After years of hosting guests in a lodge in Dunedin in the South Island of New Zealand, Phil and Kim definitely had an understanding of what it took for a home to be welcoming. So, when they decided to trade their lodge and the cool climes of the South for tiny home living and the warmth and golden beaches of Kaiteriteri, they had a few ideas of what they needed to be comfortable.
Phil and Kim cleverly integrated practical, accessible living, a love of entertaining, and their English heritage into a 12 × 4 m, 48 m² (517 sq. ft.) space. Now, they’re truly making their tiny home, The Abel by South Base Tiny Homes, their own.
The Abel offers maximum floor space on a single level, making it ideal for accessible tiny home living. This model includes one to two bedrooms and is available starting at NZD $230,000, including GST.
Looking at the coastal paradise that Phil and Kim have created, it’s hard to believe The Abel is a tiny home. The attractive exterior of this 48 m² tiny home by South Base Tiny Homes consists of Lawson Cyprus timber cladding contrasted against steel. A sprawling deck lets them make the most of the warm days.
The Abel has been beautifully landscaped to blend in with the environment. What you don’t see behind the modern cladding is how South Base Tiny Homes has designed this home for year-round comfort. It consists of upgraded wall framing with R4.0 insulation and enhanced 6.0 ceiling and underfloor insulation. There is also UPVC thermally broken joinery throughout.
Upon entering The Abel, you’re immediately welcomed into a warm, nature-inspired living, dining, and kitchen area. The entire layout has been reimagined to create a more generous living space.
The kitchen is in the heart of the home and boasts bar stool seating and a cabinet that opens into the lounge area, functioning as a drinks station.
The layout of the kitchen and living space ensures both functionality and great use of space. Knowing Phil and Kim were sports fans, South Base Tiny Homes also designed their lounge to accommodate their 55-inch TV with a soundbar (not pictured) for easy viewing from the living and kitchen. The panelled timber wall adds warmth to the space.
As cooking enthusiasts, the kitchen was a major consideration in the design of this tiny home. It needed to be functional and well-equipped while also meeting the aesthetic present in the rest of the house.
South Base Tiny Homes delivered with a gorgeous custom kitchen by Motueka Joinery featuring stone and timber bench tops. There is also a generous butler’s sink, a full-size refrigerator, and an Enko smart corner mechanism to maximise every centimetre of space.
Beautiful glass-front cabinetry forms part of the custom cabinetry by Motueka Joinery. With lighting underneath, it creates the perfect cooking nook with the gas stove underneath.
Changing the layout had wonderful results for how this tiny home flowed and catered to Phil and Kim’s needs. They have more space to entertain in the living area and a kitchen that overlooks the entertainment areas. This design allows for easy socialising. What’s more, relocating the bathroom to the end of the tiny home as an en suite meant there was a larger area to work with.
The bedroom is located at the rear of the tiny home with a charming natural colour palette. This space is all about convenience with an en suite bathroom and three-way switches on both sides of the bed. These offer easy light control.
Storage is certainly at a premium in the bedroom, with oversized wardrobe doors hiding a comprehensive storage system.
A full-length mirror on the front completes the look and offers the illusion of even more space.
The large en-suite bathroom is well-equipped with a full 1200mm shower, akin to those you’d find in a standard-sized home.
South Base Tiny Homes also installed an in-wall toilet system to maximise the space further.
Storage is not lacking in the bathroom, with a custom laundry joinery unit.
The gorgeous green vanity unit works in harmony with the custom laundry unit, offering English garden vibes. The backlit mirror completes the look.
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