This beautiful Zen inspired dream tiny home incorporates functionality in its design

This stunning tiny house in Byron, Bay Australia incorporates Zen and functionality in its design.

The concept of Zen in interior design teaches the value of simplicity — both in choosing what furniture and objects will stay in your life and the lifestyle, you should perpetuate.

Zen also highlights our innate connection with nature. It’s also interesting that the Scandinavian design shares similar concept to minimalism and keeping things simple and cozy.

Kester and Nadia considered themselves lucky when they found a spacious parking spot for their two-story tiny house. The location gives the couple all the privacy they need.

The couple knew where the trees were going to be. They designed their home’s windows in a very strategic way so that they can see the beautiful view of the outside.

The couple’s motivation to build a tiny house is almost the same with other owners, typically moving from a big one to downsize and focus their attention on things that matter.

They used to live in a big house with their friends for seven years but decided it was time to move out when their friends’ kids got bigger. Although the two didn’t want to live far away from their friends.

Kester and Nadia thought that building their tiny home in their friends’ backyard was the solution they needed, and they’re even more grateful now that they’ve seen how awesome it turned out for them.

The two-story home is 11.4 feet wide and 23 feet long. The house has 366 square feet of space, including the loft.

The first thing you’ll notice is the wraparound deck that adds more livable space. The deck has comfy chairs and couches where the couple’s visitors can lounge around while enjoying the terrific view.

“It’s incredibly functional . . . We’ve had maybe 12 to 15 people in this house on a couple of occasions, more regularly than we thought, and it works so well having a little deck outside,” Kester revealed.

The deck can also be taken apart and assembled, should the couple decide to take their house on the road.

The couple was inspired by the combination of Japanese and Scandinavian designs. You’ll notice the two inspirations of the home with the couple’s approach to minimalism and the clean lines of the exterior. They also painted the door with the muted blue color of the Scandinavian color scheme.

The spacious lounge area or living room is the first area that will greet you upon entering. The open floor design allows you to see the subtle and apparent efforts of the couple in combining Japanese and Scandinavian inspirations.

The wooden stairs that double as storage, the window’s black frames, using natural wood for the storage areas, and counter-tops all came from Japanese influences. Meanwhile, the cozy sheepskins on the couch, contrasting colors, and the abundance of natural light are Scandinavian-inspired.

Kester and Nadia wanted to have plenty of windows for the natural lighting and be more connected with nature outside, making their home feel and look more spacious than it actually is.

You’ll also notice a planter box right beside the stairwell looking over the first floor. The indoor plants complement the abundance of green you’ll see from the outside.

The living room’s window box gives the couple more seating options, especially when they want to curl up, read a good book, and enjoy the view outside.

One of the cool features of the living room is the built-in projector screen that rolls down from the ceiling for movie nights.

Nadia and Kester can sit back and relax in their living room and bring out their projector if they’re in the mood to binge-watch.

The living room is also filled with cool storage spaces. They’ve got compartments underneath the couch, window box, and stairs. What separates their storage space is how easy you can stow and get things without ruining the home’s flow.

“Having to live in a small space, you’ve got to maybe have a bit of a predilection of being organized,” Kester advised.

The couple’s kitchen features a straightforward design with minimal statement pieces, except for the cabinetry they’ve done. From spices and kitchen utensils to appliances, everything is incorporated in one area of the kitchen.

They’ve got plenty of drawers and cupboards to store their plates, silverware, and ingredients. “We love to cook, and we often cook together,” Nadia explained.

“But we like space when we cook, or we get grumpy, so wanted a galley kitchen, and we wanted quite a lot of countertop space for preparation.”

If you love cooking like Kester and Nadia, you’ll always feel excited when you see all the jars of spices and ingredients within your field of view.

The pull-out pantry also becomes part of your cooking space, so you’ll feel more excited about what you’re going to cook. And most importantly, it’s much easier to reach all the stuff you need in your dish.

The bathroom is located just past the kitchen. The couple wanted to keep their bathroom closely similar to the one they had in their previous home. The bathroom stays true to the tiny house’s minimalism and simplicity.

They decided to go with wooden shelves instead of cabinets to save more space and have everything they need within their reach.

Upstairs, the sleeping loft has its own Zen garden with the planter box overlooking the living room. Their bedroom is still spacious for them to do yoga in front of the window to calm the nerves.

The loft does not have any overhead lighting. Instead, the planter box has an LED strip that gives the bedroom a peaceful and comforting ambiance.

Kester and Nadia have been living in a tiny house for a year and three months now. “To be honest, this house has far more storage than all the other houses we’ve lived,” Kester said with eagerness. “The space is far more functional, and everything is right there when you need it.”

“When a house is thoroughly thought through and designed around the way that you live in a way that you work as a couple, it makes such a big difference,” Nadia said with a glimmer of happiness in her eyes. “Everything is in the way you need it to be, so you don’t need anything else.”

The house cost around 73,000 AUD and another 5,000 for the deck. Nadia and Kester got the deal of a lifetime, and they’re more than happy with how their tiny house turned out.

The house combines the simplicity of the Japanese design with the coziness that Scandinavian homes emphasize.

Nadia and Kester realized how their life could improve by removing the unnecessary. And now, they earned even more—the sense of freedom living a simple life in a home built precisely for their needs.

Here’s a quick tour of their lovely home: