Beautiful Simple Living in a Tiny House Sanctuary

When we design our own tiny home, the space itself might be tiny, and yet somehow we get to build a place that truly fits us. And I think this next tiny house story is a beautiful example of that, where one young woman has built a home that is designed to reflect her values, her loves, and ultimately herself. Hi Molly, how are you? Hi, I'm really good, thanks Bryce, how are you? I'm great, it is so nice to be here, and what a beautiful spot you've got. Yeah, I know, I'm so lucky to be here in beautiful Tassie, my little slice of paradise. It sure is, right next to the orchard, by the creek, this is paradise. Yeah, it really is, yeah. And tell me how it was that you came to be living here in a tiny house. Well actually, this is a block of land that I grew up in. It's my dad's block of land, and I'm very lucky that he lets me stay here. You know, I'm 31 at the moment, and I was looking to get into the housing market, but really, it's been a long time dream of mine to live in a tiny house. So I was really obsessed with tiny houses when I was at uni, and it was always something that I dreamed about. And then I was looking at houses, and the housing market was just really unaffordable, and nothing really spoke to me. And then I remembered tiny houses, and watched heaps of YouTube videos about tiny houses, and did some research, and I was really surprised. I had a, you know, cup of tea with my dad, and I said, hey dad, how would you feel about me parking my tiny house on your block of land? And he was like, oh. And it wasn't an immediate no, and so I said, great, let's do it. That's enough for me. And I did it mainly myself, kind of designing that he was there to kind of support. So yeah, it's been a really amazing experience. And can you talk to me about the design of your tiny house? Yeah, sure. So in my kind of research phase, I've just kind of gravitated towards white. I love white. I just love how kind of coastal it looks. And so kind of throughout the house, I have a lot of white, and then warm timbers, and brass or copper. And the white and the light colored timber does give it this really uplifting vibe, doesn't it? Yeah, I think so, yeah. And I like that you can see it as you drive down the driveway, you kind of come down the hill in the bush, and there's this white glowing tiny house, and people think, hmm, I wonder what they're doing there. Yeah. The colors are especially beautiful right now, offset against the start of all of these autumn colors coming through. Yeah, it's so beautiful. And with the pallet deck that my lovely dad built for me, I think kind of the colors all go together nicely. I wish I could say that I planned to match the leaves, but not quite. A happy accident. Yeah, exactly. And what size is your tiny house? So in Australia and in Tassie, we kind of have to keep it a certain size so that we can tow it. But it's 7.2 meters long by 2.4 meters wide by 4.2 meters high. Great size. Yeah, yeah, perfect size, really. Yeah. And you're mains connected with this house? Yeah, eventually I'd like to go solar, and that was the plan. So it is wired to go solar, but I wanted to kind of, well, first of all, save a bit more money because I did go a bit crazy with some of the modifications and spent all my spare money there. It's easy to do. Yeah, exactly. But this way, I'm kind of getting a real understanding of how much power that I'm consuming. So when I'm thinking about batteries and how many panels that I need, I can kind of have a real idea of what kind of power that I'm using. And I'm separately metered, so I know exactly. And my power bill's really affordable, and that's really important. I think in the cost of living crisis that we're experiencing at the moment, like having a power bill that's $150 a quarter makes all the difference, really. Without a doubt. And you've got the lovely little seating area here too? Yeah, because we faced east here, and the sun comes up this way. I love to sit on my little chair there and in the morning have my coffee. And yeah, feel just insanely lucky every morning that I can live here before I have to get on the bus to go to work. Lovely. Well, I can't wait to see inside the house. Can we take a look? Yeah, absolutely. Come on in. All right, thank you. This is absolutely beautiful. It's such an open-feeling space, isn't it? Yeah, and I think that was some of the idea behind having white walls and having big windows and lots of windows is the light bounces really nicely, and it feels really airy. You almost feel like you're outside because we're in the middle of the bush here. And I've kind of given nods to that by having lots of natural timbers and elements of green and plants. So it was all kind of considered and meant to be, so I'm glad you feel that. Yeah, it certainly works. And this lounge nook just looks so good, especially with that big feature window there. Yeah, well, I did have the idea to have a different lounge there, but then once I moved