Single-Level Tiny With Smart Storage Is a Fabulous Take on Self-Sufficient Living

The Tiny House Luxx was designed to function independently in an off-grid setting and to have a minimal environmental footprint. It starts with a specific choice of materials, efficient building techniques that minimize waste, and eco-friendly alternatives. On the outside, the Luxx sports locally sourced Pine ply is efficiently treated for weather resistance and finished with a low-VOC stain.

Sustainably sourced wood (Poplar, in this case) was also used for the floors, kitchen, and joinery. All the walls, the floors, and the roof were thoroughly insulated to increase the home's energy efficiency, along with the use of low-voltage LED lighting throughout. A 12-volt DC marine pump with a pressure vessel was added for water supply, and a gas water heater provided hot water on demand.

A self-contained tiny home also requires adequate storage for water and wastewater. In this case, the Luxx comes with two freshwater tanks of 100 liters (26 gallons) each and two bigger tanks for grey and black water (120 liters/31.7 gallons). All of these are neatly fitted into the trailer and secured with dump valves and Camlock fittings. Eco-friendly toilets are also used instead of conventional toilets in self-contained homes; in this case, it's a marine macerating version.

Turning the self-contained Luxx into a fully off-grid home is optional, and it includes a complex solar package specifically adapted for the needs of this house. It comes at an extra cost and is comprised of solar panels, batteries, an inverter, and a control panel.

The basis for any self-sufficient lifestyle is full mobility, which is why the Luxx is built to meet the size and weight requirements for being road-legal. This spacious, self-sufficient abode is ready to travel around New Zealand, easily towed by a domestic vehicle.

It sits on a custom-built galvanized trailer with stabilizer legs, a detachable drawbar that helps save space, and mechanical break-away brakes instead of electric ones because they're said to be better for longer periods of inactivity. Add to this safety and compliance certificates for both the electrical and gas systems, and you have a sturdy, fully functioning home that's ready to hit the road and ready to provide long-term accommodation even in a remote, all-natural environment.

With all of this going on, you might think that there's not a lot of room left for fancy luxuries inside this rugged house. Still, you'll surely be impressed by Luxx's ingenious layout and fresh, informal style. The folks at Taha Tiny Homes pride themselves on offering "immaculate attention to detail," and it shows.

First of all, while the Luxx was primarily designed as a single-level home, it also cleverly incorporates storage in the form of tiny, compact lofts. This way, it's able to offer almost 10 square meters (103 square feet) of loft storage in addition to its generous 23 square meters (247.5 square feet) of floor space.

This is not only more than most tiny homes have to offer in terms of storage but also a clever way of keeping any clutter away from the main living areas while staying within the limits of a compact, easily transportable mobile home.

A light-filled, contemporary-style kitchen sits in the middle, doubling as a transition area between the main bedroom and the lounge. This is where you'll find most of the builder's custom-made cabinetry designed to offer maximum storage while taking up minimal space. One of the larger cabinets was strategically placed to house the TV for the lounge area and additional storage.

The lounge itself isn't very big, but it's definitely cozy. As if by magic, the tiny sofa reveals ample storage drawers underneath, while the apparently minuscule coffee table with a weird shape expands into a bigger table for guests or even a practical desk for those working from home – this is a great example of fitting maximum storage and added functionality into a tight space.

Like all Kiwi-designed tiny homes, the Luxx sports numerous large windows that blur the line between the inside and the outside. At the same time, having a fully private, enclosed bedroom on the ground floor is a luxury that most owners would appreciate. Even the bedroom comes with its own storage solutions, as well as the bathroom, which is also big enough to include a 900 x 750 mm shower cabin with a sliding glass door.

The Luxx is the second model designed and built by Taha Tiny Homes, a young tiny house building company in New Zealand that is family-owned and operated. The goal was to combine a modern, single-level layout with the added benefits of loft storage, all wrapped into a frame equipped for self-contained and even off-grid living.