Finance: We lived in an Airbnb tiny home for a week — and it was completely different than what we expected

One week. One tiny home. Two reporters. Will they live to tell the tale?

One week. One tiny home. Two oversized personalities.

The latest Bravo reality show? No, just a work trip with two Business Insider reporters looking for a place to rest their weary heads after a long day of dedicated and strenuous fast-food investigating.

When we booked a tiny home through Airbnb in Charlottesville, Virginia, we didn't know what to expect: a quirky miniature respite, or a tiny home of terror.

Would the small space be inhabitable, or unspeakably cramped and uncomfortable? Could two colleagues co-inhabit such close quarters and still remain on speaking terms? And there's a bathroom, right?

What we discovered shattered our expectations in more ways than one.

The tiny home was in the backyard of our Airbnb hosts, at a comfortable distance from their house. Walking up, we were immediately impressed by the charming cottage — but a pang of anxiety arose. Would there be room for two in this tiny home?

Our initial fears were assuaged as we entered and took in the clever use of space. Although the tiny home was essentially an open concept (apart from the bathroom, luckily), there were four distinct sections.

Immediately upon entering, we found ourselves in the "living room" area. The tiny home was smartly decorated in bright, clean colors and sharp furniture.

Despite being set up to conserve space, our hosts had outfitted the house with a myriad of personal touches. Books, photos, and knick-knacks didn't take up much room but changed the atmosphere for the better.

The living room was also Kate's "bedroom". The handsome futon — a decided upgrade from the classic college futon of years past — pulled out into a comfortable and sizable bed.

Above the living room, reached by a steep set of stairs, was the loft bedroom. From the outside, it didn't even seem as though the house had room for a loft, but in the intricate puzzle of tiny home construction, the builders found a way.

The stairs were quite steep — certainly the most treacherous aspect of the house. Being rather on the tall side, Hollis found himself bumping his head frequently on the way to his bed.

But the climb was worth it — the loft was a lovely and surprisingly welcoming space with a full-size bed.

The loft overlooked the kitchen area.

The kitchen was shockingly well-equipped despite its Lilliputian scale.

Furnished with a microwave, a full sink, mini-fridge, and a hot plate, the kitchen was perfectly serviceable for any traveling cook should they want to whip something up.

Yet again, the builders were dedicated to their mission to make every corner of the home multi purpose. The space had a little breakfast nook of sorts crammed into the kitchen corner.

To answer our most urgent question, there was indeed a bathroom.

While the tiny home is small on the whole, the bathroom wouldn't have been out of place in the average NYC apartment.

It had a standing shower, a space-saving sink, and a vent to keep things fresh.

The place was cute, but was it workable for an extended period of time? Close quarters breeds tension between even the closest of friends... and colleagues. There's nowhere to hide in a tiny home. But the space was remarkably adaptable to our whims.

When we needed space, we retreated to our respective "bedrooms" — within earshot, but out of sight (and out of mind). And when we wanted to spend time together, the living room offered enough space and seating to comfortably discuss David Foster Wallace's tennis career and watch Lady Gaga's entire music videography. At the end of the week, we could truly say this: the tiny house had become a tiny home.

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