Phoenix Tiny House Is As Burned as the Volcanic Landscape Around: Bring Your Best Camera

Folks, if you're ever in Hawaii, in Puna, to be precise, you can partake in a lifestyle that's a bit different from the typical outdoor weekend you're used to. Here, we find one of the coolest tiny homes I've run across in a long time. But, it's not the home itself that makes the experience so amazing, but rather, where it's placed in the middle of a once-flowing lava field! You better hope there are no problems with the AC. Best of all, this tiny residence can be rented out overnight.

Now, the best way to understand what's going on here, I invite you on a little trip through our imagination. This way, you can get a clear feel for what you $225 a night can bring you. And just to be clear, bring your cameras for this stay!

I understand that not everyone can make it out to Hawaii, but the moment you arrive at the Phoenix, you'll look back from where you came and see nothing but black and hardened ground, still showing signs of its recent activity; the ground still shows which way it once flowed. But the fact that some vegetation is starting to grow through the cracks should help ease your mind regarding any possible eruptions. Other establishments can be seen around too, so sleep easy.

Once you've crossed the blackened and once-sizzling landscape, you'll find yourself looking at a tiny home that looks as though it HAS been subjected to a recent volcano eruption. But looks can be deceiving. We're looking at a charred exterior that's been honed over centuries of experimentation. Depending on where you are in the world, this process of burning the exterior of a wood-covered home goes by a different name, but the Japanese call it Shou Sugi Ban.

Why is this process used on wood-cladding structures? Well, by charring the outer layer of a wood's surface, something magical happens; you reduce it to a layer of carbon. This, in turn, helps repel elements such as water and snow, and above all, it gives pests NOTHING to eat! You're protected from just about anything the natural world throws at you. Not so much volcanos, though, wink-wink.

Once you've understood why the Phoenix looks the way it does, please take in those massive windows. Picture yourself behind them, with the morning sun rising over the horizon. Imagine yourself sipping a cup of coffee while soaking in some good old vitamin D. Looking for a tad of shade instead? There's a porch waiting on the side of the unit. With some of the exterior features out of the way, let's head inside to see what's in store.

Inside the Phoenix, the whole burned exterior idea is thrown out the window, and this is where you can see that every inch of this home has seen attention and planning. For example, the kitchen and bathroom have this whole rustic and raw feeling to them, while the living room is rather modern. All except that work desk. If I'm not mistaken, this desk used to be a sewing machine.

However, my favorite part is all the windows I mentioned, allowing for a clear view of the world around me while letting precious sunlight into the unit. Take a minute and feel what it may be like sitting on that couch and staring off into the wild world. Why not whip up a quick meal while you're at it? Once dinner's ready, enjoy it with a face-to-face conversation at the dining table near the loft stairs. This has to be the perfect place for a dining table.

Think about it. You've come back from a long day of taking photos of the lava fields around you and had a cup of tea. With dinner on the fire, you and your significant other decide to wash up; The table is set, and the candles are lit. After dinner, there's nothing to do but watch the sunset through more windows from the loft bedroom above. Go ahead, climb up to the promised land. The next morning, you wake up, brew some coffee, talk about how the stars were shining last night, and get ready to do it all over again.

Now, I understand that not everyone makes it to Hawaii over the course of their life, but if you do, you can always take a night in the Phoenix and see what living among lava fields feels like. Otherworldly, if you ask me.