The Pod, described as a “love letter to Tasmania,” is a 430sq-ft tiny home located in Tasmania, Australia comprised of two pods merged together with an overhead row of skylights.
Airbnb and tiny homes have garnered a whole lot of attention in recent years. During the pandemic, when air travel restrictions and health warnings were issued by airlines and hotels, we looked to road trips and Airbnbs to fill our wanderlust. Others took the extra time to finally build a tiny home and guarantee their hot vax summer with a destination they could escape to every weekend. Alice Hansen, a travel writer based in Australia, built her tiny home, The Pod (available on Airbnb), for others to escape to and fall in love with Tasmania.
The Pod, described by TV host Peter Madison as a “love letter to Tasmania,” is a tiny home comprised of two living ‘pods’ merged together by a narrow row of skylights. Covering only 430sq-ft, the exterior of The Pod is wrapped in Tasmanian oak wood which is replaced with expansive, floor-to-ceiling windows around the back of the tiny home.
Positioned on a hillside, the tiny home’s back pod rises on steel beams to merge with the front pod, giving the illusion that you’re “floating” above the ground, as described by Hansen. Skylights also line the ceiling of The Pod, complimenting the floating feel with enough natural sunlight to brighten the entire home and visually splitting the two pods into separate living spaces.
Inspired by a war aircraft, the structural soundness of The Pod is durable and lightweight by design with hardwood fitting out most of the exterior and interior. Upon entering the tiny home, a centerpiece fireplace greets guests, leading their eyes to the floor-to-ceiling glazed windows that offer unfettered views of Tasmania’s iconic pine trees and dunes, Frederick Henry Bay, and the Southern Ocean. Throughout the home, Hansen was sure to incorporate homages to the local area with most of the furniture and homemade goods in The Pod coming from the community’s craftspeople and artisans.
Hansen found beauty in simplicity with The Pod, describing it as inspired by her “danish heritage,” and “the simplicity of Scandinavian design.” To stay true to Scandinavian design’s elemental roots, much of the interior walls within The Pod are unstained natural wood panels.
While the exterior and the majority of the interior are wrapped in light, natural Tasmanian oakwood, the bedroom is soothed in black timber walls, giving it a touch of blackout comfort for a restful night. On starry nights, guests of Hansen’s Airbnb can escape to the deck for a warm soak in the Huon pine outdoor tub made with timber sourced from the depths of Lake Pieman.
The kitchen is small and stocked with all the essentials, from an electric stove to working space for cooking. Just beside the kitchen, a modest dining table doubles as a workbench, and overhead skylights lead guests to the living area. There, guests can enjoy a cozy reading nook and find plenty of concealed storage compartments to keep the living spaces organized and decluttered.
Designer: Alice Hansen x Never Too Small
The living room’s couch was handcrafted by a local artisan and styled in a similar fashion to the back pod with a wooden base atop steel fittings.
The kitchen and bedroom feature darker timber wall panels to give both rooms a cozier air.
The dark timber walls in the bedroom function similarly to blackout curtains for a restful sleep.
The only door inside the tiny home, a sliding frosted glass panel, leads to the bathroom.
Laundry facilities are found in the bathroom along with a toilet, sink, and shower.
Outside, guests can enjoy the Huon pine outdoor tub made with timber sourced from the depths of Lake Pieman.
Come dusk, the lights inside The Pod emanate a golden glow to amplify the cozy and elegant feel.
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