With energy and housing costs on the rise, can tiny smart houses be the living spaces of the future?

I think so after touring LG's new self-powered smart cottage popping up in the middle of Seoul last week. first unveiled at IFA 2023, LG offers four models (Mono, Duo, Mono Plus, Duo Plus), with solar with or without panels, and a choice of one- or two-story configurations. The 628-square-foot model I toured in person featured the best smart home devices and an impressive solar power setup.

As we approached the home, the smart blinds quickly opened and the lights automatically turned on. We used the smart lock to enter the cozy main living room. Inside, a smart thermostat and air purifier controlled the air conditioning.

I sat in a comfortable reading chair in the center of the room and checked out the various gadgets throughout the house. One of my favorites was LG's Tiiun smart plant growing station, which regulates water, temperature, and LED lighting to grow fresh greens indoors.

Though small, this little smart home was not short on appliances and equipment. Smart lighting and full-sized appliances work together to create a responsive relaxing and cooking space. These lights automatically adjust brightness levels to conserve energy. I come from an Italian family, and I can assure you that there is enough space here to make several trays of apps and a main dish. That said, I can't imagine entertaining more than six people at a time in this house.

Heading towards the back, a staircase leads to the upstairs bedroom loft. At the end of this staircase is a washer and dryer with AI load-sensing capabilities, leading to a functional bathroom.

Entering any of the rooms, one can sense how streamlined the living space is. Lights come on when you approach the mirror, water comes out of the sink faucet when motion is detected, and from the ThinQ app you can effortlessly control individual appliances, manage the entire HVAC system, and monitor energy storage and consumption in real time.

While automation is convenient, LG's Smart Cottage solves one of the biggest challenges in arranging a tiny house: power. Each solar roof panel generates 4 kilowatts of power, providing a total of 15 kilowatts of energy. Excess power can be stored in an energy storage system or sold to the power company.

This is also enough power for the built-in electric vehicle charger. LG's energy pack, on the other hand, provides power to a compact air-to-water heat pump that heats and cools up to 200 liters of water without the use of any fuel or gas. Of course, plumbing work has to be considered, but overall, everything is compactly packaged in a flat pack on the back side of the cottage, which looks sharp and is easy to work with. Another plus is the maintenance-free aluminum and zinc alloy exterior, which resists corrosion and is easy to clean.

Pricing details are not available, but the LG Smart Cottage is expected to be available as early as later this year. Smart home gadgets are always nifty, but what elevates the Smart Cottage above the standard Tiny Home is its advanced energy monitoring and home controls. I look forward to seeing how this design inspires the Tiny Home industry.