into the tiny house, my mom actually said, hey, I've got this couch. Do you want it? I'll bring it over for free. And I was like, oh, perfect. Rather than spending the money on buying something brand new, having something pre-loved and secondhand that fit perfectly in the space, almost as if it was designed for it. Yeah, just really happy with how it all kind of went. And the big picture window was something I was really excited about because I knew I wanted to be somewhere in nature, in the bush where I could just stare dreamily out at nature, which is what I spent a lot of time doing, just lying on the couch, listening to music and staring out, watching the birds and at the trees. I love that. The perfect pastime. Truly. And then above the lounge is a loft. Yeah, exactly. So at the moment, it's just me living here, but I want to live here long-term. So in the design phase, I was thinking about how can I future-proof this house so that if I have a baby one day, there's somewhere for them to sleep. And if people want to come and stay, it's big enough for a double mattress so I can have friends come and stay or it can be a home office. And it looks like you've got a bit of a library up there. Yeah, exactly. I did kind of reduce the amount of books that I have, but I've always got to have books around me wherever I am. So that was a non-negotiable with a tiny house build. I absolutely understand. And this loft is accessed by a ladder. Yeah. Initially, I did want to have two sets of stairs, but something that I wanted to have was a hearth to have a fireplace. Haven't quite got to the fireplace yet, but something, a solution that my builders came up with was this ladder that kind of sits flush with the wall. I think it looks really cute. And rather than have it in one place, I can actually move it around so I can access my home bar on top of the kitchen there as well. So it's actually been really helpful being able to move the ladder around rather than just having it in one place. Yeah. I think that's a really nice way of doing it because stairs, as functional as they are, they take up a lot of space. So having two staircases in here would have been pretty intrusive, whereas that's nice, simple, and still gives you easy access. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And I like that you have thought about having a fire here one day as well, because it gets pretty cold here in Tasmania, doesn't it? Yeah, absolutely. This is a fully insulated tiny house though, so it maintains a pretty consistent temperature. So what do you do for heating now though? I just have a little plug-in heater that I got from a supermarket, which is not the kind of best solution or most long-term solution, but it actually works really well. And the kitchen here, I love the way that you've done this. What a gorgeous countertop. Yeah, so this is actually a really special piece of a timber that only grows in Tasmania. So it's called Huon Pine, and it's really beautiful old-growth forest timber. It's actually salvaged timber, so you can't log it anymore, but there are all these trees that have fallen down, and because they have beautiful natural oils, they actually just last in the river. Some people have special licenses where they can go into the river and collect these fallen bits of timber and sell them. So it's really expensive and rare, but that was also one thing that I just could not live without. My mom works with beautiful natural timbers, Tasmanian timbers, and I think it's just a really beautiful, natural nod to the environment, having a bit of natural timber. So it's one long bit of pine that I've used in the countertop and also in the bathroom vanity. I really wanted to have lots of prep space, so the table actually flips up, so it kind of turns into a bit of a breakfast bar at the end there as well. Nice, bit of extra space when you need it. Yeah, exactly. The timber does make for such a beautiful showpiece in this kitchen, and then you've got the lovely big farmhouse sink too. Yeah, I'm going to be honest, there are times that I don't always do the washing up, and because I live here by myself, there's no one there to get annoyed about it, so it's nice to be able to just put all the washing up there until I'm ready to do it. Fair enough too, I definitely understand that. And tell me about the special bar that you've built in here. Okay, so I like to keep the vibes really strong, so I have a good selection, so I can make cocktails for people. I like to go to up shops and collect vintage glassware, so I have a few vintage coupes and whiskey glasses, wines from all over Australia, so I keep the good vibes going here. And this is a beautiful bar that my mom and sister got for me, a little bar cart for my birthday one year, and it just fits perfectly with the space, I think. I think so too, what a great idea. And it's good to see you've got a lot of storage in this kitchen too. Yeah, it feels like a surprising amount, honestly. I don't feel like I need any more