What might not come to mind is Lisa and Matt Hobbs’s black, ultra-modern 237-square-foot home, into which they brilliantly finessed a full-sized kitchen, bathroom, and a king-sized bed. Owners of the Tailored Tiny Company in Australia, the Hobbses say that the tiny house movement drew their attention as a way to reduce their environmental impact and live more sustainability. 

“The creativity expressed, as well as the challenge of creating a small functioning space, without losing the comforts of a large house, is what drew us to start designing and building our own tiny home,” according to their website. What they created is strikingly original. 

The home’s black metal exterior—with recycled hardwood timber trim—accentuates its height, while black “shade cloths” sheltering the deck give the structure a lift. Abundant windows and skylights bring in lots of natural light. A cat run at the back of the tiny home allows the kitties to play—and do their business—safely outside. 

Inside, high ceilings bring in a voluminous sense of space—which is accentuated by the skylights. A grid-like fixture hung with plants and downlights provides a biophilic feel in the living room. The kitchen sports every “indispensable” modern amenity and appliance. The couple slid the refrigerator and oven underneath the stairs leading to the loft. 

Tiny Footprint, Off-Grid Potential

Q: How did you get interested in the tiny home movement? 

A: I’ve been interested in tiny houses for about six years, with the goal of building or buying one at some stage. Matt was thinking of making a shipping-container house before we met. When I mentioned the tiny houses on our first date, it planted a seed and not long after we were in the process of designing and building.

Q: Tell us about your home. 

A: The house is 22 square meters (237 square feet) on the ground floor and 16 square meters (172 square feet) in the loft space. We both wanted to see how far we could push tiny house boundaries, so when we designed the house, we included as many full-sized appliances and regular things as we could. Going tiny doesn’t mean you need to miss out on things. In that, we managed to get a full-sized kitchen, bathroom, king-sized bed in the main loft, and a queen-sized bed in the second loft.

Q: What is your favorite part of your home?

A: The little design features. The tile-to-wood transition, the feature panel on the end, the levered window in the bathroom. The full-size butler’s sink is a winner for design, although not so much for practicality. Also, the twin showers are a favorite, as that’s where we debrief at the end of the day. Most major decisions are made in the shower.