Apart from the obvious - the trend for all things product design is to go smaller, slicker and greener. Ipods, phones, cars, yet houses still retain their status on a size only basis. Could this all end with Jay Shafer's new book “The Small House Book” we wonder?

Released this month, the book reveals what it's really like to live in a diminutive home and how to design small spaces that work. The book's author admits, “I live in a house smaller than some people’s closets. My house meets all of my domestic needs without demanding much in return. The simple, slower lifestyle it affords is a luxury for which I am continually grateful.”

Described as having “…instant curb appeal.” by The New York Times, the book is riding the wave of concerns about the impact larger houses have on the environment, and the desire for a much simple, slower lifestyle. Imagine the perfect weekend hideaway in the country, an office space a guest house - or all three for the same cost of one house that may literally squander energy/space/light/.

The book explains in detail how to go about building/obtaining/transforming small spaces into liveable houses and a new greener lifestyle.

The author's blog can be found at www.tumbleweedhouses.com

Source & Photo Credit: www.tumbleweedhouses.com/houses/