storage than I have, and the kind of idea with going tiny was that I was kind of sticking to minimalism. It's surprising how much you don't actually need. I do feel like I've got space for everything. I've focused on quality, so I've got some quality knives, which is a game changer for cooking. Honestly, if anyone's thinking about investing in cookware, I say buy a good knife. Good knives are my number one kitchen essential too. Right, it just makes everything, when you can just slice through pumpkin like butter, it just feels so great. I understand. Yeah, and so I have lots of storage built in. The cabinetry has kind of everything. It's all soft close, so it feels very luxurious when I close it, and I went for brass hardware because it ties into the warmth that the huon pine timber really nicely and kind of offsets the white. So it feels very calming and warm. Beautiful. Good sized appliances in here too. Yeah, exactly. Full size oven. I do love to cook roast veggies, so it's a nice to have. I've just got a two burner stove, and honestly, that's all I need. I've actually got a dishwasher and a microwave as well, and an air fryer, so everything that you could need, and a coffee machine, of course, but I have to have that. Of course. I like your stair design too, and again, it looks like you've fit a lot of storage space in there. Yeah, I wanted to make the most of all of the space and be really considered with each part of the design to fit as much storage as I could. So each stair has storage built in in various different ways. I actually saw this lighting idea for the stairs on one of your videos. Oh, cool. Yeah, and I thought it was just such a genius design, and at night, it just is this beautiful, warm kind of dappled light on the stairs. Fantastic. And beyond the kitchen lies the bathroom. Can we take a look at that? Yeah, absolutely. Okay. Oh, now this is cool. Yeah, thanks so much. So I often think about interior design, and that was kind of my obsession in the build phase. So I wanted to have kind of a different feel, so outside is like light and bright, lots of whites, natural timbers and brass, but in here, I wanted it to feel moody. And look at this bathtub that you've got in here. This looks so plush. Yeah, I'm a bit of a bath girly. I love to have a bath. I love a bath bomb. I love candles, having a glass of wine in the bath. And I said, just because I'm living in a tiny house, why can't I have a bath? Absolutely. I think that adds a real touch of luxury to the home. Yeah, well, that's what I was really focused on with this timber. That's the same kind of idea. It's the same timber as the kitchen, and the taps are luxurious. They were very specific. I stayed at a hotel in Sydney, and I loved the interior design and the tapware. And so I worked with my builder to find the specific architect who built this hotel in Sydney, and then the tapware. And so it's custom tapware. It costs an embarrassing amount of money, $4,000. No. Yeah, so it's custom telephone handle for the bath, so you can kind of wash yourself in the bath and feel like Audrey Hepburn. And then I really love the look of shower curtains rather than glass, because I think it feels kind of like a bit vintagey, very luxurious. And so I've got linen curtains on the bath as well. And I just love the look of cement. But obviously in a tiny house, because it's on wheels, it would add too much weight to have real cement. So this is drywall. And so the whole space is actually waterproof. I love what you've done in here. The tapware, definitely a splash out, but totally worth it. I think it makes such a feature in this room. And I really love the philosophy of your design in here. There's something about coming into a bathroom and it being a little bit darker, a little bit cozier. It goes a long way to making the space feel very inviting and welcoming and relaxing. Yeah, totally agree. And you've got the composting toilet here too? Yeah, definitely. So I really wanted to do composting toilet. It was, I'll be honest, a bit of adjustment when I first moved in, but I've really got the hang of it now. And I've just done my second changeover, which was a little confronting, but then it doesn't take too long and then it's done and it turns into compost and it's amazing. And I wouldn't be without it. And then upstairs, we've got your bedroom. Can we take a look at that? Yeah, absolutely. Let's go. All right. It is very cozy up here. Yeah, it is. I love it. It's like a little nest or a little nook. And I mean, I've got the whites and the greens again, and it just feels so cozy. And having the windows on either side of the bed means that I can wake up and just look outside and see the bush and the sun comes up over this side. So it just feels really nice and peaceful and cozy. And you've got the skylight up here as well? Yeah, it's actually been amazing. Past few nights have been full moons. And so I can lie in bed and look at the full moon, which feels really special and beautiful and a little