Single mother of two girls, Liza, was looking for an affordable cottage. She wanted a short-term retreat for her and her daughters and a home when she was ready to retire. The dream was a cottage that would enable her small family to create memories, enjoy weekends away, and still be close to town, but she also wanted to be able to move their house to whichever location they wanted, so she enlisted the help of the Canadian company Summit Tiny Homes, and her custom tiny house project was soon underway.
Liza’s 30 feet long tiny home was christened with the name The Magnolia, after her mother’s favorite tree. It was already certified as an RV by the builder, which meant that the single mother could purchase an RV lot in Shuswap, British Columbia, for her new home with access to a 50 amp power source, full sewage, propane, and Wi-Fi.
The family got possession of their idyllic RV lot that’s surrounded by wood and near a lake, in June 2019.
Once the small home was built, Liza set her sights on a second project – a deck. She wanted to extend her living space into the outdoors. Now, she has a 10-foot by 30-foot deck to enjoy in the summer months.
Even though The Magnolia is only 30 feet long, it has enough room to sleep up to nine people. There’s a double bunk bed in the children’s room, a day bed in the living room, and king and queen-sized lofts.
Some of the stairs leading up to the sleeping loft are hollow with space for storage baskets. A combination washer-dryer is also hidden under the stairs out of the way. Photo: Exploring Alternatives
There is certainly more space in The Magnolia than you would expect. The living area consists of a built-in sofa over six feet long. Underneath it are storage drawers, and one armrest is a six-bottle wine rack.
One of Liza’s requests for the tiny home was a large bed. The generous master loft bedroom has enough space for a king-sized bed. It’s also a light, bright, and spacious area with a white color scheme and windows for natural light. Photo: Exploring Alternatives
Privacy was also a request in the single mother’s master bedroom loft. However, she didn’t want to close off the space completely. Open bookshelves form a half wall. She can utilize the storage space while also having a bit more privacy than just an open floor space above the living area. Photo: Exploring Alternatives
A lot of thought has gone into the dining room, with its neutral color palette, touches of nature, and large windows that open out to the elements. The family she loves sitting there enjoying a meal while watching the chipmunks outside.
Because The Magnolia doesn’t have a dishwasher, Liza opted for a large sink. Even with the sink taking up a lot of bench space, there is still plenty of room for meal prep. Photo: Exploring Alternatives
The kitchen is one of Liza’s favorite parts of The Magnolia. It boasts beautiful dark teal cabinets, a brushed brass faucet, quartz countertops, and lovely hexagon drawer pulls. She also made sure all the materials were light to make towing the tiny home easier.
You can easily prepare a family meal in the Magnolia’s kitchen. It has a four-burner stove, oven, fridge, and ample counter space. The marbled hex backsplash is also a noteworthy point and is also found in the bathroom.
Adjacent to the kitchen is the bunk bedroom for the family’s two girls – six and eight years old. The bunks are double beds in case the girls wanted to have sleepovers. They also have drawers under the beds for storage.
Small things take this tiny home to a new level. Liza saw this ladder on Pinterest and loved its style. She asked the team at Summit Tiny Homes to build a ladder out of metal plumbing and paint it gold to match her décor. It provides access to the second bed in the children’s bunk room.
A lot of thought was put into the children’s bunk room. Liza wanted the largest windows possible for light and space. However, she also settled on large windows for escape purposes in case of an emergency. To allow her children to keep the room as tidy as possible, she also invested in Beddy’s – Zipper Bedding. Rather than having to tuck in sheets, the top and bottom sheep zip into each other.
Just as you would have storage in a standard home for cleaning, it makes sense to include it in a tiny home. This broom closet houses the cordless vacuum cleaner and broom. It also has a power outlet.
This beautiful beaded bull skull was Liza’s 40th birthday gift to herself. She fell in love with the intricate beading, patterns, and colors.
On the opposite side of the tiny house to the master loft suite is the second loft. It’s positioned over the bathroom and is a guest loft for visitors. However, Liza has turned it into the play loft for the kids. It has a couch, craft box, and other fun things to do. The sofa also opens up to a queen bed for guests. Photo: Exploring Alternatives
Just because a home is tiny, doesn’t mean the bathroom has to be. The Magnolia features a five-foot countertop, a standard-sized shower, and two windows. It’s also beautifully styled with a teal feature wall behind the sink, custom walnut face cabinets, a brushed faucet, and beautiful tiling.
The bathroom features a flush toilet, so it’s easy to forget you’re living in a tiny home. Liza also chose beautiful white subway tiles in a herringbone pattern with a light grey grout for the shower and hex tiles for the bathroom floor. Follow The Magnolia Tiny House on Instagram
When it comes to small bathrooms, every square inch counts. Whether you’re battling countertop clutter, limited wall space, or nowhere to stash your towels,...
Sweden has long been admired for its clean lines, clever design, and deep respect for nature, all qualities that translate beautifully into the country’s...
