Couple ditches traditional home and builds a modern tiny home on their best friend’s farm

Big isn’t always better—at least that’s what couple Russel and Leah believe.

The pair from Waikato, New Zealand, decided to downsize after considering their priorities and what they really wanted out of life.

And they realized their goals were simple: to be able to go to the beach and live on a farm without the million-dollar price tag.

Now, Russel and Leah have fulfilled their dream. They now live in a stunning single-level modern tiny home on a farm that belongs to Leah’s best friend, which they call their “happy place.”

Leah has been coming to that farm for over 40 years, and when her best friend purchased the farm, she said they were welcome to build their tiny house there.

With both of them working stressful jobs—Russel as a police detective and Leah as a social worker specializing in vulnerable youth—coming home to a place where they can just destress was really important for them.

The couple designed their modern tiny home on wheels together with a company for over three years. And judging from the result, it was well worth the wait.

The 34×10 ft house has a striking black exterior with gorgeous copper accents. It features big French doors that beautifully accentuate the home’s indoor-outdoor flow.

During the designing phase, Russel and Leah made sure that almost every wall had a window or a door to make the house feel bigger and keep it cool through the summer.

The modern tiny home has an outdoor kitchen, which was a significant part of the design because they want to have a space for entertaining family and friends.

The interior is black and white with green tones accentuated with warm wood and copper. The inside feels really spacious, and the couple deliberately kept it at one level to make the house more accessible for them, given their age.

Russel and Leah’s couch can seat six to eight people. It also pulls out to a bed so that their children could stay for the night when they come over to visit. Plus, it has storage underneath, so this lounge space is really a win-win.

The home has a breakfast bar with a TV above it. The small table also doubles as an area where the couple could catch up on some work in case they need to.

The tiny house has a great-sized kitchen with black cabinets and green tiles. The wood really warms up the space and makes it feel extra cozy.

It’s complete with a stove, dishwasher, oven, and a pull-out pantry. It also has plenty of storage space, with lots of drawers and cupboards.

The bedroom gives off a vintage vibe and features a full-size bed, a wardrobe, drawers, and many baskets containing their change-of-season clothing.

The bathroom has a see-through shower, an incinerating toilet, a marble sink, a circular LED mirror, and a built-in linen cupboard.

It’s also where the laundry room is, which features a washer-dryer combo and a pull-out ironing board.

Every space in this single-level modern tiny home is incredibly utilized, so Russel and Leah really didn’t have to skimp on anything. With that, they get to slow down and enjoy life more!

Check out the video below to take a tour inside this gorgeous home.