Quartzite Counters and Cedar Cladding Come Standard in These $65K Tiny Homes
The 200-square-foot unit by Clever Tiny Homes also figures in storage and a Murphy bed that don’t dominate the floor plan.
Welcome to Tiny Home Profiles, an interview series with people pushing the limits of living small. From space-saving hacks to flexible floor plans, here’s what they say makes for the best tiny homes on the planet. Know of a builder we should talk to? Reach out.
The founders of Clever Tiny Homes have big resumes. Didi Zhao has designed globally-recognized projects, like Universal Studios and the Venetian Las Vegas Casino. Jonathan Palley has been building and selling technology products for two decades, influencing how millions of people interact with the internet. And as a longtime tiny-home dweller, Asa Feinstein has worked as a sustainability consultant for international businesses. So how did they all suddenly get into the business of building tiny homes together?
Well, they’re also family—Palley and Feinstein are cousins, and Zhao is married to Palley. During the pandemic lockdown, they built a prototype for Asa. "This project illuminated the potential to combine our experiences in design, technology, and manufacturing to build quality tiny homes," Palley says. As their company name suggests, Clever Tiny Homes builds small-footprint units that pack in impressive features. Here’s what they say sets them apart.
What qualities make your tiny home stand apart from the rest?
Our homes stem from a unique approach that blends manufacturing efficiency with high-quality construction. We focus on a singular, well-optimized product rather than a broad range of models and customizations. This concentration allows us to refine every aspect of our tiny homes.
In one example of how we optimized our process, our engineering team dedicated two weeks to enhancing the home’s wastewater system, ensuring both efficiency and reliability. Similarly, our approach to sourcing materials is strategic and cost-effective. By standardizing elements like flooring across all homes, we procure directly from manufacturers at significantly reduced costs—as low as one-fifth of retail prices.
These optimizations are the "secret" behind our ability to offer top-tier quality at competitive prices. Our approach not only leads to cost savings, but it also elevates the overall quality and performance of our tiny homes.
What does your tiny home cost and what does that pricing include?
Priced at $64,955, our 200-square-foot studio unit comes fully equipped and features a custom-built Murphy bed, a 12-foot quartzite countertop kitchen with high-quality appliances, a spacious bathroom with elegant tiling and a Kohler bathtub, five extra-large windows, and an impressive amount of storage space.
Standard materials are chosen to perform in a variety of climates, and include James Hardie siding, a standing-seam metal roof from Sheffield Metals, OSI sealants and adhesives, a Rinnai high-efficiency water heater, and an industrial trailer foundation. We are currently developing a one-bedroom model that will be available for ordering in March and shipping in June. It will have similar aesthetics to the studio unit, but will be double the size at 400 square feet. The price will be around $100,000.
See the full story on Dwell.com: Quartzite Counters and Cedar Cladding Come Standard in These $65K Tiny Homes
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