Tiny Houses
Tiny house proves you can downsize without compromising comfort
By Adam Williams
March 16, 2026
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Tiny house proves you can downsize without compromising comfort
The Coastal Retreat is a remarkably spacious tiny house for two that doesn’t scrimp on the home comfortsSouth Base Tiny Homes
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The Coastal Retreat is a remarkably spacious tiny house for two that doesn’t scrimp on the home comfortsSouth Base Tiny Homes
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The Coastal Retreat’s exterior is finished in redwood timber, with steel accenting, and a metal roofSouth Base Tiny Homes
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The Coastal Retreat expands living space with a deck area and outdoor seatingSouth Base Tiny Homes
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The Coastal Retreat’s interior is arranged on one floor and centered around an open kitchen and living areaSouth Base Tiny Homes
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The Coastal Retreat’s kitchen includes a large center islandSouth Base Tiny Homes
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The Coastal Retreat’s kitchen includes an oven and four-burner propane-powered cooktop, plus a sink, a dishwasher, and a fridge/freezerSouth Base Tiny Homes
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The Coastal Retreat’s kitchen and living room look light-filled thanks to the generous glazingSouth Base Tiny Homes
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The Coastal Retreat’s living room includes a sofa and a chairSouth Base Tiny Homes
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The Coastal Retreat’s bedroom is spacious for a tiny house and has ample headroom to stand upright thanks to the home’s single floor designSouth Base Tiny Homes
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The Coastal Retreat’s bedroom includes a double bed and a study area, plus two wardrobesSouth Base Tiny Homes
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The Coastal Retreat’s bathroom has a large shower that takes up the entire width of the room, plus a vanity sink, a flushing toilet, and a laundry areaSouth Base Tiny Homes
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Created for a pair of nomads who were looking to put down roots, the Coastal Retreat is a remarkably spacious tiny house that proves that downsizing doesn’t always have to mean sacrificing home comforts.The Coastal Retreat was designed by New Zealand’s South Base Tiny Homes, with architect Chris Pyemont, for a pair of passionate caravan-owning campers – plus their beloved dog. Like the firm’s previous English Garden, the dwelling is based on its Abel model line and has a length of 12 m (39 ft) and a width of 4 m (13 ft), making it large, even compared to North American tiny houses. It’s not on a trailer, so is transported to the site on a truck rather than towed.
The Coastal Retreat’s interior is arranged on one floor and centered around an open kitchen and living areaSouth Base Tiny Homes
The exterior is finished in redwood timber, with steel accenting and a metal roof. Additionally, a large deck area expands living space outside and includes seating.The interior is accessed through double glass doors into the kitchen, which is very spacious and open by tiny house standards. There’s a useful center island here that serves as dining area, workspace, and storage space. The island also incorporates a slimline dishwasher and a sink, while the main kitchen unit features stone countertops and hosts an oven and a propane-powered stove, plus a fridge/freezer and tons of storage.Where regular tiny homes often feature cramped living areas, this one really opens the space up and actually provides some walking distance between the sofa and the picture frame hanging on the opposite wall. There’s a sizable rug on the wooden flooring as well, along with an attractive storage unit, house plants and additional seating.The interior layout is entirely single-level, making the bedroom much easier to access than in loft-based tiny homes that require climbing a ladder to get in and out of bed. The bedroom itself is generously proportioned and has ample headroom to stand upright, which is always a welcome benefit in a tiny house. It includes a double bed, separate wardrobes, and a small study/work desk and chair.The Coastal Retreat’s bathroom is notable for its size and has a large shower that spans the full 1.8 m (5.10 ft) width of the room. It also has a vanity sink, a flushing toilet, and a laundry station with storage and a washer/dryer.
The Coastal Retreat’s kitchen includes a large center islandSouth Base Tiny Homes
As mentioned, the Coastal Retreat was commissioned for a couple, but the Abel model it’s based on starts at NZD 230,000 (roughly US$133,000). We’ve no word on delivery, so those interested are advised to contact the firm directly.Source: South Base Tiny Homes
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Tiny HousesBuilding and ConstructionTiny FootprintMicro-HouseHouseHome
Adam Williams
Adam scours the globe from his home in Spain in order to bring the best of innovative architecture and sustainable design to the pages of New Atlas. Most of his spare time is spent dabbling in music, tinkering with old Macintosh computers and trying to keep his even older VW bus on the road.
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