Never Too Small: He gained 3 million followers by showing off the world’s tiniest homes. Get ST’s newsletters delivered to your inbox.

Colin Chee’s YouTube channel spotlights the charm of tiny homes. It has pulled in more than three million subscribers. He started it back in 2017. The focus? Smart ways to live well in tight spaces. People love it because it feels real, not flashy.

Take his “organized mess” idea. He says skip the urge to tuck everything away. Instead, let useful items stay in sight. This bucks the usual clean, bare look in small rooms. Why? A bit of clutter that works can make the place feel cozy and easy to use. Picture a shelf of books or tools right where you need them. It turns a cramped spot into something warm and lived-in.

Then there’s his knack for cheap fixes. Chee revamped his own 430-square-foot studio in Melbourne. Total cost? Just under $4,250. He grabbed second-hand stuff and tweaked IKEA pieces. One standout: an extendable desk he snagged from Facebook Marketplace. It pulls out for mahjong nights or family meals. No big money needed. Just clever swaps. This shows anyone can craft a sharp setup without breaking the bank.

The channel has grown a lot. Early videos showed spotless, simple designs. Now, they dive into real-life homes. Think scuffs on the floor, toys scattered about. Imperfect spots full of personality. This shift makes it hit home for viewers. Who wants fake perfection? Most folks live messy, joyful lives.

Simple tweaks pack a punch too. Chee points out moving a door by 15 to 30 centimeters. That frees up wall space for a tall shoe rack. No major redo. Just a small shift. Boom—more room to breathe in a snug entryway.

What draws crowds? The channel skips high-end architect tours. It hands tools to everyday people. DIY tips top the comments. Budget hacks get the most buzz. Viewers ask: How do I fit a home office in my one-room place? Or store bikes without chaos? Chee answers with real fixes. Since 2017, that mix has built his huge fan base. Three million strong, hooked on tiny home wins.

The Small Space Revolution: How Colin Chee Built a YouTube Empire on Compact Living

How one Malaysian’s passion project became the world’s most influential platform for compact home design

In a cramped 430-square-foot Melbourne studio apartment, Colin Chee surveys his domain with the satisfaction of a chess grandmaster. Every inch has been considered, every piece of furniture serves multiple purposes, and somehow, the space feels larger than its modest dimensions suggest. This isn’t just his home—it’s his laboratory, his manifesto, and the living proof of concept for what has become one of YouTube’s most influential design channels.

Since 2017, Chee’s “Never Too Small” has grown from a one-man passion project into a global phenomenon with over three million subscribers, fundamentally changing how we think about small spaces. But perhaps more importantly, it has democratized good design, proving that thoughtful living doesn’t require a mansion or a millionaire’s budget.

The Genesis of Small

The story of Never Too Small begins not with grand ambition, but with genuine curiosity. Chee, then working in marketing, found himself fascinated by the ingenuity required to make small spaces work. “I was looking at all these tiny homes and apartments, and I kept thinking: how do people actually live in these places?” he recalls.

What started as personal interest evolved into something more systematic. Chee began reaching out to architects whose compact projects caught his eye, asking if he could document their work. The early videos were bare-bones productions—just Chee with a camera, capturing homes that prioritized clean lines and minimalist aesthetics.

“The first homes we featured were very much in that minimalist vein,” Chee explains. “Everything had to be perfectly styled, completely clutter-free. It looked beautiful, but I started wondering: is this how people actually live?”

This question would prove pivotal to the channel’s evolution and eventual success.

The Philosophy Shift: Embracing the Mess

By 2019, Never Too Small began undergoing a philosophical transformation that would set it apart from every other design platform. Where other channels showcased impossibly pristine spaces, Chee started celebrating what he calls “organized mess”—the beautiful chaos of actually lived-in homes.

“There’s this perception that visual clutter makes a space feel smaller,” Chee notes, “but I’ve found the opposite to be true. When you hide everything away, when you’re constantly fighting against the natural way you live, the space becomes harder to manage. You’re always cleaning, always organizing, always stressed about maintaining this perfect aesthetic.”

This shift wasn’t just philosophical—it was practical. Chee observed that the most functional small spaces weren’t the ones that looked like museum displays, but those that had evolved organically around their inhabitants’ needs. A desk covered with projects-in-progress. Kitchen utensils within easy reach. Books stacked where they’re actually read, not just where they look best.

The channel began featuring homes where personality took precedence over perfection. A cramped Tokyo apartment where every surface told a story. A São Paulo studio where the owner’s collection of vinyl records doubled as both entertainment and insulation. A London flat where the “organized mess” of a working artist created a space that was both functional and inspiring.

“We don’t even mind if the apartment is messy when we film,” Chee says. “It showcases how the design adapts to everyday living, rather than how someone styles a space for a photo shoot.”

The Craft: Making the Ordinary Extraordinary

What sets Never Too Small apart isn’t just its philosophy—it’s its execution. Each video is a masterclass in visual storytelling, transforming what could be mundane apartment tours into compelling narratives about human ingenuity.

The channel’s signature style emerged through trial and error. Early videos were longer, more traditional documentaries. But Chee discovered that viewers responded better to tighter, more focused storytelling. The current format—typically 8-12 minutes—strikes the perfect balance between thoroughness and engagement.

“We realized people don’t want to see every corner of a space,” Chee explains. “They want to understand the thinking behind the design. Why did you put the bed there? How does this storage solution actually work in daily life? What problem is this solving?”

The camera work reflects this philosophy. Rather than sweeping establishing shots that emphasize smallness, the videos use intimate angles that reveal clever solutions. A pull-out cutting board that doubles as a breakfast bar. A murphy bed that transforms a living room into a bedroom in seconds. A bathroom door that slides into the wall, creating precious inches of floor space.

