Tiny homes, tiny escapes

Story by Poppy Fitzpatrick.

Page left: Escapod at The Vineyard Retreat McLaren Vale. ‘Sumptuous, sleek, polished, sexy, crisp, and replete with all the modern conveniences expected by today’s discerning traveller.’ Photo by Sam Noonan. Above: Matilda CABN at Kuitpo. Photo by Isaac Freeman.

No matter your age, it seems there’s something inexplicably pleasing about things that are small. But as life shifts from puppies and dollhouses to slightly larger responsibilities, like babies and mortgages, it can be much harder to appreciate the little things.

There are some people who never lose their fascination with living life on a smaller scale, truly believing that – clichés at the ready – the best things really do come in small packages. In this case, that package is a home. Whether seeking an alternative path to home ownership, offering a novelty accommodation option, exploring sustainable living, or even as a way to feel more connected to nature, the tiny house movement seemingly has something for everyone. From low-budget, streamlined constructions, to high-end and luxurious escapes, this compact lifestyle is all about thinking outside the box – a tiny, cosy box at that.

ESCAPOD The phrase ‘luxury accommodation’ may evoke images of plush king-sized beds, well-stocked mini bars, fluffy bath robes and glossy entrances. But a vital element often missing from the grandeur of a high-end hotel stay is the outdoor space.

Escapod is quite literally breaking down the confines of traditional luxury accommodation by recreating the experience of a premium hotel room, in an immersive setting. Their design, although compact, provides a generous floor plan with flexible indoor and outdoor spaces. This sense of immersion is amplified by generous doors and windows to frame surrounding views, enriching the space with natural artwork. From underfloor heating to automated blinds, everything you see and touch exudes contemporary quality.

Although providing the time-efficiency and flexibility associated with typical transportable homes, the thoughtful design sets Escapod apart. Focusing heavily on the experience of the end user ensures a highly detailed and impressive outcome. Their first project currently serves as a luxurious private vineyard retreat in McLaren Vale. Beyond this, Escapod seeks to redefine regional tourism by activating our seemingly infinite picturesque Fleurieu landscapes with their modular creations.

CABN It’s hard to disconnect from the pressures of modern life. Mindless scrolling eats away hours of precious time, ‘urgent’ emails jump into bed with us and phone vibrations constantly agitate our back pockets. When Michael Lamprell discovered the concept of ‘minimalism’ while travelling in the United States, he became transfixed on the idea of a life that placed value on loving people instead of things. Michael wanted to share this lifestyle revelation with others, encouraging them to disconnect from day-to-day life and reconnect with each other.

Promoting an experience of ‘minimal interruption, for maximum interaction,’ CABNs are designed to make you feel at one with nature. High ceilings and large windows create a sense of space, while drawing you out into the beautiful outdoor settings in which they are placed. Stained timber exteriors ensure the CABNs blend in with the landscape, while the interior cladding is left to shine >

Top and bottom left: inoutside’s backyard rooms. More inside, outside! Above right: A Swale Design at Dakini Hideaways – Bill’s Boathouse – luxury floating ecotourism on the Murray River.

in its raw state. Each CABN relies on its own water storage and solar system, with composting toilets. This design has minimal environmental impact, while allowing the accommodation to be readily nomadic.

In South Australia, CABN currently offers three quiet escapes – two of which are right here on the Fleurieu. Alternatively, if you’d prefer to nest inside your very own CABN, the business will soon be building to order. All materials are sourced from Australia, from the structure itself, through to the food and firewood provided for guests. The CABN experience offers an opportunity to detach, digitally detox and ‘enjoy the location through your senses, not through your lenses.’

INOUTSIDE Tiny living isn’t viable for everyone – as families grow and situations change, sometimes a small amount of extra space is a necessity. But standard builds and extensions can be a costly and disruptive process. Inoutside offers an alternative, affordable option to complement existing homes and backyards that doesn’t compromise the environment or aesthetics.

