Tiny Topanga builds steel-framed tiny homes with artisan touches

Tiny homes offer versatility when you are ready to simplify, need a guest house or are ready to hit the road. Now, a company called Tiny Topanga is making cozy tiny houses that feel like home thanks to handmade touches, natural materials and a chance to support a small family business.

black metal and wood tiny home on wheels

Tiny Topanga offers dual locations in central Mexico and California. The company was founded by Israel and Rebecca, a couple who met in Mexico when Rebecca was volunteering with the Peace Corp. With both willing to take chances, they initially designed a tiny home for themselves as a way to travel between California and Mexico. This quickly resulted in a decision to launch into full-time tiny home builds and van conversions. Eventually, Israel’s dad and brother joined the team, too. Tiny Topanga is the first tiny home builder to construct tiny houses in Mexico and transport them to the United States. This allows the family to work together and enjoy both locations.

tiny home interior with green kitchen cabinets

The initial build is now for sale. It measures a small 24’ x 8’ but packs a lot into the space with a work and living area, a full kitchen, a bathroom, a bedroom and an additional loft. This tiny house is built to run completely on electricity and is not equipped with gas. Owners can plug it into an existing source or add on external solar power for off-grid use. Water can also be piped directly into the home, or the storage tanks can hold 60 liters of fresh and gray water, which is estimated to last two or three days. Electric appliances throughout the tiny home are full-size, from the refrigerator to the range to the combo washer and dryer in the kitchen.

loft above bathroom near dark green kitchen in a tiny home

Unlike many tiny houses, this Tiny Topanga model features copious windows that let natural light stream in from every direction. This is made possible because the entire home is framed in steel. Steel is strong enough to support the weight of the windows while allowing enough flex to keep them from cracking while traveling. Plus, steel is a durable option that won’t rot, crack, warp, split or mold.

soft beige and white bed in a loft

Israel and Rebecca were eager to honor Mexican traditions in the build, so they included handcrafted materials that are locally made. For example, copper light covers in the kitchen are hand-forged by a Mexican artist. The one-of-a-kind Talavera tiles in the shower are each individually painted as well.

bathroom with hand-painted shower tiles

With the model home now for sale, the company’s goal is to continue with custom builds to give more people the simplicity that tiny living offers.

+ Tiny Topanga

Photography by Brooke Borough Photography via Tiny Topanga

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