Houzz Tour: Boatbuilding Tricks Turn a Tiny House into a Home
The brief for this home was to pack a kitchen, dining area, bathroom, bedroom – and even a sauna – into just 215 sq ft
“When we first saw this small room at the beginning of the project, it was just a shell, a completely unfurnished house that the owners wanted to turn into a mix of office, product showroom and retreat,” says Daniel Wolgast, project manager at interior design firm Studio A3 and sister company A3 Byggprojekt, which provides construction project management and execution services. “The idea was to create a place of creativity and inspiration for the owners, who work in design.”
With only about 215 sq ft (20 sq m) to play with, the building was definitely not very large. However, the owners wanted all the comforts of home.
With only about 215 sq ft (20 sq m) to play with, the building was definitely not very large. However, the owners wanted all the comforts of home.
The owners asked for simple and tasteful décor inspired by Japanese and Scandinavian design.
“We used as few materials as possible – namely concrete and white oak – and light tones,” Daniel says. “We also removed any unnecessary details or hid them inside storage units.”
Since the studio has a 15ft (4.5m)-high ceiling, the height and light within the space were used to the fullest effect. The glazed doors and the window in the gable are original.
The speakers in the corners were an important part of the plan. “The music equipment was there from the beginning,” Daniel says. “There’s even an integrated subwoofer in one of the drawers under the bench seat.”
“We used as few materials as possible – namely concrete and white oak – and light tones,” Daniel says. “We also removed any unnecessary details or hid them inside storage units.”
Since the studio has a 15ft (4.5m)-high ceiling, the height and light within the space were used to the fullest effect. The glazed doors and the window in the gable are original.
The speakers in the corners were an important part of the plan. “The music equipment was there from the beginning,” Daniel says. “There’s even an integrated subwoofer in one of the drawers under the bench seat.”
To make room for all the planned features, nearly every piece of the interior and the furniture was custom-made. “We designed the staircase, railings, handrail, table, storage bench, bed frame – with storage boxes in the headboard – and bathroom mirror,” Daniel says.
“The kitchen is based on components from Ballingslöv [a Swedish kitchen manufacturer], and then our cabinet-maker took over and got the kitchen and stairs to blend together beautifully,” he says.
“The kitchen is based on components from Ballingslöv [a Swedish kitchen manufacturer], and then our cabinet-maker took over and got the kitchen and stairs to blend together beautifully,” he says.
The walls were already partially covered in wood panelling; Studio A3 added it to the rest of the building and painted it to visually unify the space.
The furniture is made of whitewashed oak and matt lacquered MDF, while the floor is finished in an industrial self-levelling cement screed.
Feeling inspired? Find a local professional on Houzz to help you create your own dream home.
The furniture is made of whitewashed oak and matt lacquered MDF, while the floor is finished in an industrial self-levelling cement screed.
Feeling inspired? Find a local professional on Houzz to help you create your own dream home.
The carpenter, who comes from a family of boat builders, came up with the idea to make use of the empty space under the table.
“It was important to maximise the storage in all the furniture, so there was a lot of boat-cabin thinking,” Lina Wolgast, an interior designer at Studio A3, says.
“It was important to maximise the storage in all the furniture, so there was a lot of boat-cabin thinking,” Lina Wolgast, an interior designer at Studio A3, says.
“The sofa is a pull-out, there are drawers throughout the bench, and the table is on wheels, so it can be moved,” Lina adds.
The built-in kitchen features a fridge, oven, hob, dishwasher and wine cooler. The open shelves hang close to the ceiling to make the splashback area feel airy.
The stairs were a bit of a challenge. “The steps are actually attached to a steel structure behind the panelling,” Daniel says. “The oak pieces are attached to steel beams that extend from [the steel structure], so they sit firmly.”
The little window is original, and faces another property. The stools were specially designed for the home.
The little window is original, and faces another property. The stools were specially designed for the home.
The team installed two Velux skylights in the loft to bring in as much light as possible.
The lighting in the studio was also carefully planned out, and although Lina is usually not so fond of recessed spotlights, they work well here. “They make for a unified look throughout the house. However, we had to do a lot of rewiring, take down the panelling and place the stairs a certain way to get the spotlights in,” she says.
Working a bathroom, complete with a shower and sauna, into an area of about 28 sq ft (2.6 sq m) was also no walk in the park. “We had to compromise a little on the standard dimensions of the sauna. It’s 1.5 square metres [about 16 sq ft],” Daniel says.
Recommended dimensions are usually 0.8 sq m per person, with 60cm sitting space per person, plus technical space. “But the owners are fine with it,” he says.
Recommended dimensions are usually 0.8 sq m per person, with 60cm sitting space per person, plus technical space. “But the owners are fine with it,” he says.
The shower is bordered by a folding glass wall to maximise floor space, and they had an especially wide mirror custom-made to reflect the room.
Tell us…
Which small-space ideas do you love about this project? Let us know in the Comments section.
Tell us…
Which small-space ideas do you love about this project? Let us know in the Comments section.
Location Gothenburg, Sweden
Size Just over 215 sq ft (20 sq m)
Interior design Studio A3
Construction planning and execution A3 Byggprojekt
Year completed 2019
Budget About £2,900 (36,000 SEK) for the planning and about £80,000 (1,000,000 SEK) for the renovation work, including the built-in furniture