I Spent 2 Nights in a 2-Story, 100-Square-Foot Tiny Home in Germany — And It Changed How I Think About Small Space Living

What Happens When You Sleep in a 106-Square-Foot Cylindrical Home in Germany?

Most Americans who have ever browsed tiny home listings on Airbnb probably picture a rustic wooden cabin on a quiet piece of land somewhere in Tennessee or the Pacific Northwest. Those homes typically clock in somewhere between 200 and 400 square feet — compact by mainstream standards, but still generous enough to feel livable. What I experienced during a train trip through Europe in 2022 was something else entirely. Tucked into a quiet corner of Germany was a cylindrical, two-story tiny home that measured just 106 square feet in total. And somehow, it was one of the most thoughtfully designed spaces I have ever stayed in.

The Tiny Home Movement Looks Very Different in Europe

As a New Yorker who has rented more than a few cramped apartments over the years, I have always had a soft spot for clever space-saving design. Tiny homes, in particular, fascinate me because they force both the builder and the occupant to rethink every assumption about what a living space actually needs. I have booked tiny home accommodations across the United States — in Florida, Maryland, and Tennessee — as well as in Canada and Austria. Each one taught me something new about how to make a small space feel functional and even beautiful.

But nothing quite prepared me for Germany. The tiny home I stayed in was not just small. It was small in a way that felt intentional, architectural, and almost philosophical. Where American tiny homes often try to mimic the layout of a full-sized house in miniature, this cylindrical structure embraced its limitations and turned them into design features.

First Impressions: A Cylinder Rising Out of the Landscape

Arriving at the property, the first thing you notice is the shape. Unlike the rectangular boxes that dominate the tiny home market in the United States, this structure was a true cylinder — round walls, a circular footprint, and a vertical orientation that pushed the living space upward rather than outward. The exterior had a clean, modern look that felt more like an architectural installation than a hotel room.

At just 106 square feet spread across two stories, the home was less than half the size of the smallest US tiny home I had previously booked. In American terms, that is roughly the size of a large walk-in closet. Yet stepping inside, the space did not feel cramped. It felt curated.

Inside the Two-Story Layout: How Every Inch Was Used

The ground floor served as the primary living and functional area. A compact seating arrangement hugged the curved walls, making use of the circular footprint in a way that a rectangular room simply could not replicate. Storage was built directly into the structure — recessed shelving, hidden compartments, and multi-use furniture that transformed from one purpose to another depending on the time of day.

A narrow staircase, almost ladder-like in its steepness, led to the upper level where the sleeping area was situated. The bed was positioned to take advantage of the full width of the cylinder, and small porthole-style windows allowed natural light to filter in without sacrificing wall space. The ceiling curved above the sleeping area in a way that felt surprisingly intimate rather than claustrophobic.

The bathroom was a masterclass in minimalist engineering. Every fixture was scaled to fit the space precisely, with no wasted area between elements. Hot water, functioning plumbing, and even a small mirror — all present, all perfectly proportioned.

Space-Saving Lessons the US Tiny Home Market Could Learn

Having stayed in numerous tiny homes across North America, I noticed several key differences in the European approach to small-space design that are worth highlighting for anyone interested in this lifestyle.

• Vertical thinking: American tiny homes tend to expand horizontally when they need more room, sometimes through lofts but rarely through fully developed two-story layouts. The German cylindrical home committed fully to the vertical dimension, treating height as a genuine design resource rather than an afterthought.
• Shape as function: The round footprint eliminated the dead corners that plague rectangular rooms. Every part of the circular floor plan was usable, accessible, and purposeful.
• Built-in over freestanding: Rather than furnishing the space with standard furniture, the home's storage and seating were integrated directly into the architecture. This approach saves floor space and gives the interior a seamless, uncluttered appearance.
• Embracing limitation: Perhaps most importantly, the design never tried to pretend the space was larger than it was. Instead, it leaned into the smallness, creating an environment that felt cozy and deliberate rather than apologetic.

What Two Nights in a Tiny Cylinder Taught Me About Living Small

By the end of my two-night stay, I had genuinely shifted how I think about space. Back in my New York apartment, I returned with a renewed interest in identifying wasted areas, rethinking furniture choices, and considering whether vertical storage could free up the floor space I was always short on. The tiny home had done what the best travel experiences always do — it changed my perspective.

The experience also reinforced something that designers and minimalists have long argued: square footage is less important than how intelligently that footage is used. A 106-square-foot cylindrical home in Germany proved that a small space, designed with care and creativity, can offer comfort, functionality, and even a certain kind of elegance that larger homes sometimes fail to achieve.

Is the European Tiny Home Model the Future of Sustainable Travel Accommodation?

With housing costs rising across the globe and sustainable travel becoming an increasingly important consideration for modern tourists, the tiny home model — especially the compact, architecturally inventive European version — deserves serious attention. Hotels that incorporate structures like these cylindrical pods offer travelers a genuinely unique experience while maintaining a minimal environmental footprint. The low material requirements, reduced energy consumption, and small land use of a 100-square-foot dwelling make it one of the more sustainable accommodation options available.

For travelers who have only experienced American-style tiny homes, seeking out European alternatives on platforms like Airbnb or through specialty travel searches could open up a completely new understanding of what small-space living can look like. The cylindrical tiny home hotel in Germany is proof that when it comes to making the most of minimal space, Europe has some lessons worth learning.