bit witchy. And I consider myself a bit of a witch. So that's really nice. Amazing. It's nice how you've got the walkway here beside the bed as well. And that leads to your wardrobe. Yeah, ideally I wanted it to be full height walking, but because I have the bath, I couldn't have quite being able to stand up, but I don't have to crawl. So that really helps. I just have to duck my head in order to walk up to the wardrobe. And it's amazing how much you can fit in a wardrobe this size, as well as my two little chests of drawers there. I definitely have enough clothes, maybe even too many. So you've been living here for just over a year now. How are you finding tiny house life? Honestly, I'm the happiest I've ever been. There's something about focusing on what's important, removing everything out of your life that is just weighing you down and that isn't essential. It isn't what you love and just focusing on what you love and making decisions about, am I going to buy something and bring it into my life? Where am I going to put it? So being really conscious. And then honestly, the most amazing part of living here is living close to my family. My dad has his own cup that says dad on it. I've got the tea that he likes, the milk and the sugar that he likes. So he can pop in for a cup of tea whenever he likes. So if there are any parents or children thinking about going tiny, a parent with some space for a child to move in, I would say go for it. Our relationship has never been as good as it is now. Yeah, and it's just been the best part of the whole experience as well as living in a beautiful house. I think that's one of the things that I love about the tiny house movement is the way that it's introducing us to these new modes of multi-generational living and it's helping to keep families together and yet you still have your own independence and your own space. I think that's so beautiful. Yeah. And what's it like for you now to get to wake up each and every day in this home that you got to design entirely yourself and build exactly as you like it? Honestly, I've had quite a few happy cries over the past year. Waking up and seeing a physical manifestation of things that I love, like the timber that was tricky to get from the West Coast to the builder's place, being able to have chickens that I have a shared parenting arrangement with my dad and his partner, and they're so friendly so I can just go out and collect their eggs and the girls are very friendly. So I say morning ladies and they come up and they like a little pat or a hold. It's really the dream. There's something about having a space that's your own that belongs to you is really special and having lived as a renter for 10 years, there's a lot of insecurity in a rental. So to have a space that completely belongs to me that I feel really secure in makes me really happy. You know, I can go off adventuring and I know that this home will still be here as a safe space for me to come home to and it feels like a bit of a sanctuary, you know, from the hustle and bustle of city life, working in an office every day, I can come home to a calm, quiet space. This is such a dream that you've created for yourself. Can we talk about the cost that was involved in bringing this dream to life? Yeah, sure. So when I initially got it quoted, it was 90,000, but I'm sure everyone's aware the cost of materials just went through the roof. So then when we actually started the build, the quote changed to 130,000. And then with the addition of my outrage, like expensive taps that were $4,000, sort of more around the 140,000 mark. Yeah. But money well spent, I feel. I think so too. Money very well spent. This is such a beautiful home that you've created for yourself. Oh, thank you so much. And with the house now finished and you're well settled into the space now, what does the future hold for you? Now that I'm kind of settled here and next to my dad, I kind of can't imagine not being near him and near my family. I'd also just extend out the vegetable garden. And I've also, you might've seen the dried flowers around. I'd love to start a floristry business just to complete the dream. Yeah. What a lovely idea. Well, Molly, this really is just such a beautiful home that you've created for yourself. I love your connection to the home, to your land, to your family, and just everything that this space is creating for you. Thank you so much for sharing it with me. Well, thank you so much for coming, Bryce. It's been great to have you here. My pleasure. For Molly, building this tiny house was about focusing on the things that are really important to her in life. And I feel like each and every one of those aspects is so beautifully encapsulated in this build. This is a home that represents her values. It represents her connection to the land, her connection to the family, and just so many of these things in life which are truly important to her. And to have a home that is truly a reflection of yourself is really all that we can ask for.