This Hodgepodge Tiny House is a Little Mansion (On a Budget!)

Kerry and Will’s wonderfully unconventional tiny house proves that a beautiful home does not need to be perfectly polished. Built from an old single-wide cabin and filled with reclaimed materials, secondhand treasures and quirky design details, this off-grid home is full of warmth, personality and charm.

Before settling here, the couple spent years travelling around Australia in an off-road caravan. Living with less gave them a new appreciation for simplicity and helped them realise that a large conventional house no longer suited the life they wanted. When they eventually began looking for more space, moving into a tiny house actually felt like upsizing.

Their new home measures 13 metres (43 feet) long and 3 metres, or (10 feet) wide. That extra width and generous layout give the interior a surprising sense of space. The home includes a large kitchen, separate lounge, dedicated office and music room, hallway, full bathroom with a bathtub and a spacious bedroom overlooking the pond.

Much of the house was created using salvaged and recycled building materials. Reclaimed timber lines the walls, old flooring has been carefully restored, vintage kitchen cabinetry has been given new life and stained glass adds colour throughout the interior. Kerry and Will have also filled the home with marketplace finds, repurposed furniture and playful details, like old forks transformed into wall hooks.

Nothing is perfectly straight, and the mismatched materials do not follow any conventional design formula. That is exactly what makes the home work. Rather than hiding its imperfections, Kerry and Will have embraced them, creating a space that feels relaxed, welcoming and completely their own.

Outside, a large covered deck dramatically expands the living area and gives the couple room to cook, entertain and enjoy the peaceful semi-rural setting. The property overlooks a dam filled with birds and wildlife, while small ponds and gardens add to the feeling of a private oasis.

The tiny house is also set up for off-grid living, with solar power, rainwater storage, greywater irrigation, an above-ground septic system and a separate composting toilet. By renovating an existing structure and making extensive use of reclaimed materials, Kerry and Will were able to create their unusually spacious home on a remarkably modest budget.

For them, tiny house living is not about having the newest finishes or the most expensive appliances. It is about owning their home outright, reducing maintenance and creating more freedom to travel and enjoy life beyond the walls of the house.

Their wonderfully hodgepodge home may be a little crooked and imperfect, but it offers all the comfort, function and freedom they were looking for. In many ways, it really is their own little mansion. 

You can follow Will and Kerry's adventures on Facebook.