There is massive appeal to tiny living, if not for the promise of reduced monthly costs and more freedom to move around, for that of a lower impact on the environment and a more intentional way of living. But that’s not to say that all tinies are just that… tiny.
This is one of those cases when we’re talking about a not-so-tiny tiny house, one that rivals a luxury RV in terms of, well, luxury amenities and creature comforts, total floorspace and design. The Summit, introduced for the first time to the world as Lighthouse, is a fully custom unit that redefines tiny living by putting a very luxurious spin on it. It’s been doing so since the summer of 2017, and still holds its own in the face of more recent builds.
The Summit is a custom unit from Seattle Tiny Homes, based on their very popular and highly versatile Wallingford model. Sitting on a three-axle trailer with a total length of almost 35 feet (10.6 meters), it was designed specifically to rival large RVs in terms of the kind of comfort it can provide, in the hopes that it might become a permanent residence someday.
As such, it offers almost 400 square feet (37.2 square meters) of total floor space divided between the ground floor and two lofts, which makes it a sort of downsized mobile mansion. In total, the Summit has three bedrooms and a fancy deck with a bird’s eye view of the surroundings, and a BBQ grill with seating, which makes it equally perfect for hosting large parties as it is for roaming about with just your family.
Photo: Seattle Tiny Homes
The owners asked designer Sharon Read, the co-founder and designer of Seattle Tiny Homes, for a tiny that would be “better than an RV,” quite literally. They wouldn’t trade stuff like a fireplace or a full-size bathtub for extra mobility, so the Summit has them. It also has a lounge area that can convert into a dining room for six people, a guest bedroom on the ground floor that can also serve as an office or an entertaining room, and a full-size kitchen.
The video tour at the bottom of the page, courtesy of Mrs. Read, is a bit out of focus, but it offers an excellent appreciation of the available space and all the incredible amenities. The company’s motto is “no wasted square inches,” so the Summit has custom cabinetry to make the most of every inch available, and smart storage throughout.
For example, there are four trap doors under the queen-size mattress in the smaller loft, for storing extra-long items like skiing gear or valuables. Each drawer in the kitchen goes all the way to the back, and the small benches all have storage underneath. The couch in the living sits on a platform with integrated drawers, for that same purpose of making the most of available space. On the opposite wall, which is stone-like in appearance but very lightweight, is an electric fireplace and a large-screen TV.
Photo: Seattle Tiny Homes
The kitchen is so spacious and well-equipped as to make any aspiring chef jealous. There’s a five-burner stove with double oven and extractor, a microwave, dishwasher, large farm sink, coffee maker, toaster, full-size, residential double fridge, and quartz counters. The bathroom features a smaller tub instead of a shower stall, and also packs a washer and driver, Incinolet electric toilet, and a gorgeous copper and nickel deep sink.
The master bedroom lives up to the name, which is a rarity among tiny houses – unless, of course, we’re talking about premium units like this one. It features a king-size mattress and considerable headroom, a large-screen TV (there are three throughout the house) and additional storage, as well as an emergency exit to the suspended patio.
Speaking of the patio, it sits over the fifth wheel and offers a seating area for two people and the BBQ. It’s not much, especially if you compare it with the size of every other area in this mobile home, but it’s perfect nonetheless – for whatever occasion and whatever time of the day. At the other end of the tiny is a bike rack that can hold at least a couple of two-wheelers.
If need be, the Summit could offer accommodation for as many as eight people, and we have a feeling they wouldn’t be bumping elbows as they moved about. Because of its size, this tiny doesn’t travel that much; for a while, it was parked at Mt. Hood Tiny House Village outside of Portland, OR, but when it does move, it’s towed by a Ford F-150 1-ton Platinum truck.
Photo: Seattle Tiny Homes
If celebrity gossip is everyday escapism for regular folk in terms of stuff like fashion, cars, real estate, or what have you, the Summit is pure tiny house escapism. A standard Wallingford model costs between $65,000 and $250,000, and it’s likely that Summit is closer to that higher estimate. For most of us, that means that a tiny like this will never be more than just escapism.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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