The Kubrick Tiny House Is a Striking Example of Minimalism on Wheels

The main benefits of downsizing are reduced costs overall and a reduced carbon footprint, which allows for a more intentional and sustainable life while also offering the possibility to travel more with the home in tow. The idea of downsizing through tiny living started to gain ground in the early 2000s amid rising environmental concerns and the costs of living and became the hottest trend around in recent years when both issues worsened.

Downsizing is not a for-all solution, and it will most definitely not solve all the problems in our modern society, but it IS one way of experiencing a nomadic life with less stress. That's why it’s so popular in the first place. But just because you're making the switch doesn't mean you have to compromise on aesthetics or even luxury.

Custom tiny houses provide the perfect way to have a more personalized experience of downsizing, one where there's even less compromise in terms of the creature comforts you will enjoy, the finishes, and the overall quality of living. As with everything in life, if you have the extra cash on hand, you can make even a compact home on wheels feel much fancier than its compact layout would have you believe.

The Kubrick is a good example of that, without being neither too large as to lose its movability nor too fancy as to fall into tacky territory. This is what sets it apart from other premium custom tinies we've discussed before: it's not in-your-face luxury. With a design inspired by Scandinavian styling, it takes minimalism and adds a more sophisticated note to it through monochromatic styling.

The Kubrick is a fully custom unit delivered by Tennessee-based builder Wind River Tiny Homes in 2020. It is one of the two or three units a year the builder agrees to in which they agree to full cooperation with the client. In simpler words, Wind River Tiny Homes doesn't do that many custom units, preferring to stick to their six models and the hundreds of permutations possible. But when it does do custom, something like The Kubrick becomes possible.

It sits on a double-axle trailer that's only 24 feet (7.3 meters) long – so quite small and in keeping with the company's motto of "less house, more home." It features a lofted layout, with the main sleeping area located up there and the possibility to sleep one more person on the living room couch in case of an emergency stay-over. But it's essentially a home for two, so it was designed exactly as the owner wanted it: bold, with striking styling, and heavy on minimalism.

The exterior is western red cedar siding stained black. In fact, everything on the outside is black, from the screws to the painted AC unit, the tongue of the trailer, and the trim of the windows. The owner had asked for a bold tiny house, and bold is what Wind River delivered.

For contrast, the interior is all shades of white, beige, and darker natural colors. Minimalism can come across as cold or not inviting in homes, but Scandinavian minimalism is a different breed, as you must know. The Kubrick uses contrast and clean, smooth lines to create cozy and home-like spaces that invite to relaxation and socializing.

The interior offers a small living room with a built-in couch, a spacious and fully-equipped kitchen, a bathroom, and the bedroom upstairs. There's a wood-burning stove for heating up the space and, to add an even more welcoming note to it, a staircase with integrated storage and plenty of glazing that allows in natural light and erases the boundary between interior and exterior to an extent.

In writing, there's nothing spectacular about the layout, but as the photos and videos attached show, the way The Kubrick works in real life is incredible. There's elegance to a space so small and sparsely decorated, and it goes beyond color contrasts or the choice of materials; it all boils down to good taste.

Since The Kubrick was delivered as a custom project, it doesn't come with a price tag, so you're out of luck if you were thinking of getting something similar. For comparison, a Wind River tiny home starts at $88,400 for the 24-foot Pingora model, which is also the cheapest. Considering that The Kubrick features a built-in hybrid solar power system and custom furniture, you're looking at a much larger amount, but no one said luxury is affordable. Come to think of it, no matter its size, it's always the opposite of affordable.