The narration, often provided by the homeowners themselves, focuses on process rather than product. Viewers learn not just what was done, but why it was done and how it actually functions in daily life. This approach transforms voyeuristic curiosity into practical education.

The Numbers Game: Understanding the Audience

Eight years in, Never Too Small’s data tells a story about changing demographics and priorities. The channel’s analytics reveal an audience that skews young (25-34 being the largest demographic), urban, and increasingly concerned with affordability and sustainability.

“When we analyze viewer comments, ‘DIY’ and ‘budget’ are the most frequently mentioned topics,” Chee notes, “followed by ‘storage.’ This tells us everything about who’s watching and what they need.”

The channel’s biannual survey produces even more revealing insights. When asked about preferences for a one-bedroom apartment under 50 square meters, 84% of respondents chose flexible layout and storage over built-in storage and fixed layout. This preference for adaptability over permanence reflects broader cultural shifts toward mobility, sustainability, and financial pragmatism.

Individual videos routinely surpass half a million views, with the most popular—featuring innovative storage solutions or dramatic space transformations—reaching well into the millions. The Singapore HDB flat tour mentioned in the original article, with its “Swiss Army knife” approach to functionality, exemplifies the content that resonates most: practical solutions explained by people who actually live with them.

Global Impact: Changing How We Live

Never Too Small’s influence extends far beyond YouTube metrics. The channel has become a reference point for architects, urban planners, and policymakers grappling with housing affordability and density in major cities worldwide.

Architecture firms report that clients increasingly come to them with Never Too Small videos, asking for similar solutions. Real estate developers have begun incorporating ideas from featured homes into their projects. Interior design programs at universities use the channel’s content to teach students about space efficiency and user-centered design.

The channel has also sparked broader conversations about housing policy and urban density. As cities worldwide face housing crises, Never Too Small provides evidence that quality of life doesn’t require quantity of space—if the space is designed thoughtfully.

“We’re not advocating for everyone to live in tiny apartments,” Chee clarifies. “We’re showing that if you do live in a small space—whether by choice or necessity—there are ways to make it work beautifully.”

The Business of Small

From a one-man operation, Never Too Small has grown into a team of eleven full-time staff working with freelance videographers across the globe. This growth reflects not just the channel’s popularity, but the professionalization of the YouTube ecosystem itself.

Unlike traditional media companies that impose content from above, Never Too Small’s expansion has been organic. The majority of featured homes now come from viewer submissions rather than outreach to architects. This democratization of content creation aligns perfectly with the channel’s ethos of accessible design.

“We get thousands of submissions,” Chee says. “I look for homes that do something interesting with their layout, find innovative functions, or really capture the personality of the inhabitants. Sometimes a completely ordinary apartment will have one or two ingenious solutions to common problems, and that’s enough.”

The selection process itself reflects the channel’s evolved philosophy. Rather than seeking architectural showpieces, Chee looks for authenticity and innovation. A door moved 30 centimeters to create storage space. A room that serves three different functions depending on the time of day. Furniture that reveals hidden capabilities when needed.

The Outsider Advantage

One of Never Too Small’s most distinctive features is its outsider perspective. Neither Chee nor his core team comes from architecture or interior design backgrounds, a fact that initially seemed like a limitation but has proven to be a strength.

“None of us has formal training in architecture or interior design,” Chee admits. “We’re just a group of people who love good design and want to understand how it works. That outsider perspective means we ask different questions, notice different things, and explain concepts in ways that regular people can understand.”

This lack of formal training has freed the team from industry orthodoxies and professional jargon. Where architectural publications might focus on theoretical concepts or high-end materials, Never Too Small celebrates practical solutions and budget constraints. Where design magazines showcase finished products, the channel reveals process and thinking.

The result is content that feels accessible rather than aspirational, educational rather than intimidating. Viewers don’t just see beautiful spaces—they understand how those spaces were created and how they might apply similar principles to their own homes.

Looking Forward: The Future of Small

As Never Too Small approaches its eighth year, the platform continues evolving. Recent videos have begun exploring themes beyond space efficiency: sustainability, community living, and the psychological impacts of our built environment.

“The conversation is expanding,” Chee observes. “It’s not just about fitting more stuff into less space. It’s about living more thoughtfully, more sustainably, more intentionally.”

This evolution reflects broader cultural shifts. As climate change makes resource consumption a moral issue, as housing costs force millions into smaller spaces, and as remote work makes location flexibility more valuable, the principles Never Too Small champions become increasingly relevant.

The channel has also begun exploring emerging housing typologies: co-living spaces, converted shipping containers, accessory dwelling units. Each represents a different approach to the same fundamental challenge: creating homes that serve human needs within planetary boundaries.

The Lasting Legacy

Perhaps Never Too Small’s greatest achievement isn’t its subscriber count or view numbers, but its role in changing perceptions. The channel has helped transform “small space living” from a compromise forced by circumstances into a conscious choice driven by values.

Through hundreds of videos showcasing thousands of square feet, Colin Chee has built something rare in our supersized world: a platform that celebrates enough. In an age of excess, Never Too Small reminds us that the best design isn’t about having more—it’s about making more of what you have.

“Small spaces force you to be intentional about everything,” Chee reflects from his Melbourne studio. “Every object has to earn its place. Every design decision has consequences. In a weird way, constraints make you more creative, not less.”

It’s a philosophy that extends far beyond interior design. In a world facing resource constraints, climate challenges, and growing inequality, the principles that make small spaces work—efficiency, adaptability, mindfulness—may well be the principles that help us all live better with less.

Eight years and three million subscribers later, that 430-square-foot studio apartment continues to prove that size isn’t everything. Sometimes, the smallest spaces contain the biggest ideas.

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