All-Black Tiny House Hides a Gorgeous Custom Interior in Soft Pastels

Tiny living and the nomadic lifestyle have gained incredible popularity in recent years, growing from a niche phenomenon to a fixture on the housing scene and a viral trend. The nomadic, mobile lifestyle afforded by tiny houses, repurposed RVs, or bus and van conversions brings countless benefits for a certain category of dweller-slash-traveler, whether on financial, professional, or environmental considerations.

Put in much simpler words, downsizing makes sense from many perspectives, saving money in the long run and offering the freedom to move around. This tiny house was born from similar considerations – the need for affordable housing and some degree of mobility – but stands out for its surprising, gorgeous design.

It's the work of an interior designer, so no surprise. Her name is Rebecca Ransley, an experienced interior designer who saw her unfortunately-named business Delta Interiors shuttered during the international health crisis of 2020. She's since made a fresh start, and she recently spoke to Bryce Langston about how the tiny house she moved into helped with that.

To others considering making the transition to a more nomadic, downsized lifestyle, or to the casual viewer looking for nice content, this tiny is a good example of the kind of creativity that tiny living requires. All mobile homes employ creative design to pack the most creature comforts into that compact floorspace, but few do it as elegantly as this one.

Rebecca's home doesn't sit on a trailer like most other tinies, but it's a larger unit that would qualify as a park model. It can still be relocated by special transport and a crane with relatively minimal effort, should she ever consider moving it to another parking spot.

Right now, it sits on her sister's land, where Rebecca added a modular deck kit she designed herself, the kind that leaves no trace on the ground it's set up on. Measuring 10.6 meters by 3 meters (35 x 10 feet), it's a spacious tiny with exceptionally designed spaces, well-lit and airy, finished in gorgeous pastels and soft fabrics that make a stark contrast to the black exterior with white trim.

Even the layout is different from anything we've seen before in other tinies because Rebecca planned it with a 4-year-old boy in mind. There are no open staircases and no ladders to move around, and the only loft is occupied by her bedroom and her office. The kid's room is on the ground level, resembling an actual room in an actual house, so not a crowded loft with no storage because there's only room to place a mattress in there.

Because the footprint is larger than with a standard tiny, this home also features a double-height living room and an open-plan kitchen with an integrated breakfast bar and all appliances hidden from sight. The combination of expansive, floor-to-ceiling glazing, mirrors, and cleverly placed light fixtures creates the impression of a much larger and much airier space. While you still get maximum functionality when you need it, this space is not crowded with items. As a side note, the fact that Rebecca is not much of a cook probably helps with keeping this part of the house spotless and clutter-free.

Also on the ground floor is the bathroom, with a large standing shower and a flushing toilet, and the boy's bedroom. Access to the loft is done through storage-integrating stairs framed by an entire wall of acrylic mirrors, which, again, adds dimensionality to the space. Upstairs is an office space with a surprising amount of storage, and a bedroom with a bed framed by windows, a wardrobe, and even more storage.

Even though tiny houses seem to be a dime a dozen these days, and there's this feeling that we’ve seen it all in terms of creative layouts, this particular unit truly stands out. It's not just a most surprisingly designed tiny, with an interior that strikes a contrasting note to the exterior, but also a very cozy space that lacks nothing in functionality for long-term living. And the styling gives it a certain magical, very relaxing vibe, which is rare in a tiny house.

Rebecca says that her tiny came at a low cost, as well. She doesn't name the builder but says the house had a starting price of NZ$190,000 (approximately US$118,000). After customization, transport, and land prep, the total bill was around NZ$230,000 ($142,000), which is less than a deposit for a brick-and-mortar house in that area of New Zealand. And she got to create every single detail of her future home and is now living a mortgage-free life.