Sometimes less is more. Kim Dungey looks at the winners from this year's New Zealand Tiny House Awards.
People often ask Dave Miller where he sourced his vintage railway carriage.
They’re invariably surprised when he explains he built it from scratch.
Combining modern comforts with the nostalgia of NZR memorabilia, the tiny abode won the people’s choice award in the recent Tiny House Awards. The annual competition is for homes that are no larger than 70sq m, not including lofts and decks.
"I immediately knew they would one day inspire a project," the Tauranga man said in his awards entry. "And decades later they became the starting point for my build."
Measuring 7.2m by 3.1m, the tiny home features a curved, vaulted ceiling and tongue-and-groove wall linings that mimic original railway carriage interiors.
A retired boat builder, Mr Miller drew on his former trade to maximise every millimetre of space. There’s generous storage in the kitchen, a one-metre square shower in the bathroom, a queen size bed, and architraves and skirtings specially made to suit the home’s proportions.
The railway-themed antiques inside include Art Deco lights which were salvaged from a 1930s carriage and converted to LED. The dining table rests on a cast iron leg retrieved from a railway workbench, while a vintage-style basin and toilet, enamel signs and an old Bakelite clock - still running on 240 volts like those once used in railway stations - add to the period feel.
Among the other repurposed details: a London Underground railway buffer which became the base for a bedside table.
The owner, who plans to rent the property out, said everything came together exactly as he hoped: "I wouldn’t alter a single detail".
Efficiency is important when living tiny and this year’s entries featured plenty of clever space-saving ideas, from under-stair storage to mezzanines and foldaway furniture. They also showed that downsizing doesn’t necessarily mean sacrificing style or comfort.
Several designs were conceived with modular extension in mind, providing flexibility to add a pod or a covered porch if additional space is needed in the future.
Kaden Saywell, who formerly lived in Otago, said a separate structure could easily be butted up against his tiny home or connected via a covered walkway.
Mr Saywell’s Waiarapa home, "Mi Casa", won the award for DIY builds. He did almost all the building work himself and nearly all the fittings and furnishings were custom-made, including the detachable dual axle trailer the home sits on.
A 5.4m-long totara slab that had been sitting inside a relative’s shed for 50 years, collecting dust and motor oil, was repurposed for the kitchen bench and dining table, while recycled rimu and matai used elsewhere provide a strong connection to nature.
"Warm tones and wood were key for this build. I wanted to feel like I was around the mountains, like when living in Wanaka ..."
Many buildings in the resort town had cedar cladding and pitched roofs, which complemented the natural surroundings, the avid traveller added.
"Now I have a little memory of my great time there whenever I come back home."