Noting that many tiny living spaces have a shed-like, tinny feel, Inoutside developed four contemporary, high-quality outdoor room designs from which customers can select and customise. Once a design is decided, the entire building process generally only takes about eight weeks. Fabrication is completed in their Seaford factory, before the structure is flat-packed, delivered and ready for installation within four to eight days. Inoutside constructions are currently available in NSW, VIC, ACT and right here on the Fleurieu. Whether the extra room functions as a studio, granny flat, extra living room or even a small backyard bed and breakfast, Inoutside builds are fully insulated, adaptable and sustainability-focused. The open and airy designs allow for a pleasing synthesis with their surroundings, bringing a little bit of the outside, in.

SWALE / DAKINI HIDEAWAYS After losing his brand new timber and steel home to the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009, Chris Clarke was left with nothing but a burnt-out skeleton on his Gippsland property. In the year following, determined to salvage any remaining elements he could, Chris set out to rebuild a more fire-resistant version of the original house.

His build was followed by the television program Grand Designs, receiving significant interest after it was aired. It became evident to Chris that there was a serious need for immediate, affordable and sustainable homes in rural areas. Working with a modular factory in Vietnam, Chris discovered he was able to replicate his awardwinning, non-combustible corten steel design far more quickly and affordably using shipping containers. Chris now operates SWALE: Sustainable Work And Living Environments, constructing small, adaptable accommodation modules for both land and water.

In an often over-complicated and unaffordable real estate industry, SWALE aims to significantly reduce the costs, hassles and inefficiencies associated with traditional builds, while making the most of under-utilised land and water. The high quality structures are adaptable to harsh Australian climate conditions and able to be relocated easily.

Top: Mitch’s tiny home was a year twelve research project. ‘Oddity’ at Port Willunga is only a brief stroll to the beach and Mitchell will be offering short stays in the tiny house through Airbnb from late March. Bottom left: Interior view of the riverside abode at Dakini Hideaways – the perfect place to reconnect with yourself and nature. Bottom right: A tiny piece of rural luxury at Coach Light Cabin.

SWALE’s ethos is about creating a sustainability movement through minimalism and ecotourism, something Chris has also adopted to suit his own transient lifestyle. Alongside SWALE’s land structures, there are also plans to continue expanding upon their ‘AquaNooks’: zero-impact accomodation options that float on water. If you want to give the lifestyle a whirl before you build your own, book a stay in one of SWALE’s modular nooks at Dakini Hideaways.

ODDITY For eighteen-year-old Mitchell Phillips, the concept of a tiny house offered an interesting topic for his year twelve research project at the Willunga Waldorf School. Exploring alternative pathways to owning his first home, with an enterprising vision for a debt-free future, he decided to dedicate his final school year to building his very own tiny home. Many late nights, video tutorials and hard work saw Mitchell produce a remarkable first-time design and build. The house can sleep four people, with a fully-functional bathroom and kitchen, and an impressively sleek interior to boot. Mitchell’s design also incorporates a composting toilet, rainwater catchment and will be powered completely off-grid – a tiny home, with a tiny footprint.

Placing it on a property in Port Willunga, only a brief stroll to the white sandy beach, Mitchell will be offering short stays in the tiny house through Airbnb from late March and paying off his loan with the income. Naming his first home ‘Oddity’, meaning ‘something different,’ seems a fitting way to encapsulate Mitchell’s ability to challenge the norm. COACH LIGHT CABIN In 1984, Karen Czornohalan’s parents and grandparents purchased a ten-acre wheat paddock on Old Coach Road, Aldinga. From the age of ten, Karen enjoyed ample space for horse riding and bountiful fresh produce from the garden tended by her grandparents, before moving interstate with her husband. Her parents continued life on the acreage, planting a shiraz vineyard and revegetating the land with native trees and shrubs.

In a bittersweet turn of events, Karen and her husband returned home to Aldinga in 2017 to support her father after her mother’s sudden passing. Leaving a dependable job behind in Brisbane, Karen proactively explored ways to make money off the existing property. From there, the tiny house dream was born and the next chapter of her family’s story on the Fleurieu began.

Karen’s vision is for a modern and minimalist yet luxurious accommodation option from which guests can get out and explore the Fleurieu. Working alongside Alexander Brown Architects and Fred’s Tiny House Trailers, they are now in the final stages of building. With a deck among the thirty-year-old gum trees, overlooking their working vineyard, Karen hopes their guests will also enjoy a relaxing escape – and maybe even try their hand at pruning a few vines. The Coach Light Cabin will be available to rent in April, with plans underway to start building another soon after.