Custom Fritz Tiny House Is Proof That the Fanciest Things in Life Have Wheels

Tiny houses are mobile homes – literally, miniature houses plopped on top of custom, perfectly road-legal trailers. Today, they're seen as the perfect way of addressing several issues at once, from the need for affordable housing, the desire to travel more and not be tied down to a 30-year mortgage, to the pressing issue of climate change, which they address by having a reduced carbon footprint.

Tiny houses started out as sustainable alternatives to traditional housing, but the developments of recent years (none of them good) pushed them into the spotlight. Tiny homes and other types of alternative housing also require downsizing, so they're all about compromising – and prioritizing an alternative lifestyle to the life we've been raised to aspire to.

All this talk aside, most tiny houses are just that: tiny. Because of the compact footprint, they offer only basic functionality to retain their mobility. Units that favor comfort over mobility are park model units, and some of them are super-fancy and surprisingly cool.

The Halcyon series from Canadian builder Fritz Tiny Homes consists mostly of park models. The Halcyon 02 was introduced last year as a variation on the original model, bringing more space, a higher sleeping capacity, and extra customization features that added to the overall feeling of luxury and comfort.

The latest build to leave the factory is based on a Halcyon 02 but shows certain personalized elements that transform it into a different unit altogether. It's perhaps the fanciest, most surprising tiny you'll see this week: packed with functionality and basked in natural light from all sides, it lives big and comes across as super-fancy.

The devil is in the details, as one saying goes. Good craftsmanship is also in the details, but don't tell the devil that. This unit is all about attention to detail, from the concrete countertops and the hidden appliances to the custom slanted bathroom sink, the use of mirrors to create the illusion of bigger spaces, and so much glazing that it feels as if you're outside. Even when you're taking a shower.

Like the standard Halcyon 02, this unit is 37 feet (11.2 meters) long, 8.6 feet (2.6 meters) wide, and 13.6 feet (4.1 meters) high, and sits on a triple-axle custom trailer. It offers two bedrooms, one in the loft with standing height and the other in the flex room at the end of the trailer. If you sleep two guests on the living room couch, this tiny has a total capacity of six people and enough space for all six to live and move around comfortably without bumping into each other.

Features include a gorgeous lounge area with a custom sofa and floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, a full kitchen with a breakfast bar, a bathroom that could be described as spa-like, with concrete custom finishes like a slanted sink and a matching shower cubicle, and two bedrooms. The main bedroom is at one end of the trailer, separated by a pocket door from the bathroom, which acts as an additional buffer zone.

The other bedroom is in the loft over the bathroom, and it offers standing height on a walkway, thanks to a dropped floor and narrower stairs in the upper part. Also here is a full wardrobe, so you can get dressed by the bed without issues.

The home is packed with all you need for comfortable living, from a washer-dryer to a dishwasher, a microwave oven, a pantry, and a full-size fridge cleverly disguised into the kitchen cabinetry. Finishes include rift-cut white oak cabinetry with all-black appliances, concrete countertops in a lighter color, and minimal decorations to keep the space airy.

The Halcyon 02 was awarded with a Tiny House of 2023 award, so it makes sense for this custom unit to keep the original layout unchanged. But the personal touches add an extra note of sophistication, particularly the expansive glazing, which makes this tiny unlike any other out there. Even the walk-in shower has an entire wall made of glass. It has a privacy shutter, too, so no need to worry about being seen when you park the home in more populated areas.

This particular unit was recently delivered to Los Angeles and dropped by crane into the owner's backyard, where it will function as an ADU (accessory dwelling unit). Fritz Tiny Homes makes all their homes all-season ready with insulation and heating by means of a mini-split, with options ranging from the possibility of taking it off the grid with solar to adding extra heating sources.

If you're thinking a tiny house this nice must be expensive, you're right. The Halcyon 02 starts at around $170,000 and can go as high as $190,000 with customization. That's a lot of money for a tiny house, no matter how fancy or airy, but it's supposed to be a wise investment for glamping, as a rental unit, as an ADU, or even for long-term residency since brick-and-mortar homes come with much higher prices.