A Life Less Lofted: This Sleek Tiny Home Offers Single-Level Living and Clever Hidden Sofas

Not everyone looking to embrace tiny living dreams of climbing into a loft bedroom. Sometimes, the charm lies in a traditional single-level home, scaled down for modern minimalism. Meet The Steph, a practical and thoughtfully designed tiny home by New Zealand’s Shayes Tiny Homes, created for those who value comfort and style in a compact, efficient living space.

Measuring 10 meters long and 3 meters wide, this single-bedroom tiny home is built on a triple-axle trailer (10m x 2.9m), offering mobility without sacrificing style. Inside, The Steph features an open-plan kitchen and living area, a main bedroom, and a beautifully crafted bathroom that feels surprisingly spacious. Every detail exudes sophistication, practicality, and understated beauty.

The vision behind The Steph was to create a home that feels open and airy, with high ceilings and an abundance of storage. Shayes Tiny Homes has perfectly delivered, designing a space that maximizes both form and function.

The efficient kitchen seamlessly transitions into the living area, a flexible space that doubles as a guest room thanks to two ingenious pull-out couches hidden beneath the platform bed in the adjacent master bedroom. The platform bed itself incorporates built-in drawers, while the bedroom is illuminated by large floor-to-ceiling windows, flooding the space with natural light.

Even the bathroom is a masterpiece of clever design, boasting a full-height shower, a space-saving washer/dryer unit, ample storage, and a sleek toilet.

steph-shayes-tiny-homes (9) ‘Steph’ is a single-level tiny home that New Zealand tiny home company Shayes Tiny Homes brought to life. It’s a deceivingly spacious 10 meters long by three meters wide and sits on a 10-meter by 2.9-meter triple-axle trailer.

steph-shayes-tiny-homes (11) When entering the ‘Steph’ tiny home, you’ll immediately notice how fresh and vibrant the open-plan living and dining area feels with its light wood flooring and gorgeous white walls with in-ceiling lighting. The entire area remains warm throughout winter, courtesy of the heat pump above the black aluminum windows.

steph-shayes-tiny-homes (10) steph-shayes-tiny-homes (2) The bedroom is accessible from the living area, adjacent to the large sliding doors. It boasts enough room for a king bed on a platform, with storage underneath. This convenient bedroom has a gas-strut window to maximize the views and let in plenty of natural sunlight.

steph-shayes-tiny-homes (1) Two steps that double as drawers provide easy access to the bed. Its elevation means homeowners have a direct view out the window while lying in bed.

steph-shayes-tiny-homes (13) While conservative in its floorplan, the Steph tiny home feels spacious thanks to its high ceiling and open-plan feel. The large piece of artwork over the top of the desk area is also a great spot for a large TV.

steph-shayes-tiny-homes (5) The bright, open lounge is cleverly designed with a distinctive ‘relaxation zone’ and a small work area.

steph-shayes-tiny-homes (8) The two pull-out couches in the living area have plenty of storage space and are on wheels to make them more mobile. You can quickly push them together to form a double bed for guests. For even more convenience, you can also wheel the sofas out of the way to make room for a dining table.

steph-shayes-tiny-homes (4) In double bed form, the two sofas in the living area make an ideal overnight guest bed. You can also just relax on them on a cold winter’s day and watch TV.

steph-shayes-tiny-homes (6) The kitchen is tucked away in a corner but doesn’t feel cramped or crowded, thanks to the bright white paint scheme, light flooring, high ceilings, and open layout.

steph-shayes-tiny-homes (7) When cooking up a storm in the kitchen, you can easily entertain guests or watch TV in the living room. The hanging lights add a subtle definition between the two areas.

steph-shayes-tiny-homes (12) With a large sliding door and generous windows, plenty of natural light is available for cooking up a storm and enjoying the views.

steph-shayes-tiny-homes (18) The kitchen’s functionality and storage will surprise you. There is a gas oven, a two-burner gas hob, room for a dishwasher, a number of convenient drawers, a large pull-out pantry, and a fridge nook. Two-pane and three-pane glass sliders complete the picture.

steph-shayes-tiny-homes (14) The bathroom in the Steph tiny home is not all too dissimilar to those found in standard homes and apartments. It has a vanity unit, space for a washer/dryer, and plenty of storage. You can also choose to install a fixed or compost toilet.

steph-shayes-tiny-homes (16) A large floor-to-ceiling 900 by 900mm shower also takes pride of place in the bathroom.

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