Shaye’s Tiny Homes might be a well-established business producing dozens of tiny homes each year, but it certainly didn’t start that way. Shaye Boddington’s tiny home journey began in 2013 when she and her then-partner Tom purchased land. They wanted an affordable and eco-friendly home for themselves and their young daughter, Hazel, and it seemed like the right time to build their very first tiny home: Lucy.
The process of designing and building tiny houses captivated Shaye to such an extent that she eventually established her own successful tiny home business.
When Shaye and Tom’s relationship turned into a friendship, Shaye and Hazel moved out of their tiny home and rented properties until they could establish themselves again. After two years, Shaye was tired of the renting lifestyle and was drawn back to the charm of tiny home living.
This time, Shaye collaborated with her mother to design her new tiny house, which she affectionately named after her daughter, Hazel. The Hazel home was envisioned as a sanctuary for Shaye and her daughter, offering them privacy while also accommodating the needs of a growing family in the future.
For those interested, pricing for a similar home to Hazel starts from NZD 220,800, with shells at various stages of completion available upon inquiry.
Hazel, the tiny home, built by Shaye Boddington’s tiny home business ‘Shaye’s Tiny Homes’, is a beautiful nature-inspired tiny home built on an 8.5m x 2.8m triple axle trailer. The 9.2m x 3m x 4.25m house was bigger than the initial tiny home Shaye designed, ‘Lucy’, but Shaye said it was a nice, easy-to-transport size.
Living Roof
Shaye had always dreamed of having a home with a living roof, so designing and building ‘Hazel’ gave her the perfect opportunity. Shaye loves plants and wanted her tiny home to blend in seamlessly with its surrounding environment. With time, the plants forming the foundation of the living roof would grow over the side, making it feel like nature was reclaiming the home.
A porch or veranda on a tiny home is an excellent way to maximize all available living space, and Shaye took this concept and ran with it. Shaye built the deck on a trailer frame, making it easy to transport if the time came.
While she builds her homes with cedar and iron cladding, she made her deck using river totara. River rimu was also used on the interior to add a touch of history. According to Shaye, the river totara comes from rivers in the North Island of New Zealand, where logging companies were abundant 150 years ago. Old logs lost in riverways are now being excavated, with companies milling them for people to purchase.
Shaye’s current living situation might not stay the same forever, so future-proofing was a significant part of her tiny home design. Whether she had more children in the future or entered a relationship with blended families, she wanted her home to suit her current and future needs.
As a result, Shaye designed an add-on module behind her outdoor tub area to ensure plenty of room for all. The module is accessible through French doors on its front or via an external door on the tiny house. Its location by the porch makes it feel like part of the entire tiny home unit. The layout also means that she could make the home bigger in the future by placing two tiny homes next to each other.
Nature-Inspired Kitchen
It’s easy to assume that you have to live in a cramped, crowded space with minimum functionality when you purchase a tiny home, but that’s not the case. Shaye says that people always remark on the size of the kitchen when they enter her home, even saying it’s as large as theirs in their regular-sized home.
This beautiful nature-inspired kitchen tucked away at the end of the tiny home has everything Shaye needs to cook up a storm, including a wall oven, a four-burner gas hob, a breakfast bar, and a regular-sized fridge. Her storage needs are also taken care of with six cupboards and two drawers.
Shaye could have opted for regular kitchen cabinetry in her tiny home, but she wanted something extra unique for herself. The kitchen table was put together by her cabinetry team with river rimu and also features a river rimu timber sink. While people question its practicality, Shaye says the timber has aged well.
We never need as much space as we think we do, but our brains like to make us believe that we do. To minimize the risk of Shaye’s tiny home feeling cramped and crowded, she installed mirrors on the pantry shelves. These trick the eye into thinking there’s more space than there really is. The shelves are also at the perfect height for the storage of everyday essentials like glasses, tea, coffee, and healthy snacks.
While Shaye was more than satisfied with the living roof on her tiny home’s exterior, she also wanted to bring something similar to the interior. This led her to create a living wall, a wall of plants that functions as a feature in her living space and adds much-needed definition between the kitchen and living.
The Lounge Area
Shaye wanted to make sure she could enjoy exceptional indoor-outdoor flow and stunning views no matter where she parked, so she installed an extra-large tri-folding door into the living area. Not only does the door let in an abundance of natural light, but it also makes the living space much larger – particularly during the summer months when the door remains open.
The lounge area is also large enough for a comfortable four-seater sofa, with plenty of space for movie nights with Hazel and friends. Shaye has a projector she can place on the windowsill and project onto a blind to turn the living space into a movie room.
Privacy was a major consideration for Shaye when designing ‘Hazel’ the tiny house for her and her daughter. She created one bedroom on either side of the tiny home with their own doors. The rooms are connected via a full-height catwalk, providing safe access to both bedrooms above the living area.
Spacious Bedroom
If you only saw a picture of Shaye’s bedroom, you’d think it was in a regular-sized home. It’s spacious and welcoming, with two windows letting in plenty of natural light and allowing for a cross breeze.
The full-size bed is positioned on a platform, which forms the kitchen ceiling. Shaye also loves the mirror behind the bed, which creates the illusion of space while reflecting her stunning garden.
Shaye created a perfect paradise for her daughter, Hazel. The loft-style bedroom has a bed, a dresser, a desk, and all her favorite toys – unicorns. It doesn’t look dissimilar to a standard child’s bedroom in a regular-sized home.
While bathrooms in tiny homes can sometimes be an afterthought, Shaye made hers the star of the show. In fact, she says it’s bigger than many of the bathrooms she’s had in regular homes in the past.
Shaye designed the serene space with a double vanity for symmetry and ample cabinetry to hide bathroom essentials like cleaning products and towels. The bathroom also features a hide-away composting toilet and a tiled shower.
Take a guided video tour of Shaye’s exquisite home