After 10 Years on a Sailboat, They Built Their Dream Home on Land

After spending almost ten years living aboard a sailboat, Jase and Jolene learned a great deal about compact living, clever design and what it really means to create a home. Life at sea teaches you to be intentional with space. Every object needs a place, every corner needs a purpose and comfort comes not from having more, but from designing well.

When their time on the water came to an end, the couple returned to Australia with just two backpacks, around $50 and a whole lot of life experience behind them. What followed was not simply the search for a house, but the beginning of a new chapter. After years of adventure, movement and life on the ocean, they found a beautiful block of land in Tasmania and set about creating their dream home on land.

Their home began as a kitset, but what Jase and Jolene have created is far from standard. The original design was heavily modified to suit the land, the views, the light and the way they wanted to live. Positioned on a steep section and raised on poles, the home reaches out toward the trees and water beyond, creating a peaceful coastal retreat that feels deeply connected to its surroundings.

At 68m², the house sits in a wonderful space between tiny house living and a more conventional small home. It borrows many of the best ideas from tiny house design, including smart storage, multifunctional spaces and careful planning, but gives them just a little more room to breathe. The result is a home that feels open, relaxed and surprisingly luxurious for its compact footprint.

Jase completed around 90% of the build himself, despite not being a qualified builder. Working as an owner-builder, he took on an enormous amount of the project, learning as he went and crafting much of the home by hand. From the custom timber cabinetry to the built-in lounge, concrete benchtops, timber shelving and thoughtful storage solutions, the home is filled with details that speak to both practicality and personality.

Inside, the design is warm, open and beautifully efficient. The main living area makes the most of the surrounding views, with large windows framing the landscape and allowing the outside world to become part of the interior. Natural timber, green tiles, black window frames and handcrafted details work together to create a sense of calm, texture and connection to nature.

The kitchen is the heart of the home. Designed for two people who love to cook and entertain, it features generous bench space, custom cabinetry, a concrete benchtop and a clever serving window that connects directly to the deck outside. This simple idea makes the whole home feel larger, linking indoor and outdoor living while creating an easy flow for meals, gatherings and everyday life.

Throughout the home, the influence of sailboat living is easy to see. There is storage hidden wherever it can be useful, including within the built-in lounge, which also folds out into a bed. A compact office provides a creative space for writing, editing, radio work and future film projects, while the couple’s “adventure wall” brings together photographs and memories from years of travel, reminding them of the journey that led them here.

The bathroom and laundry are combined into one practical space, with a clever layout that meets council requirements while still making the most of every centimetre. A composting toilet reduces water use and simplified the infrastructure needed on the site, while greywater is managed through a system that helps irrigate the lower part of the property.

The bedroom is simple, peaceful and perfectly positioned to enjoy the outlook. With access directly onto the deck, it gives Jase and Jolene a quiet place to step outside, listen to the landscape and enjoy the wildlife that passes through the property. 

What makes this home so special is not simply the way it looks, but the way it tells the story of the people who built it. After years of living small at sea, Jase and Jolene have created a compact coastal home that reflects their values, their creativity and their dreams for the future. It is efficient without feeling sparse, handcrafted without feeling rustic and deeply personal without ever feeling cluttered.

For Jase and Jolene, this home is more than a place to live. It is a landing place after years of adventure, a creative base for the next chapter of their lives and a beautiful reminder that a home does not need to be large to hold a very big story.  

You can find out more about Jase's carpentry work on Instagram and Facebook, and Jase and Jolene's film work on YouTube.  You can also find Jase's videos from their time on the ocean here.