at a long run to get to the bathroom in case of an emergency.

The kitchen is in the middle, with an open-plan design. "Galley" is perhaps a better-suited term since we're talking about a single block that contains basic stuff for putting together very light and very simple meals. You get a microwave oven, a very small fridge with fridge, a small sink, and some storage space where you could probably hide a portable, one-burner cooker. The video tour below describes the kitchen as having "ample" countertop space for meal prep, but it's relative to the dimensions of the house.

By that same standard, the bathroom is positively huge. It has a flushing but water-saving toilet in a nook by the window, with a full-size one-piece shower on the opposite hand. It also has a nice sink with vanity and a smart mirror that hides a medicine cabinet and, across from it, a full wardrobe that also hides a 12-gallon hot water tank.

The bedroom is the same as the lounge. A remote-control-operated electric couch from Luonto Furniture turns into a double bed at the press of a button, taking up all the available space. That explains the lack of a dining table or any other piece of furniture here, so you won't get as much as a floating shelf for your phone or book.

Simplicity 2 comes with RV-style hookups for water, sewage, and electricity, a mini-split for AC and heating, energy-saving vinyl windows with integrated screens, LED lighting, and shiplap interiors with custom cabinets in a matching Moscow Midnight color. A double sliding glass door and plenty of glazing make sure the space is bright, airy, and well ventilated. KTH says that this unit, like others, comes certified to be insured, financed, and used in RV parks.

KTH also boasts that Simplicity 2 does away with competition thanks to affordable pricing, with a standard unit selling for $54,900.

That statement is accurate if you compare tiny house ownership with traditional home ownership, which is what KTH does. But it's best to keep in mind that living full-time in a tiny house is illegal in most areas, including in the U.S. For that reason, KTH notes that Simplicity 2 also works very well as a home office, a guest house, a rental, an ADU (additional dwelling unit), or even a pool cabin.

On the bright side, looking at a tiny house doesn't cost anything and is definitely not illegal. This is what the most extreme form of downsizing can look like – for those for whom all the stars align.