The Grayling Tiny Home Turns Sustainable Luxury Into an Art

"Micro footprint, macro luxury" is the philosophy that gave birth to Kukoon Microhomes, a house builder based in Southern Ontario, Canada. It focuses on luxury tiny homes that are based on the Japandi design trend and are meant to be much more sustainable than conventional dwellings. The best part? Although designed and built in Ontario, they can be shipped anywhere across North America. We are fortunate to live in an era where luxury can be transportable, accessible, and in perfect harmony with the environment.

All the Kukoon Microhomes designs create a seamless indoor-outdoor flow through the extensive use of glass. Inside, the same fluidity is reflected in the open space layout without harsh separations. Micro houses are typically slightly larger than tiny homes yet feel much more spacious due to these characteristics. The clutter-free, minimalistic interior style also contributes to an airy, luminous ambiance.

At the same time, these beautiful homes with Zen-like interiors have frames that are solid enough to withstand shipping and the harshest living environments. They're built to last and be fully comfortable – all with a minimal footprint. This is why micro homes are a popular choice for vacation rentals – they can be placed anywhere, with minimal costs, but with an outdoor-oriented style that is sure to delight all guests.

The Grayling is the brand's largest and most luxurious model. It could be described as the sprawling mansion version of micro houses, revealing 528 square feet (49 square meters) of living spaces. Compared to the previous two models, it takes things to the next level with a generous master bedroom and a lavish en-suite bathroom fitted with both a free-standing bathtub (one of the trademarks of Kukoon Microhomes) and a rain shower.

This luxury microhouse is 44 feet (13.4 meters) long and 12 feet (3.6 meters) wide. The tall ceilings make the Grayling feel even more voluminous. The black metal exterior with an integrated steel base is combined with custom, full-glass windows, and doors. The result is a dwelling that's drenched in light during the day, and that seems to blur the line between the indoors and the outdoors.

Luxury has a lot to do with comfortable temperatures at all times, even in a fully-natural, harsh environment. This microhome is fitted with closed-cell spray foam insulation and fully winterized. Hydronic in-floor heating, which is an energy-efficient system, is combined with a ventless, bioethanol fireplace that's built-in (another eco-friendly, sustainable alternative to conventional heating). The house also comes with air conditioning and an on-demand water heater.

Every piece of furniture and appliance inside the Grayling is top quality and carefully selected in terms of style. The luxury wide plank flooring is beautifully complemented by the furniture that's handcrafted from natural materials and the contrasting black appliances.

The kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom are fitted with custom-made, slow-close white oak cabinets, joined by highly elegant stone countertops in natural shades and matte white stone basins. Appliances are equally luxurious, including a full-size fridge/freezer, stovetop and oven from Fisher and Paykel, and a Samsung washer-dryer unit. The house is beautifully illuminated by modern LED square lights. The kitchen light is dimmable, and the stunning skylight in the en-suite bathroom (22 x 71 feet/6.7 x 21.6 meters) is solar-powered.

Two exterior sconces and two exterior pot lights illuminate the Grayling on the outside, highlighting the generous cedar-wrapped deck. This deck is pure luxury in itself due to its size. It fits not only chairs and a table but even a couple of comfy sun loungers. The kitchen and living room create a large, open-space area that gets plenty of light. The large sofa can provide overnight accommodation when needed, and the L-shaped kitchen countertop doubles as a practical breakfast bar with great views.

A delicately-crafted partition wall separates the master bedroom from the en-suite bathroom that feels more like a high-luxury spa. The free-standing bathtub is a sophisticated addition to any kind of tiny home, particularly one that's meant to sit in a fully-natural environment. The huge mirror, double sinks, and ample storage space help create a truly pampering, spa-like experience.

The highly-popular Japandi style combines Scandinavian design with the Japanese wabi-sabi philosophy, which celebrates the beauty of imperfection. The Grayling microhome is defined by Japandi elements such as the clean, minimalistic décor, neutral colors, abundance of natural light, and nature-inspired furniture pieces with organic shapes. Most of all, the Japandi concept focuses on sustainability. Everything is handcrafted from natural materials, and the overall footprint is reduced as much as possible.

Microhomes, a step up from tiny houses, are also becoming increasingly popular. Due to the small size and sustainable features, they help lower living costs significantly while pampering the owners with high comfort levels.

As the most luxurious model offered by Kukoon Microhomes, the Grayling starts at C$225,000 ($169,300). Customers can also choose to create their own custom micro houses – possibilities are endless.