Designed in Melbourne, Australia, this modern tiny house is the perfect amalgamation of sleek modern and rustic bush cabin. Designed and built by Monique Villiger and Aswan Shankara, the Tyny House has been featured on Apartment Therapy, Domain, Bustle.com, and won the 2020 Small/Cool contest for small spaces.

This house features raw and natural materials, high ceilings and open, light-filled spaces. The design is ideal for people who want to downsize and simplify without losing the comforts and practicalities of modern life.

Notes From the Designer

The design process for this tiny house took 6 months. The end product is a balance between practical functionality and a certain ‘something else’ that makes a house a home. The design draws on inspiration from the urban city of Melbourne, as well as minimalist concepts from Scandinavia and Japan.  In the design we valued such things as high ceilings, large windows and beautiful and comfortable spaces that encourage moments of ‘hygge’ or connection with each other and with nature outside. The design is about comfort and storage as much as it is about capturing the beauty of nature in the window frame or watching the stars through the loft skylight. In the design, we wanted to demonstrate that compact living does not have to be cramped and unglamorous, and this is achieved through clever storage, full sized appliances and creating a feeling of spaciousness with lots of natural light.

Tyny House Walk Through:

Our tiny house features a comfortable window seat/spare bed, a kitchen, with a full-sized oven, stove, dishwasher, range hood, pantry, fridge/freezer, kitchen sink, washing machine/dryer, large windows, double doors, skylight, sleeping loft, queen size bed, hanging clothes storage, staircase storage, shower, space for a compost toilet, bathroom sink and vanity, services panel/ outdoor storage, and small outside deck seat.

You will love the key elements of this stunning tiny house: large windows, a full-size kitchen, and an architectural aesthetic that you can be proud of. The large back window lets the light through in winter, while the extended window frame at the rear shades the window for the summer heat. The double doors allow for easy indoor/outdoor living and dining on the outside deck (inside secret: we built a bathtub into our deck for next to nothing using free and second-hand materials). The stairs are packed with storage and make the loft more accessible (especially when your partner has ordered a morning coffee in bed!). Opposing windows in the loft draw through the cool breeze in summer while the skylight affords more headroom and stargazing potential.

And that’s not even the best bit. You will love the financial freedom, the possibility of working part-time or pursuing a passion, or simply the fact that you can move the tiny house with you wherever life takes you.

Overall Dimensions:

• Length: 7.4 meters (about 24.3 feet)
• Width: 2.5 meters
• Height: 4.25 meters

Exclusions:

• Materials list
• Products and appliances
• Interior finishes
• Light design and positions
• Details for the fold-out sofa/guest bed/dining booth

Basic Information

Designer

Monique Villiger & Aswan Shankara

Name of Plan

Tyny House

Number of sleeping areas/bedrooms

2

Square Footage

248 SF

2.5  x 7.4 m / 8.2 x 24.3 ft

APPROXIMATE Weight

4.5 tonnes (9,921 lbs)

APPROXIMATE Cost
DIY: $47,000 AUD
Turn-Key: $80,000 USD

(add approx. 10% to 20% to account for the rise of building material costs)

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